How big a PSU?

calnen · 12 Apr 2007 at 16:56

So I'm having some problems with my PC since I upgraded the CPU - I think its either the PSU or the motherboard's on the fritz. Could it be that I dont have enough juice?

AMD Opteron 165
Asus A8V Deluxe mobo
1GB Crucial DDR400 (Dual Channel)
Leadtech 6800GT (AGP, Big copper cooler)
1 Hard disk, 1 Optical drive.
3 Case fans

Its running on an Antec 380W PSU, but its pretty old. Could that be the problem? Should I be upgrading my PSU or my mobo?
I'm thinking try the PSU and see if the problem goes away, and if not upgrade the mobo as well?
What sort of wattage would you think my rig would need?

FrannoBaz · 12 Apr 2007 at 17:34

steve258 · 12 Apr 2007 at 17:35

Here is an indicator:

http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

380W should be able to handle the rig but depending on how long you have been using it a new PSU maybe in order.

semi-pro waster · 12 Apr 2007 at 17:48

What sort of problems? Are you likely to upgrade again any time soon and take the PSU with you or keep it in that system?

Your existing PSU should be ok as as steve258 mentions it depends how long you have had it for as PSUs become less efficient over time.

calnen · 12 Apr 2007 at 17:50

steve258 said:
Here is an indicator:

http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

380W should be able to handle the rig but depending on how long you have been using it a new PSU maybe in order.

Thanks for the link. That came up with less than 300Watts total. Could the PSU just be underperforming due to age? Or is my problem something else?

Should I go for 400W to be safe? Or the 435W Hiper looks good...

FrannoBaz · 12 Apr 2007 at 17:52

DONT WHATEVER YOU DO GET THE HIPER!!! :| seriously, they seem to be VERY unreliable..

calnen · 12 Apr 2007 at 17:53

semi-pro waster said:
What sort of problems? Are you likely to upgrade again any time soon and take the PSU with you or keep it in that system?

Your existing PSU should be ok as as steve258 mentions it depends how long you have had it for as PSUs become less efficient over time.

I got it 2 years ago, and that was second hand. It's probably about 2 years old. Basically I've been getting random crashes during games, and it refused to boot for a few days. (I thought I'd fried the CPU, lol.)

So you think a new model at about the same power would be sensible?

I might be going PCIE at some point - if the motherboard turns out to be broken then I might as well, lol.

As above, what would you say to a 400W PSU by a decent make? (Coolermaster?) Would that handle a similar PCIE card if I had to upgrade?

calnen · 12 Apr 2007 at 17:54

FrannoBaz said:
DONT WHATEVER YOU DO GET THE HIPER!!! :| seriously, they seem to be VERY unreliable..

lol! Okay, fair enough.
I'm pretty out of the loop hardware-wise tbh, I have very little knowledge of PSUs.

semi-pro waster · 12 Apr 2007 at 17:55

It is mainly the Hiper 580w Type-R modular PSUs that seem unreliable but I'd still probably suggest either an FSP/Sparkle Bluestorm 400w, Akasa 400w or preferably the 460w model. These are all at the lower end of the market in terms of price.

calnen · 12 Apr 2007 at 17:56

semi-pro waster said:
It is mainly the Hiper 580w Type-R modular PSUs that seem unreliable but I'd still probably suggest either an FSP/Sparkle Bluestorm 400w, Akasa 400w or preferably the 460w model. These are all at the lower end of the market in terms of price.

Thanks for that, I'll have a looksie

calnen · 12 Apr 2007 at 18:04

Any thoughts on this one? Seems a few more watts for my money, and I've heard of them which bodes well (lol)

Xpro 500W Quiet PSU - 12cm Fan, 20+4pin Power Connector, PCI-E Connector, PFC

semi-pro waster · 12 Apr 2007 at 18:18

I've got an X-Pro 400w still and it has been chugging away in my system for about 2 1/2 years now, I can't recommend it highly enough although I don't know so much about the new PSUs. I expect they will be of the same standard but I can't vouch for that.

calnen · 12 Apr 2007 at 18:30

Thanks for the help, nearly there I hope!

semi-pro waster said:
It is mainly the Hiper 580w Type-R modular PSUs that seem unreliable but I'd still probably suggest either an FSP/Sparkle Bluestorm 400w, Akasa 400w or preferably the 460w model. These are all at the lower end of the market in terms of price.

I think I've found one of the ones you suggested:

http://www.fsp-group.com.tw/english/1_product/2_detail.asp?mainid=1&fid=52&proid=198

Is this 400W FSP the same as the FSP/Sparkle you recommended? If so I'll probably go for it - it seems very cheap.

semi-pro waster · 12 Apr 2007 at 19:08

Nope, this one is the FSP/Sparkle Bluestorm. I don't know how good that one is and it is a bit cheaper but the Bluestorm is well regarded overall. This is the Akasa 460w which would allow a bit more expansion potential in the future if necessary.

steve258 · 12 Apr 2007 at 20:02

How much do you want to spend?

Unless your budget is very limited I think it's worth investing in a 500W PSU if you intend to upgrade in the near future, considering how much power DX10 cards require. The FSP Bluestorm 2 500W and the Enermax Noisetaker 535W are great value for money IMO.