The Geek Forum
Main Forums => Hardware, Software, and Other Imperialist Crap => Topic started by: Vespertine on December 13, 2011, 01:19:02 PM
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Ok, I really don't feel like doing any homework, so can someone please hand me an answer on a silver platter? My video card is about to crap out. PC is a few years old. Current power supply is rated at 250W, and most of the video cards I find are rated at 300W minimum. Two questions:
1. Do I really have to have a 300W power supply or are they trying to extort me into buying additional hardware?
2. If I really do need a new power supply, can I just get one and install it, or will it fry my motherboard (see comment about current power supply being rated at 250W)?
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*rattles off typical smartass nonsense*
*remembers who he's dealing with*
*rapidly employs backspace key*
Ok, that was close.
Anyway, someone should correct me if I'm wrong, but:
Using a power supply rated at a gazillion watts will not fry your motherboard. The opposite, however, is true.
You need a power supply that delivers adequate wattage to cover the power consumption of all the PC components, or things will overheat, fry, and possibly blow up.
Check this out: http://educations.newegg.com/tool/psucalc/index.html
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What ivan said. Having too small a power supply unit can definitely fry things you don't want fried.
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All that being said, the more common wattage employed today is 400W minimum; which I'd recommend if you ever plan to add anything else to your pc.
On the other hand, if a 250W supply is what was in the machine you have; it's possibly time for a machine upgrade.
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Thanks guys!
Seems to me that if I'm currently okay with 250W and the only thing I'm changing out is the vid card (to one that requires a 300W minimum) then I should be okay with upgrading the power supply to 300W.
Any major flaws in that logic?
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Thanks guys!
Seems to me that if I'm currently okay with 250W and the only thing I'm changing out is the vid card (to one that requires a 300W minimum) then I should be okay with upgrading the power supply to 300W.
Any major flaws in that logic?
Nope. In fact, a 350W or a 400W would be better, just to be safe.