power supply help

maxmw · 11 Jun 2011 at 11:47

The other day I just got a ssd for the first time but when I was installing it I use the last power socket left for the power supply and I was wondering if my computer hardware is not getting enough power. I thought this because I have 4 hard drives (one of them an ssd which does not use much power) an ati 5770 graphics and an overclocked Q6600 to 3.2 ghz. My power supply is a CIT 550 W. So do I need I better power supply, my full specs and below.

System

Manufacturer Gigabyte Technology Co Ltd.
Model P43-ES3G
Total amount of system memory 4.00 GB RAM
System type 64-bit operating system
Number of processor cores 4
Processor Q6600 @ 3.2 ghz

Storage

Total size of hard disk(s) 677 GB
Disk partition (C) 5 GB Free (30 GB Total)
Disk partition (D) 118 GB Free (153 GB Total)
Disk partition (F) 20 GB Free (28 GB Total)
Disk partition (G) 132 GB Free (466 GB Total)

Graphics

Display adapter type ATI Radeon HD 5700 Series
Dedicated graphics memory 1024 MB
Primary monitor resolution 1920x1080

Surveyor · 11 Jun 2011 at 12:13

That is a pretty cheap PSU.

Are you asking because you're actually encountering problems or do you just think you should have something better?

maxmw · 11 Jun 2011 at 12:57

well Im not sure what the symptoms of not having enough power are, I was just wondering if I should be experiencing any.

DJ_Martin · 11 Jun 2011 at 13:01

Ordinarily a 550W PSU would be fine for that setup but I am not familiar with the brand. How much was it?

pastymuncher · 11 Jun 2011 at 13:31

CIT psu's are crap. There is no way that thing will be capable of anywhere near 550w. Get a decent one to replace it.

The psu is not a place to save money when building a rig. People ask about crap psu's after they have already purchased them then complain when we tell them to buy a decent one. Usually something along the line of "but i only got this one a short time ago and don't really want to spend £50+ on a new one now". If they bought a decent one in the first place they would'nt have the added expense of buying a new one!!

As a rough guide you should be looking at paying £10 per 100w for a quality psu. More if it's modular.

tidusjar · 11 Jun 2011 at 14:13

I would reccomend you getting this BeQuiet Pure Power L7 530W.
I have this PSU and I highly recommend it for the price.

olivier renault · 11 Jun 2011 at 14:15

The BeQuiet L7 530W would be ideal in your situation. It's £45, £50 with shipping.

With the Corsair CX series (and possibly the CoolerMaster Elite 500W), these are the entry level into proper power supplies.

tidusjar · 11 Jun 2011 at 14:17

maxmw said:
I would quite like to get one under £40 could you get a decent 600w one for under £40?

eg here -------

Remove that link. its a competitor site.

DJ_Martin · 11 Jun 2011 at 14:19

There is a reason why it wouldn't let you post the link before you hid it behind a goo.gl URL. Its banned to talk about competitors to OcUK and why would you try to save yourself £5-£10 and get another PSU where you don't know if it is a reputable brand and could get stuck in the same position that you are now, looking for a better quality one before it goes boom.

I appear to have taken a while to post. Go with the BeQuiet suggested

maxmw · 11 Jun 2011 at 14:24

oh sorry I did not realize that :s

maxmw · 11 Jun 2011 at 14:33

Ok well I think I will probably go for the BeQuiet Pure Power L7 530W it looks good and I just watched a video and it seems to have plenty of connects and very long wires

tidusjar · 11 Jun 2011 at 14:36

Yeah i've got it and there's everything on it. Very reliable and good for the price.

getcarter · 11 Jun 2011 at 17:21

If theres one component that should never be skimped on, its the PSU.

tidusjar · 11 Jun 2011 at 17:29

getcarter said:
If theres one component that should never be skimped on, its the PSU.

People don't really think about that when they're building or upgrading computers, i never used to think about them like 5 years ago (i would have been 13).