Hi, I recently got a Geforce FX 5500 Overclocked 256 PCI video card installed in my Dell Dimension E310 System. And the card calls for a 250w powersupply mine has a 230w powersupply. The comptuer will freeze on the Sims 2 (all expanions are installed) it will freeze for 5-10 seconds and come back. Do you tihnk it is the power supply if I upgrade to a higher watt power supply will that fix it. Below are the specs


Intel Pentium 4 Processor 521 (2.80GHz) and 1MB cache (hyperthreading)

1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz

Integrated Audio

Belkin 802.11g/b wireless PCI card

16X DVD+/-RW Drive

Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelator 900 (dont use) BFG TECH GeForce 5500 FX OVERCLOCKED 256MB PCI video card)

80GB SATA II Hard Drive (7200RPM)

Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005

Intel Pro 100M Integrated PCI NIC Card

No Floppy drive

17 inch Dell LCD

BTX case


Thanks for the help, much need

Try downclocking the speeds to stock. Overclocking it will cause it to consume more power, which will cause problems with ur PSU.

I never over clocked it, it is how it was when i bought it. It says Overclocked on the box, I dont know how to overclock so I didnt its however it came sock settings

You have two options either return the Vid card and get one that isnt overclocked or get a more powerful power supply, it is certanly the lack of Power that is causing the freezing.

Ok i will get a new power supply installed, I'm deff going to get a shop do it aorund ehre becuase they told me if I upgrade my powersupply it wont do any harm where dell says as soon as i even if its 250w thats only a 20w increase as soon as i turn on the computer it will start to fry the motherboard

Don't listen to dell they just dont like people putting stuff in their PC's that isn't from them and they only sell crap power supplys, i have put numerous of power supplys in dell's ranging from 250watt upto 500 watt with no problems it wont fry the board the system and components will just take the power they need, the only thing you have to look out for is Power supplys with switches on the back of them as they dont fit dell's cases without making a bigger hole in the back of the case.

Ok thanks so much, I dont know how to do it anyways i'm taking it to a shop, they already put the card in and said it would run on 230w but now it is freezing so i tihnk i will get it upgraded, they said if iwanted to they would put in a 500w power supply but it only costs 35 dollars for the power supply or 45 i tihnk 35 im not sure but still thats seems too cheap for a power supply i want a good one they said it has a one year warrtney still is that good, can you recommend a good power supply that will last not a cheap one or if you tihnk a 35 dollar or 45 dollar not sure somewhere around there for a 500w powersupply will be a good one or junk

hello again Nick, im just agreeing with darth. I installed a new video card and the same thing happened, except it would freeze completely and not come back. I high power PSU fixed it right up.
cheers
hynesy:wave:

Ok Thank You very much, I do plan on calling a local shop today and taking it in where I get all my work done at to install one, do you think a power supply under 50 dollars seems alittle cheap I mean thats great if its good but I want a quality one thats going to last. When asked them when they put in the card they told me that if I wanted to get a power supply I didnt need it so I didnt get it but they told me it was 500Watts and i think either 35 or 45 dollars and has a 1 year warranty. Is that long enough and is that too cheap, I am willing to pay more because I want one thats is going to last and give me no problems

Thank you very much everyone above who gave me advice and everyone who is reading this thread

U can get good quality power supplies for $35-50. Companies like Antec, Enermax, Thermaltake and Fortron FSP sell PSUs at those prices. They are usually of very good quality.

Be careful when buying a generic brand PSU, if you do plan on buying one, you need to buy one that specifies a higher wattage than you need because how unreliable generic brands are
cheers
hynesy
hynesy:wave:

I want one with a name brand one, I dont know what kind the one is the comptuer shop had they might have more I dont now I didnt tihnk I needed one but now im going to get one, I'm going to egt them to do it since this is a werid case its BTX, also you cant use a ATX power supply in an BTX case or am I wrong?

Also is Antec, Enermax, Thermaltake and Fortron name brands that are build very well?

Thank you so much everyone for reading and responding to my post

Yes they are highly reputed brands.

Ok Thank you very much I will be calling the comptuer shop today and if they dont have a Antec, Enermax, Thermaltake or Fortron i'm going to egt them to order it. But I have question which in your option from expereince do you think is the best out of Antec, Enermax, Thermaltake and Fortron?

Thank you very much

Ok Thank you very much I will be calling the comptuer shop today and if they dont have a Antec, Enermax, Thermaltake or Fortron i'm going to egt them to order it. But I have question which in your option from expereince do you think is the best out of Antec, Enermax, Thermaltake and Fortron?

Thank you very much

Antec, since I have used one and it is still working after 4 years.

Thank you very much im going to go with an Antec then becuase 4 years I doubt I will even still have the computer maybe I'm not sure maybe just for a backup Thanks so much for clearing this up

Hi, I called the comptuer shop and they told me they can upgrade the power supply but they said I dont need it, I didnt have time yeasterday to take it in i'm taking it in today but I might go to a different shop becuse I fought to ask if they carry Antec power supplies thank you very much, I wonder what is causing the freezing if its not the powersupply, its when i'm playing sims 2 and the comptuer is over all the sims specs it needs below I listed the specs the sims 2 uses and then mine

Sims 2 specs

OS: WIN XP,ME, 2000, 98

CPU: 1.0 GHz or faster

RAM: 256 MB or more

DISC DRIVE: 8X or faste CD/DVD drive

HARD DRIVE: At least 350 MB of free space

VIDEO AND SOUND- DirectX 9.0 Compatibl

VIDEO CARD MUST HAVE 32 MB OR MORE MEMORY AND ONE OF THESE T&L CAPABLE CHIPSETS:
ATI RADEON 8500 OR GREATER
nVIDIA GeForce2 GTS OR GREATER

MY SPECS

WIndows XP Media Center 2005

2.80 GHz P4/W Hyper Threading

1 GB DDR2 SDRAM

DVD-RW and CD-RW drive not sure of speed dvd speed is 16x? I tihnk its a 48x or 52x on cd's

Hard drive- 80GB and I have GB's left of space

Video and Sound are DiectX compatiable

The comptuer has 128 MB Inte intergrated Video but I dont use it Its upgraded to a BFG TECH nVidia GeForce FX 5500 OC 256 MB graphics card

Thank you so much for reading this message, I just dont understand why it is freezing I tihnk ti the power supply cant handle the card ebcuase I have a 230 W powersupply and the card needs a 250W powersupply but I dont know becuse I called a local shop an they said thats not what the problem is but if I want they can install a new oweruspply but I dont need it and thats the same thing thy said last week when they put in the card because I went to a shop because I thoughtI needed a new owersupply and they said no it will work fine it might just make the powesupply blo out earlier than it should. So now it will freeze on the sims 2 for 5-10 seconds and come back

Please help thanks everyone for reading this

Also I want a power supply that is quite, so does anyone know any brands or models that are quite and are built very well. I dont care about price its well worth it right now my comptuer is making loud noises and its not the fans so Dell conclued over the phone that the case was probebly assembled incorrectly so I guess im going to get the shop check that out when I take it in today since dell said they would call me back within 24 hours and they didnt.

The loud noises would also be caused by the powersupply fan if to much dust and crap gets on the fins have you checked that, blast it with some compressed air or if you dont have a can one way would be to get a drinking straw and blow ( dont do this with the PC on or plugged in) it may not get rid of all the dust but it usually does enough, well it works for me.