Should i upgrade my PSU?

fields999 · Mar 10, 2009

Hey

Im currently running on a liteon 300w PSU.

Im thinking of upgrading to a higher wattage PSU but im not sure if i should as i dont know if there will be much of a point doing it.

Can anyone help me decide, maybe there is a good reason to upgrade?

Thanks!

thepizzaman · Mar 10, 2009

i think your fine unless you want to

fields999 · Mar 10, 2009

Whats the advantages of having a higher wattage psu though?

MadDog56 · Mar 10, 2009

Being able to hook more stuff up to it. If you're not adding stuff, there's no need to power what isn't there.

Other than that unless you're demanding very near to the rated wattage now there wouldn't be any reason to upgrade from a power usage standpoint either.

fields999 · Mar 10, 2009

Is there a way to find out how many watts im using at the moment?

MadDog56 · Mar 10, 2009

DC clamp meter or a plug in load monitor.

Venturation · Mar 10, 2009

Firstly, what is your computers specifications?
If its a rather basic PC with no power hungry parts 300W will be enough.

However the brand is not that great, it is considered generic.
A higher quality PSU, such as Antec / Corsair / Seasonic are better. They provide better efficiency which saves some $$ on the power bill, also they output less heat.

without knowing what hardware your running we cant give sound advice if you need to upgrade or not.

fields999 · Mar 11, 2009

It should say under my system specs i think all the things i know.

Day24 · Mar 11, 2009

in that case, you will be fine unless you add stuff or change the graphics card or something....

fields999 · Mar 11, 2009

Ok thanks

kev s148 · Mar 11, 2009

i found this the other day on the asus web site it is a power supply calculator

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.-Support-

fields999 · Mar 11, 2009

Ah i see, that shows that i should be running with 450w power supply, although im currently on a 300w.

Am i going to see some differance in performance if i upgrade to a 520w?

kev s148 · Mar 11, 2009

fields999 said:
Ah i see, that shows that i should be running with 450w power supply, although im currently on a 300w.

Am i going to see some differance in performance if i upgrade?

that better power supply you can get the better a system will run

the best way i can put it is like buying a focus st and then puting a 1.6 exhaust on you will never get the full power out of the engine

it says i should be runing a 700watt power supply but i have a 850watt it is worth going a little higher than what you need just incase you want to upgrade any think later down the line

thepizzaman · Mar 11, 2009

try to get a modular psu if you upgrade
it helps with airflow and looks much neater

SgtBaxter · Mar 11, 2009

fields999 said:
Am i going to see some differance in performance if i upgrade to a 520w?

Running a system with a power supply below the recommended rating is bad for your system components and can actually damage/wear out components not to mention stability headaches. I'm surprised you're not seeing problems already.

Just remember when you look for one, PSUs are one of the harder components to get real ratings on. You can find a cheap PSU that claims to be a "500W" PSU, but in reality it might only deliver the power that a quality 200W PSU puts out. So, don't cheap out on the PSU! In general stick with a good brand name, like Antec, or Enermax. A quality PSU will feel like a heavy brick in your hands, even a lower power one.

Your computer won't run *faster*, but it will run more *stable* with a quality power supply. You always want to have a higher rated power supply than your system uses, as the closer the PSU is to pushing it's maximum power the less efficient it usually is and you'll use more electricity. Running with headroom at the PSU means the PSU runs cooler and generally uses less electricity. Not enough you'd notice on your montly bill however, but every little bit helps in the global scheme.

So, if the PSU calculator says 450 then yes a 520W PSU would be just about ideal. I'd google PSU calculator and try a couple of them and average the results to get a better idea of what your power needs are.

thepizzaman · Mar 11, 2009

SgtBaxter said:
fields999 said:

Am i going to see some differance in performance if i upgrade to a 520w?

Click to expand...

Running a system with a power supply below the recommended rating is bad for your system components and can actually damage/wear out components not to mention stability headaches. I'm surprised you're not seeing problems already.

Just remember when you look for one, PSUs are one of the harder components to get real ratings on. You can find a cheap PSU that claims to be a "500W" PSU, but in reality it might only deliver the power that a quality 200W PSU puts out. So, don't cheap out on the PSU! In general stick with a good brand name, like Antec, or Enermax. A quality PSU will feel like a heavy brick in your hands, even a lower power one.

Your computer won't run *faster*, but it will run more *stable* with a quality power supply. You always want to have a higher rated power supply than your system uses, as the closer the PSU is to pushing it's maximum power the less efficient it usually is and you'll use more electricity. Running with headroom at the PSU means the PSU runs cooler and generally uses less electricity. Not enough you'd notice on your montly bill however, but every little bit helps in the global scheme.

So, if the PSU calculator says 450 then yes a 520W PSU would be just about ideal. I'd google PSU calculator and try a couple of them and average the results to get a better idea of what your power needs are.

yes do not go cheap on one.....
my 600 watt was $100
try to spend at least $60+ on your psu when you upgrade so you get a quality one
also add Ultra to the list of brands of psu's
they are very reliable and have a lifetime warranty

fields999 · Mar 11, 2009

Ok i was checking out this 520w - (600w max)

--------
PC World - Cooler Master Real Power M520 520W Modular Power Supply Unit - Shop for cheap Power Supplies=
--------

Do you think that would be a good one to get?

Day24 · Mar 11, 2009

You know....the problem here is that all power supplies are rated according to peak performance. I also did that check, and it says I need a 500 watt supply. Now, I have a 600 watt supply, so I'm good. BUT I also have an integrated meter which tells me the real world usage. And I idle at less than 100 watts... even with playing games, I hardly ever go over 150. So getting a highly rated power supply is a good thing, don't get me wrong, but you're getting it for those two or three minutes every day that you actually need it.

Do remember that when deciding what to upgrade when.

If you want to upgrade, and you have the cash....and you want to upgrade something else anyway, why not wait a month to get a bit more cash, and upgrade two or three things at the same time? like also getting more RAM or an extra Hard drive. The reason I'm saying this is because each time you open up your case, you run the risk of knocking into something. Not that things are that easily damaged, but if you don't know what you're doing, connections can be easily unseated, which can create real problems. This is why I always bundle my upgrades.

AstaLaVista · Mar 11, 2009

Make sure the PSU you'll buy is compatible with your Case and your motherboard before you spend your money. If you don't know if it is, call your Mfg and ask them to recommend an Upgrade or tell them that you want to buy "X brand PSU" and to see if it will be compatible with your system.

At first they may hesitate and tell you that only their own brand will work but if you push them a bit, they may relinquish the info.

thepizzaman · Mar 11, 2009

cooler master is a good brand but as astalavista said you need to see if your mobo is a 20 pin power connector or a 24 pin
and if it has a separate 4 pin for the cpu

Should i upgrade my PSU?

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