I am thinking about upgrading my old video card and some of the new cards require a certain amount of a power supply. I need to know what my Dell Optiplex Gx240's power supply is. Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you.

You know you could of just posted in http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic128877.html YOUR original thread instead of a new one. Have you tried google your computer to find PSU? Look in the case like the other post suggested from your old topic and how old is your PSU/Computer?

what the crap does "never live in the past but always learn from it" mean? I know what it actually means but isn't that kind of childish and stupid to be putting up quotes like yer some superhero there evilsmith.

If you open up the case, there should be a sticker with all the info on it.
Or go to Dell.com, in the top right enter gx240 in the search box.
on the next page, click the wrench icon for optiplex support.
on the next page on the right side in the body, click parts and upgrades.
on the next page on the left in the body, click home and home office.
on the next page on the left side, click chat live.
whew!
IF you open the case and you don't know what you're doing, do NOT open the PSU or you could get a shock - a GREAT electrical shock!
You can remove the PSU from the machine with no problem.

Good catch Evil! Sorry I was typing.

The supply is probably more than sufficient. Now consider a common problem - specmanship. Many supplies sold to third parties are rated in watts. The 350 watt supply in that Dell would be rated by that third party as 500 watts. Neither has lied. In the game of specmanship, third parties measure something different to make their power appear higher. In an industry where most computer assemblers don't know how electricity works, this specmanship game works.

Wattage says little. Far more important is current for each voltage.

Is the supply sufficient? Nobody can say with certainty. However an indisputable and definitive answer is obtained in only 30 seconds with a 3.5 digit multimeter. A tool that requires so much intelligence as to be sold in Kmart. Or Sears, Lowes, Home Depot, Radio Shack, most any hardware store, etc. Best price probably will be Wal-Mart - less than $18.

With a new video card installed, boot the machine. Multitask to everything. IOW play complex graphics (ie a movie), while downloading from the internet, while searching the hard drive, while playing the soundcard loudly, while something is attached and drawing power from the USB, while ...

Now measure each wire by pushing the red probe into the nylon body where power supply connects to motherboard. Measure any one of orange, red, purple, and yellow wires. Each voltage must exceed 3.23, 4.87, or 11.7 VDC.

If a computer is working just fine, but one of those voltages is low, then that is a perfect example of how power supplies work. Normal is for a defective or undersized supply to boot and run a computer. An example of why only the meter can avoid strange, intermittent or future failures. That one voltage would not provide sufficient current. A perfectly good supply has failed in that system. Then you know which current must be larger on the new supply. Current for each voltage is important – not watts.

But, as I said, that original Dell supply is probably more than sufficient.

For further information about your system, post those voltage numbers here.

No need for the personal insults just because I trying to help you and merely pointed out the fact you could of just edit or posted on your old topic and not have to make new thread. You acting this way doesn't seem to make me real childish does it?

By law in most countries, the power supply info is on the label attached to the power supply... and is nearly always visable by removing the case cover...

On laptops. a slightly different matter, but found easily enough on most manufacturer web sites.

Benjamin Franklin.......Visionary or Imbecile.....?

Here in Philly we have a proud tradition of doing things using the methodology of the insane...!

When Poor Richard wanted to know how many watts were in a bolt of lightning, he did the pro-active, "sensible" thing. He went outside, tied a key to his kite string, and then, using himself a a resitstive ground, found out the hard way.

Later, he almost killed himself trying to electrocute a turkey for Thanksgiving!

Those faux pas' notwithstanding, and considering that it can take up to 350 watt seconds of high voltage electricity at skin level to clamp the heart muscle solidly, one supposes that we could extrapolate the potency of a PSU by measuring how long an individual remained unconscious after inserting his (or her) hand full of keys inside the case.

Face it, men of action never stop and ask for directions, much less read them!

With that blythe truth in mind, and in keeping with the ancient adage tone of this thread up to here, I ask everyone to reflect on these pearls of Wisdom, from none other than Old Ben himself:

A penny saved is a penny earned!

A stich in time ends nine!

And lastly one that seems to be the most relevant to the support forum venue;

A friend in need is a friend indeed!

Exes and ohs boys and girls..., yours truly, captaincranky!

And be sure to play nice.

I have always found great solace in this electrical pearl of wisdom from Micheal Keaton
"220....221...whatever it takes"

CaptainCranky, you do set a standard on this forum.

CaptainCranky, if you EVER get off of your game (which isn't likely), somebody here will let you know, you betcha!

Wasn't it Ben Franklin who said

A penny saved is a drop in the bucket?

A rolling stone gathers momentum.

And lastly;

A friend who laughs last just got the joke!

A bird in the hand makes blowing the nose difficult.

Fools rush in and get the best seats

And other such wisdom...

He died of a kidney stone, after all...