Have no idea what to look for in a PSU

Pmaw10 · 17th Mar 2006, 07:23 AM

I have a low wattage psu which will not work with any video card I want to buy. How do I know if a psu will work with my pc? I have no clue what kind of psu I have, like what connectors. Does that matter? What does ATX mean? Any help I appreciate, thanks.

PsYkHoTiK · 17th Mar 2006, 08:21 AM

Yea, you have to go look at it. Take the side panel off and look at how many watts your powersupply is.

Pmaw10 · 18th Mar 2006, 04:34 AM

I know how many wats it is. It says on the psu itslef 100W max but i don't if thats right. I searched on ibm.com for my pc and this is what I have http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/si...cid=MIGR-43076

There it says 185w, so whether its 100 or 185, neither is enough.

llstuber · 19th Mar 2006, 03:38 AM

Hi. It's obvious that your computer is fairly old. Wherever you are planning to buy your replacement from PSU from should be able to tell you what will work in it. You are going to need at the bare minimum a 250 watt and should get a 350, if it will fit your computer. I know money is always an issue when buying these things but you can get decent PSU fairly cheap. If you live in USA or Canada, a good place on-line for all things computer is www.ncix.com. You can get PSU's AND a new case for under $50.00 Canadian.
ATX is explained by Webopedia (on-line encyclopidia) as this: "The modern-day shape and layout of PC motherboards. It improves on the previous standard, the Baby AT form factor, by rotating the orientation of the board 90 degrees. This allows for a more efficient design, with disk drive cable connectors nearer to the drive bays and the CPU closer to the power supply and cooling fan."
It just makes working on a m/b easier. You asle need to be concerned if the m/b will handle any new additions as none of the new parts out there now will work on older (more than 5 years old) computers. Hope this helps.

Papercut · 19th Mar 2006, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by llstuber

You can get PSU's AND a new case for under $50.00 Canadian.

I might stop you there...the PSUs that come with cheap cases are usually terrible - they are unlikely to even come close to their rated outputs, may generate excessive heat and noise, and may even die and take some components with it. Of course it's a generalisation and some cheap PSUs may work without problems, but it's better not to take the risk.
With the amount of power that graphics cards (and CPUs) draw these days, it's better to spend a bit more for a PSU that you know is capable of doing the job well

Chai · 19th Mar 2006, 05:47 PM

A good PSU generally costs more than most PSU + Case combos!

Pmaw10 · 20th Mar 2006, 12:54 AM

The main connector on my psu is 20 pin. If it says the psu is 24/20-pin will that work with my mobo?

llstuber · 20th Mar 2006, 06:27 AM

Yes, it will. What that means is that it comes with a seperate 4 pin connector attached to the side of the normal 20 pin connector. Some motherboards require a 24 pin connector to power them and that is why they make the PSU's that way.

llstuber · 20th Mar 2006, 06:41 AM

Yes, Papercut & Chai. You are correct in what you both say about the PSU's and I agree with you both. I was only making reference to the cheaper ones as most people that are just learning and buying a computer for the first time, these type of units generally work well for their needs, especially if there are no cards added to the M/B. I have yet to have a PSU crap out on any of the systems I have put them in. However, if I am building a system for someone who is upgrading computers or if they know what they will be using the system for and want video or sound cards, etc., installed, I always, ALWAYS use a better PSU on those systems (I would really hate to have to replace a PSU 6 months later or so).

Papercut · 20th Mar 2006, 01:39 PM

No worries, it's just that Pmaw10 is looking at upgrading to some pretty high-end gear if you look at his other threads

17th Mar 2006, 07:23 AM	#1 (permalink)
Pmaw10 Just Started Join Date: 31 May 2005 Posts: 74 Reputation: 0 Rep Power: 0	Have no idea what to look for in a PSU I have a low wattage psu which will not work with any video card I want to buy. How do I know if a psu will work with my pc? I have no clue what kind of psu I have, like what connectors. Does that matter? What does ATX mean? Any help I appreciate, thanks.

