480W PSU for a C2D system?

sjt269 · 6 Oct 2007 at 15:35

Hey all

I'm looking into the possibility of upgrading my current 2.2Ghz P4 system (with a 128Mb 9600 Pro providing the eye candy...) with a shiny new C2D system. I upgraded the PSU a year or two ago to an Antec Neopower 480W unit, partly because I wanted the PC quieter, partly because I had more money than sense at the time, and partly because I plain didn't like my PSU and thought it was to blame for some crashes I was having at the time. Anyways...

I'm looking at getting an E2180 (maybe 2160, but I see the 2180 is meant to be a better overclocker), 2Gb RAM, and a 512Mb 2900 Pro. I might pick up a second hard drive as well, since I'm running out of space on mine. So, 480W for this spec...is is enough?

I'm only thinking about upgrading for the moment, haven't quite got the cash together yet. Just researching and dreaming for now.

Type_R · 6 Oct 2007 at 15:38

My Tagan 480W PSU handles a E6600 @3.4 Ghz no sweat with 1 dvd drive, X1900xt, 2 x WD raptors + 1 500GB hdd, SB card, 3x120 mm fans etc..

..so as long as its good quality should have no problems.

sjt269 · 6 Oct 2007 at 15:42

Well it is an Antec, so I'd imagine it would be fairly qood quality. Would it have all the connectors I'd need for a new graphics card, and any other new things I'd need to connect? Most of the bits and pieces in my rig are fairly old, and I keep seeing things about graphics cards and power connectors that I may or may not have.

Type_R · 6 Oct 2007 at 15:58

Most video cards come with adaptors which can fit legacy molex connectors on old psus.

Wiggins · 6 Oct 2007 at 17:25

480w will be plentifull.

I know we always talk of 'branded' PSU's to be the tastier of the bunch but I had a 550w generic psu and for 2 years it took everything I threw at it. Overclocking cpu's (630's, 640's the list goes on), gfx and ram.

Anyway.......back to the subject, your 480w will be fine. We do have to remember that more hardware nowadays is manufactured to be more and more energy efficient. Maybe one day we may only have to buy 100w psu's for builds. Oh the dreams huh?

sjt269 · 6 Oct 2007 at 17:58

Well that's good to know, thanks guys.

PhillyDee · 6 Oct 2007 at 17:58

Ive been using an Earthwatts 380W Antec with a C2D E2160 for a while. 8600, 2gb 2 hard drives, and its quite happy with it. Runs cool and quiet. (And its efficient!). So, yes, it would be fine.