Guide for Selecting a Power Supply

[ThePurpleJesus]

also big dave i opened up my rig to see what all connectors i have and this is what it looks like....i am going to try and explain anyway.  I found diagrams of different connectors i.e. 20+4 main connector, the 4 box mother board connector etc.

here is what i found out.  keep in mind i traced my wires straight from the PSU. 

the main power connector--24-----12 rows of 2 wires.

motherboard connector--4 wires in box formation....two and two.

i also have what i can only assume are two SATA connectors.  but they are not a single connector.  for instance....the one for the hard drive----there is one connector with wires from the PSU and right beside it is another plug with one big flat looking wire leading to the mother board.  this smaller plug that has the big flat looking wore actually says SATA on the plug.  I only have two sets of these plugs.  one for the hard drive and one for the DVD rom--optical drive.

all of the other plugs for the other components like the motherboard fan, the power swtiches, headphone and universal jacks on the front etc...all seem to come from the motherboard to the back of the component. 

so with my convaluted description....what do you think?  I think I am looking for a PSU with at least 2 SATA plugs, one 4prong box looking motherboard plug, and one 24 12 rows of 2 main connector.  am i right?  Also it looks pretty snug in there dude.....i don't think there is much room for a bigger unit.  i mean i don't want it touching the motherboard at all right?  there is maybe half an ince from the motherboard to the bottom of the PSU and maybe 3 inches from the back of the PSU to the back of the optical drive.

[Gowmaster]

hi guys, i wanted to ask here since you guys know more than me about the psu and the req needed to run a specific Graphics card on the pc.

if my pc would be able to run an ATI radeon 4550 or 4650, these are the specifications of my pc

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02582387

pls I need help with it, since  i want to upgrade my card.

[Big_Dave]

Hi ThePurpleJesus,

There are many power supplies that will "bolt in" your PC without modifications.

What video card are you considering?

Yes it's tight between the PSU and the optical drive bays.

[Big_Dave]

Gowmaster,

AMD is recommending a minimum 400 watt power supply for the AMD 4xxx video cards.

What is your main purpose for adding/replacing the video card?  If it's gaming then look for a better video card.

Review the ATI and NVIDIA performance specifications. Look at the memory bandwidth specifications and the DirectX level support.

[ThePurpleJesus]

ok....i so I bought a a thermaltake PSU 500 Watt for like 60 or 70 dollars (i forget but it ends up only being $40 with the mail in rebates and stuff) and I am pretty sure it has all the connectors and plugs that I need.  I thought I had gotten a modular....or is it non-modular.....well I thought I had gotten the one where I would choose which connectors and hook-ups I need so as to cut back on the amount of cables floating about not being used but apparently I didn't.  So I will have a bunch of unused cables floating around tied up with zip ties. 

I am looking at an ATI radeon 5670 mainly because the specs look pretty good and the price is pretty awesome.  BUT, as I am just a beginner in the learning of computer hardware and software specs, I require some much needed advice and pointers.  I guess I should start with the basics....

As I am comparing NVidia and ATI/AMD graphic cards, I have noticed that NVidia cards tend to have a lot fewer stream processors than a comparable ATI/AMD card.   But then again the clocks tend to be higher on NVidia cards than the ATI equivalent.  What am I looking for in a gaming graphic card? 

[grasshopper58]

i have an hp p7-1037cb with a bestec atx-250-12z rev d7r power supply.  i want to install an ati firepro v5800 graphics card to run autodesk inventor. what power supply should i get to run it?

[Big_Dave]

Hi ThePurpleJesus,

Generally the higher memory bandwidth, the better the video card.  The level of DirectX  is also important if your want better detail.

Review the ATI and NVIDIA performance specifications. Look at the memory bandwidth specifications and the DirectX level support.

[Big_Dave]

grasshopper58,

Your PC should have a standard size power supply but it's always best to do some measuring.

You should open up your PC and measure the physical dimensions of your power supply.  Here is a list of things to consider:

1. Specifications
2. Total wattage - important
3. 12+ volt amperage rating - important
4. Modular - not mandatory but I like the flexibility
5. Warranty
6. i7 and SLI ready
7. Efficiency rating
8. Cost
9. Physical size -- standard ATX PSU is 5.5" by 5.9" by 3.4" give or take a few tenths
10. A single 12+ volt rail is a better choice.

www.newegg.com has lots of PSUs choices.  Corsair, OCZ, Rosewill, Thermaltake.....

A good quality 500 watt power supply should be sufficient.

[grasshopper58]

thanks big dave...gives me the compass bearing i needed...

grasshopper58

[Robmont]

i am looking for a replacement power supply for my slimline s3624uk computer...the part number 5188-7521 is modified so what is the new part number for this psu?