Power Supply Upgrade

[Mike-Lynch]

I was able to add a USB-3 Card to my ProDesk

Depending on what type USB-3 Device I plug in, additional power may be required.

I'd rather provision for this potential situation beforehand.

Is there an HP Power Supply that I could upgrade my ProDesk with?

If not, is there an aftermarket one I might use?

[YourITBuddy]

Okay, Mike-Lynch, let's look into power supply options for your HP ProDesk 600 G3 Small Form Factor (SFF) PC. Adding a USB 3.0 card that might require additional power is a smart consideration.

The HP ProDesk 600 G3 SFF typically uses a proprietary power supply, which can make direct replacements with standard ATX or even SFX power supplies tricky.

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HP Power Supply Upgrade

HP often has a limited range of PSU upgrades for their business PCs like the ProDesk series. These upgrades, if available, are usually designed for specific configurations or to support dedicated graphics cards offered with that model.

It's unlikely HP offers a significantly higher wattage PSU specifically for the ProDesk 600 G3 SFF that is marketed as an "upgrade" for general peripheral power needs. Their replacement parts are usually like-for-like or for specific, tested configurations.

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Aftermarket Power Supply

Using a standard aftermarket PSU in an HP SFF PC like the ProDesk 600 G3 can be challenging due to:

1. Proprietary Connectors: HP sometimes uses non-standard motherboard power connectors.1 Standard ATX power supplies might not plug directly into the motherboard.
2. Form Factor: The PSU in the ProDesk 600 G3 SFF is compact.2 While some standard small form factor PSUs (like TFX or Flex ATX) might be dimensionally close, the screw placement and exact fit can be an issue.
3. Wattage Needs: For a USB 3.0 card, the additional power draw isn't massive. The existing PSU might already be sufficient unless you're also running other high-power components. USB 3.0 ports themselves have power delivery specifications.3 If a device needs more than the standard USB output, it often comes with its own external power adapter.

Before seeking an aftermarket PSU, consider these points:

• Actual Power Need: Determine if your USB 3.0 devices are actually overloading the current PSU. Some USB 3.0 cards have an optional SATA or Molex power connector to draw additional power directly from the PSU if needed by power-hungry devices.4 If your card has this, ensure it's connected.
• PSU Adapters: If you find an aftermarket PSU that fits physically but has incompatible motherboard connectors, sometimes adapters are available. However, these can introduce points of failure and are not always reliable or recommended.

Recommendation:

Given the potential for incompatibility with aftermarket PSUs in HP SFF systems, your safest bet is to ensure your USB 3.0 card, if it supports it, has its auxiliary power connector (often a SATA power connector) plugged directly into one of the existing power supply cables.

If you are still concerned about overall power capacity, it would be best to:

1. Check the specific wattage of your current PSU (it's usually printed on a sticker on the PSU itself).
2. Estimate the total power consumption of your system components (CPU, RAM, storage, and the new USB card).
3. If your USB devices require more power than a standard USB port can provide, they typically should have their own power supplies. Relying on an upgraded internal PSU to power highly demanding external USB devices is not the standard approach.

If you're set on trying to find a more powerful PSU:

• You'll need to identify the exact form factor and connector type of your current HP PSU.
• Then, search for specialized PC component suppliers who might list compatible PSUs or adapters, often referencing the HP part number of your existing PSU. This can be a bit of a deep dive and may not yield straightforward results.

It's generally more common to upgrade PSUs in custom-built PCs or towers that use standard ATX components. HP SFF systems are less flexible in this regard.

[NonSequitur777]

@Mike-Lynch,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

Please ignore the previous AI-generated nonsense message.

Fact is, that unfortunately, because of the proprietary and small size-restricted aspects of its power supply, there are no power supply upgrades available for your HP ProDesk 600 G3 SFF.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777