Guide for Selecting a Power Supply

[RNMike78]

IMO you can never go wrong replacing an OEM PSU with after-market. My favorite is the Corsair line, I have two (VX550 and TX650) and they are of exceptional quality.

In terms of the CPU temps however, I would try a CPU cooler, like Corsair's H50 (~$80) or their newest model the H70 (~$100). I have the H70 and it is fantastic, another great Corsair product. It keeps my CPU sub-42 deg C even at max load using four cores.

But Zalman makes great CPU coolers too. I have their 9700LED in my other system, also quad core AMD.

You might want to think about moving to a new tower with more airflow options (ie, fans) and better cable management.

[rdopso]

Ricax

That system temp sould be unlikely to become an issue from what I read, but I suggest you google something like "max cpu temperature for quad-core AMD".  From info I have re the Intel quad-core i7 in my HP, even 75C is not a concern for that chip.

I am not familiar with the power supply in your computer, so cannot respond to that query, but a lot would depend on the max power draw of the specific NVIDIA graphics card you are running; but with the relatively small amount of RAM you have I suspect you are likely OK unless you are getting unexplained crashes when running gaming or other CPU intensive software.

[megamoz]

Hello everyone,

I'm not sure if the question I have really fits the topic, sorry, if not. But I'd really appreciate your answers. Although the question is very simple, even the HP Tech support doesn't have the right answer.

Cut to the chest: I'm planning to buy a Pavilion Elite HPE-390t series customized desktop. Since I'll be using it mostly outside the US (in Spain)  I'd like to know if the power supply of that computer has a voltage toggle switch in the power supply to change the power from 120 to 220 V. That information is missing in every manual I've read.

Well, that's it.

Thank you all in advance.

[Big_Dave]

The typical 460 watt PSU in the newer HP models is dual voltage.  My e9280t system (bought in Dec.) has a 460 watt PSU and is spec'd for dual voltage.  You'll see the same for the monitors.  You will need adapter plugs.

[RNMike78]

The max CPU temps which will cause auto-shutdown are 90 deg celsius. However, for prolonged lifespan and CPU effectiveness nowhere near this temp should be approached. Ideal temps would therefore be sub-50 deg C. From The AMD forums (http://forums.amd.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=11&threadid=25648) AMD state the max operating temp for their XP CPUs is 85C. Some earlier CPUS were 90C, but only a few. Stick with 85C. 85C is the Internal Fry Temp. If the temperature inside the CPU goes above 85C you CPU is increasingly likely to die. Permanently. Most motherboard CPU temp sensors report the Surface temp. The Surface Temp is typically around 10C lower than the Internal CPU Temp under Full Load conditions. So: Internal Fry Temp = 85C Surface Fry Temp = 75C The Error Free Temp is not the same as the Fry Temp. It will vary from CPU to CPU, but typically it's 20C below the Fry Temp, i.e. Interenal Error Free Temp = 65C Surface Error Free Temp = 55C If you overclock your machine the Error Free Temp falls - i.e. your CPU has to run cooler in order to remain stable.

[DeniseM-Toronto]

Royal Serpent, could you look at my thread on the p6503f, please?  I'm concerned about the psu in the p6503f because the system has a Radeon HD 5450 in it which AMD says needs at least a 400w psu, but the p6503f has only a 250w psu.

Someone suggested that according to the Antec power calculator, my p6503f has more than adequate room.  But when I entered the parts, it came very close under or over 250w.  That closeness makes me uncomfortable.

I suspect the HP marketing people added the HD 5450 but somehow missed running that by the engineering/technical people, so the psu didn't get bumped up.  

I'm considering replacing the HP psu with a Corsair 650w psu. 

Denise Moore

[RNMike78]

Denise,

Royal Serpent would be the best to answer specifics; but if I may offer anecdotal advice....

I purchased a Radeon HD5770 and specifically knew that I needed to replace the PSU. A 250W PSU is generally considered sufficient to power standard MOBOs with OEM specs. But adding aftermarket GPUs, additional HDDs, increasing RAM, etc.  require wattage in the 400W+ range from research I have done.

I chose Corsair at the advice of Cheryl G and Big Dave. Although Antec is great too. Be mindful of the dimensions.

The Corsair VX550 was a perfect fit for my p6510f; and I got a TX650 for my Cooler Master tower.

I am fond of the Corsair line so far... I also have the Dominator 8GB RAM and H70 liquid cooler. Corsair makes high quality products.

The PSU replacement is very straightforward. Cheryl suggested my first time I leave the OEM PSU umbilicals plugged into the board and replace them 1:1. Good luck!!!

[elcarimw]

I have a 3 year old HP m9300t, how do I search the computer to see what type of power supply unit it has?  I see 20 pin and 20=4 pin units on the market and do not know what the difference is.  I need to rplace the PSU to work with a new video card after the old one crashed.

[rdopso]

I am not familiar with the HP computer you have, and I do not feel technically comfortable recommending anything specific re a PSU for it; however, if you are not adverse to opening your case and checking out the tech info on your current PSU, I suggest you do that first -- and also measure the size of both the current PSU and the full size of the area available within your computer for an ugraded PSU.  With that info in hand, a couple of the main points to keep in mind are of course the rated power of the PSU you now have vs what you believe you will need for the upgraded graphics adapter (and any other peripherals you might add in the future), and also the dimensions of the current power supply and one that you may wish to upgrade to.  I believe the Corsair PSUs are a high quality product, and incredibly quiet in operation, but make sure if you consider one that it has all the correct power connectors for your computer (e.g., PSUs for the newer computers often will have power connnectors for HDDs and optical drives that are all SATA and they may not be compatible with your current computer, although I believe one can get adapter cables that will convert SATA power connectors to the older style).  And there are other compatibility issues to consider as well.  You should be able to get good feedback re your questions here from those who are far more qualified than me if you provide more specifics re your current system.  Good luck.

[darkaria]

Hello, I need help with selecting a PSU.  I have a HPE-170T with a 460W PSU.  I am wanting to upgrade to a Geforce 460gtx.  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127510   However the minimum PSU for the card is 450W with 12v 24A rail.  The dimensions, if I have them right for the 460W is:  W 5 7/8"  H 3 3/16"  L 5 1/4"  I may be off a few on mesurment, but I can not seem to be able to find a power supply that will fit the case and run the Geforce 460gtx.

The reason I chose this desigin of card is because of a heatsink on the motherboard is raised to high to allow a normal brick 2 slot video card.  The cyclone heat sink gives it room. 

Motherboard Pic  (It's the silver heatsink at the low right of the motherboard pic)

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02014355