300-380 watt CPU not enough?

[SornyPanafonic]

i might have asked this like a year or so ago, but i recently added another hd so i wanted to know if a CPU of 300-380 watts is enough (im not sure which one it is but im leaning towards the 380) for a comp with 3hds, a AMD 2600+, 895mb or ram, a dvd burner, a dvd drive, 9800 all in wonder, gigabyte 400pro motherboard (this one might be wrong), a delta fan, 5 other fans. i really, REALLY dont wanna change CPUs, cuz its an annoying process but i feel that things are not running at what they should. ehh. any opinions? i already took out my audio card, ethernet card (integrated into the motherboard) and my floppy drive to save energy. much thanks for any suggestions.

 

[howard_hopkinso]

You might want to take a look at the following article on psu`s http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=792566

There is also a wattage calculator that you can use HERE

The bottom line is you need a good quality psu that actually does what it says.

Nearly all psu`s that come with the case are underpowered in one way or another.

This can cause all kinds of instability issues not to mention serious damage to your system should the psu blow up.

I hope the above links prove useful.

Regards Howard

 

[poertner_1274]

Agreed, unfortunately I it would be a good idea to put at new PSU in there, to give you more power. Just remember that if you do end up using a new PSU to get a good brand name one like Enermax or something.

 

[SornyPanafonic]

yeah i did the calculator thing and it came out to around 370. which i guess is in range of my 300-380 watt PSU. i got it from Alienware (everything else since has changed) so i think its of quality. its about 3 1/2 years old now and still going strong, somewhat strong.

 

[RealBlackStuff]

Don't forget to look at the EFFICIENCY of a PSU. This should be 70% or better. Any less, and it is a crap PSU to start with.
A 300w PSU at 70% efficiency only produces 210w!
For your 370w requirements theoretically you need a 550w PSU x 70% = 385w
You could use a 480w because not all attached hardware needs power all at the same time. However there is very little reserve in that case.
A good PSU is the one item for a PC that you should never skimp on!

 

[zephead]

A good PSU is the one item for a PC that you should never skimp on!

without question.