When buying a new Power Supply Unit???

Hiya, another little question...haha!

If I was to buy a new psu, what would I have to consider before buying one, would I have check my CPU config, RAM, Graphics Adapter etc & can some psu's be too powerful for a system & why etc etc???

Thanks!

PS- I'm considering buying a 500W Psu on ebay for 15-20pounds, but have to know if my system will be able to comply... {is that the right word!} with it.

My current system -

- VIA V-Link Epox EP-P4MKI-S Motherboard 478 Socket

{Front Side Effective Clock - 400MHz,Bandwidth 3200 MB/s}
{Memory Bus Effective Clock - 267Mhz, Bandwidth 2133 MB/s}
{Chipset Effect Clock - 267Mhz, Bandwidh 267Mhz}

- Intel Celeron 2.0Ghz Cpu
- 512MB DDR SDRAM
- ...soon to be getting a 256mb mid-range AGP card
- Enlight PSU {300W} - I think that's the right name...??

Anyway what in my system or psu would I have to check first before buying a certain psu??

Thanks! :x

There are 2 main things to consider when buying a CPU.

Firstly will it fit in your case?. Many shop bought PC's are in MicroATX or non standard size cases which won't house a full size CPU, so you may need to buy a full tower ATX case as well as a new CPU.

Secondly, don't go for cheap ones. Anything under the £40 mark will probably turn out to be a bit rubbish, and usually won't last too long. They won't come with as many dedicated connectors either which means you may have to daisy chain them if you have a busy case. Its well worth paying the extra £20 and buying a decent CPU from a brand that has a good pedigree.
If you are buying secondhand be very careful as when an old CPU dies it can easily take your motherboard and other components with it.

With CPU's the overall wattage is fairly irrelevant in terms of harming/working with your system since it will carry the standard voltage to each connector regardless of the overall wattage of the unit. 500W is ample for a normal gaming PC, and will comfortably run an up to date graphics card, a few fans, a couple of DVD burners and some USB peripherals.

Hope that helps.

FatTrucker said:

There are 2 main things to consider when buying a CPU.

Firstly will it fit in your case?. Many shop bought PC's are in MicroATX or non standard size cases which won't house a full size CPU, so you may need to buy a full tower ATX case as well as a new CPU.

Secondly, don't go for cheap ones. Anything under the £40 mark will probably turn out to be a bit rubbish, and usually won't last too long. They won't come with as many dedicated connectors either which means you may have to daisy chain them if you have a busy case. Its well worth paying the extra £20 and buying a decent CPU from a brand that has a good pedigree.
If you are buying secondhand be very careful as when an old CPU dies it can easily take your motherboard and other components with it.

With CPU's the overall wattage is fairly irrelevant in terms of harming/working with your system since it will carry the standard voltage to each connector regardless of the overall wattage of the unit. 500W is ample for a normal gaming PC, and will comfortably run an up to date graphics card, a few fans, a couple of DVD burners and some USB peripherals.

Hope that helps.

Click to expand...

firstly why are you refering to it as a cpu, hes asking about a PSU (kids these days. j/k)

psu's do come in different sizes, can you take a pic of your case so we can size it up.

also i dont know why people always say that expensive is better, thats a load of shit.
my last psu was $100, and it died in 3 months, where as my 25 dollar psu has lasted (with heavy use) for well over a year.
go on newegg look at reviews for power supplies

:This thread has been moved the the appropriate forum

Yeah what's up with this CPU bullshit ? If you don't know what you're talking about don't reply.


In regards to expensive PSU's, you don't need to go uber expensive, you just need to buy from a reputable brand name if you want something that will likely last, and be reliable. I run Antec PSU's for instance. My brother has Thermaltake PSU in his PC and has had no problems with it also.

You need to consider your case size: MicroATX, MidTower, ATX, etc.. You need to know what standard your motherboard is also, or the plugs won't fit. They follow the same naming standards as the case, ATX etc..

As long as it will fit in your case and plug into your motherboard, go for it. Make sure you get enough wattage to run your system and keep it stable. There is no real exact formula for calculating wattage that is easy to read/understand, but in general if your PC is relatively new, you probably want a 400W power supply minimum. Even if you don't need all that power, it can come in handy down the road without having to buy a new PSU again.

I looked up your motherboard. It is MicroATX.. So if you have a small case you may need a mATX power supply, but if you have a decent mid-tower, you can buy an ATX also. The newest standard for PSU's is ATX12v (20-pin + 4pin power block connection) but as far as I know it SHOULD be backwards compatible as the 4-pin block is detachable (or seperate) from my PSU connectors. This is also not to be confused with the 12V connector for P4 motherboards.

I'd pick up an ATX12v motherboard so you are set for the future. They even come with SATA power connectors too, so if you upgrade anytime soon to new technology, it will be a cinch and you won't have to worry about your PSU. A 400W Antec SmartPower 2.0 is $57 USD. Dunno what that is in BGP but I'd look for something along these lines over there.. And not necesarrily from Ebay, unless it's like a storefront type thing with lots of reputation. PSU is one thing you DON'T want to get gyped on.

The thing to look at if you decide to go with cheap off-brand, is efficiency rating. A PSU is basically a transformer that takes your power and converts it to power the PC can use. Unconverted energy is wasted and exhausted as heat (that's why they get so warm and have fans)

yeah, listen to zach he sounds like he knows what hes talking about.
the only thing i disagree with is the wattage, id go no less then 480watt, even though a 400 will handle most tasks. a 480-500watt will give you lots of extra breathing room

also another thing to think about is does it storm alot in your area.
if so get a psu that has built in surge protection.
mine has over voltage protection and short curcuit protection. mainly because i live in lightning alley here in the US

I think I'll just get a Radeon 9600 Pro which is a mid-Range card that will work with my PSU for the time being but if I do upgrade PSU, I'll use that site and I'll get a 500W one! Thanks.

In my country, people incorrectly refer the CPU as the whole case with its internal components (motherboard, hard disk, memory, etc) when it's really about the processor. I think that's what FatTrucker is talking about.

Yeah, I think you're right, anyway thanks to FatTruker too, just in case I ever decide to upgrade my CPU too, if you know what I mean...

Well I'm sure you could find a cheaper UK based sales outlet. So keep that in mind

Crazy! said:

Yeah, I think you're right, anyway thanks to FatTruker too, just in case I ever decide to upgrade my CPU too, if you know what I mean...

Click to expand...

You'll end upgrading everything. Consider buying a whole new PC instead :dry:

lol, yeah that's not a bad idea but considering the fact that a whole new pc will cost 800pounds + and upgrading will only cost in total about 100pound [new card, cpu, psu)... I'd would rather do that if you ya what I'm sayin...

a new card cpu and video card for only 100 pounds, if you can do all that for that little money, i want to know who your dealer is and can he come visit me in the states

He's not exactly upgrading to the newest stuff though, so I could see the old stuff being cheaper..

Still.. I could easily build a good PC for $700 USD or less

Which comes out to like 350 pounds. You'd have to keep your old monitor but that's roughly it.
But that also depends on how cheap UK stores are too

I envy you. A good PC costs like 820 US$ here

Well, I remember when 75Mhz machines were $1400. 100mhz or more for like $2200, with maybe a 17" if you were lucky so... Prices ain't bad these days :bow:

True. I just bought a new PC for a relative of mine. Intel dualcore system with 250GB HD, 512MB vidcard, Vista Premium and a LG 17" TFT for 720 Euros. Not bad at all.