17th Mar 2006, 08:21 AM	#2 (permalink)
PsYkHoTiK "Little" Devil Join Date: 8 Apr 2004 Location: On the "throne" Posts: 14,744 Reputation: 4681 Rep Power: 66	Yea, you have to go look at it. Take the side panel off and look at how many watts your powersupply is. __________________ Intel SLAPL 4.3GHz @ 1.35v : 2x2GB OCZ Platinum DDR2 1066 : Asus P5K Premium : WD RE3 250GB x2 RAID 0 : 3ware 9650SE-2LP : G92 8800GTS 512mb 820MHz Core : XFi Platinum : Silverstone OP650 : Silverstone TJ-07 : Dtek FuZion CPU : Swiftech MCW60 : MCP655 : Thermochill PA120.3 w Scythe Ultra Kaze CPU-Z: SLAPL : SLA9U : FX-55 : DDR 600 : VX www.techarp.com PsYkHoTiK's Meanderings

19th Mar 2006, 03:38 AM	#4 (permalink)
llstuber Newbie Join Date: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 4 Reputation: 0 Rep Power: 0	re: power supply Hi. It's obvious that your computer is fairly old. Wherever you are planning to buy your replacement from PSU from should be able to tell you what will work in it. You are going to need at the bare minimum a 250 watt and should get a 350, if it will fit your computer. I know money is always an issue when buying these things but you can get decent PSU fairly cheap. If you live in USA or Canada, a good place on-line for all things computer is www.ncix.com. You can get PSU's AND a new case for under $50.00 Canadian. ATX is explained by Webopedia (on-line encyclopidia) as this: "The modern-day shape and layout of PC motherboards. It improves on the previous standard, the Baby AT form factor, by rotating the orientation of the board 90 degrees. This allows for a more efficient design, with disk drive cable connectors nearer to the drive bays and the CPU closer to the power supply and cooling fan." It just makes working on a m/b easier. You asle need to be concerned if the m/b will handle any new additions as none of the new parts out there now will work on older (more than 5 years old) computers. Hope this helps.

19th Mar 2006, 05:47 PM	#6 (permalink)
Chai Administrator Join Date: 6 Oct 2002 Location: Maranello Posts: 28,117 Reputation: 4649 Rep Power: 82	A good PSU generally costs more than most PSU + Case combos! __________________ Chai (Contributor & Forum Admin) http://www.techarp.com/

20th Mar 2006, 06:27 AM	#8 (permalink)
llstuber Newbie Join Date: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 4 Reputation: 0 Rep Power: 0	Connector Yes, it will. What that means is that it comes with a seperate 4 pin connector attached to the side of the normal 20 pin connector. Some motherboards require a 24 pin connector to power them and that is why they make the PSU's that way.

18th Mar 2006, 04:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
Pmaw10 Just Started Join Date: 31 May 2005 Posts: 74 Reputation: 0 Rep Power: 0	I know how many wats it is. It says on the psu itslef 100W max but i don't if thats right. I searched on ibm.com for my pc and this is what I have http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/si...cid=MIGR-43076 There it says 185w, so whether its 100 or 185, neither is enough.

20th Mar 2006, 12:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
Pmaw10 Just Started Join Date: 31 May 2005 Posts: 74 Reputation: 0 Rep Power: 0	The main connector on my psu is 20 pin. If it says the psu is 24/20-pin will that work with my mobo?

20th Mar 2006, 06:41 AM	#9 (permalink)
llstuber Newbie Join Date: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 4 Reputation: 0 Rep Power: 0	Re PSU's Yes, Papercut & Chai. You are correct in what you both say about the PSU's and I agree with you both. I was only making reference to the cheaper ones as most people that are just learning and buying a computer for the first time, these type of units generally work well for their needs, especially if there are no cards added to the M/B. I have yet to have a PSU crap out on any of the systems I have put them in. However, if I am building a system for someone who is upgrading computers or if they know what they will be using the system for and want video or sound cards, etc., installed, I always, ALWAYS use a better PSU on those systems (I would really hate to have to replace a PSU 6 months later or so).

20th Mar 2006, 01:39 PM	#10 (permalink)
Papercut Hold me back! I can't stop posting!!! Join Date: 14 Jul 2004 Location: Singapore! Posts: 5,123 Reputation: 2630 Rep Power: 37	No worries, it's just that Pmaw10 is looking at upgrading to some pretty high-end gear if you look at his other threads __________________ "Use in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight. Keep out of reach of n00bs. Overclock within 24 hours of opening. Do not read instructions before proceeding, do not use only as directed. May cause frustration, late nights and empty wallets. If symptoms persist please consult your hardware professional."