Hi I own a Intel Pentium D CPU 2.80Ghz running on 2 core processers it is a HP PC m7360n. And Running on Upgrade Version of Windows Vista Home Premium. I have 300watts Powersupply running with Radeon x1600 512MB PRO Version. Then I "want to upgrade to 700watts" Powersupply with out any issues from "300 watts power supply". Is it safe enough to install the powersupply? Also I gotten today Radeon HD 3870 512MB wich is require to upgrade 450 or higher? Is it ok go and head install the power supply? Or can my HD 3870 can or can't? run 300Max which I know is unsafe. :/ I don't want to take any chances. Or not I just goto a local computer store and pay for them to install it.

I would go ahead and install the new power supply. You should have no issues as long as the new power supply has all the proper connectors your equipment needs such as a PCI-E connector (for the graphics card) and a 700W should. If you are worried about a 700W being too powerful for your old setup, don't be. Your PC will draw only what it needs from the power supply even if you install a 1200W PSU.

Each type of PSU connector can only be connected to its own type and they are keyed so it is hard to install them backwards. After installing all the new power connections, double check the data cables. Sometimes they can get loose by accident when you are installing the other cables.

If you haven't bought it yet, make sure you get a good quality PSU. This is one piece of equipment you don't want to go too cheap.

Ok thanks for fast reply!

Oh also one more thing any power supply sizes can fit in a HP PC Computer or there all the same size just the wait way more? I do have it it is called RocketFish Power Supply 700 Watts from Bestbuy.

There might be a difference in the length of the power supply but as far as the mounting screw holes, height and width, it should be a standard ATX form factor. You can check to see if there is sufficient room to accommodate any extra length.

RocketFish PSU is a new one to me.

do I install the red to red and black to black connections to the power supply for my geforce graphics card?

I just don't see how the power supply is supposed to connect to the pci-express card? do I just install the connections to themselves on the power supply?

this video will help alot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_L2J...eature=related

dont really need the anti static wrist wrap (its recommended) but you should be fine

I appreciate your input. The video helped some but the power supply was a bit different. I have the rocketfish 700w power supply. I am trying to connect 2 moniters to one computer so that I can span applications between both moniters. I have a pci-express slot available and will be using the nvidia GeForce 8400 graphics card. I have one 6 pin red pci adapter on one end of the pci cord and a black adapter on the other end of the pci cord. My problem is that on the power supply source, there are two inputs for the pci adapters (red), 4 inputs for SATA connectors (black), and one input for the CPU connector (black). Where do I plug the other end of the black pci cord?

A Geforce 8400GT does not require a separate power connection. It gets its power directly from the board, just plug the card in, and you're good to go!

Your terminology is confusing. PCI adapter and cord? Do you mean PSU (power supply unit)? You speak of inputs. The only input to your power supply is at the back, the cord to the plug (to wall socket or surge protector). All the power connectors from the PSU are outputs.

Can you explain this adapter better? Did it come with the graphics card? If so, if your power supply already has a 6 pin PCI-E connector (which it should according to what I googled), you don't have to use it. Just use the one from the power supply. Is your power supply modular? From what I looked up it wasn't but I could have looked up the wrong item. If modular, test fit the connector to see which end goes where. It should be keyed so you can't plug it into the wrong socket.

Edit: captaincranky cut through the fog and gave the best answer. I should have thought of that angle.

I apologize mailpup for the confusion for the power supply. I guess you can tell that I am a noobee.

I guess the people at Best Buy were just trying to make a sale. I was told that in order to do what I wanted to do (connect two moniters to one computer to expand my moniter space) that I would need an extra power supply of at least 600w.

I was told that my current power supply with the Inspiron 530 is 300w and that I would have to double my power supply in order to run 2 moniters.

My power supply does have 2 6 pin PCI-E connectors which are red on the back of the power supply. No problem. The PCI-E adapter is a short cord with 6 pin connectors on each end. One end is red and the other end is black. I assumed that I was supposed to use the red end of the PCI-E and plug that into the back of the power supply. No problem with that either. It snaps right into place as you said it should. But the small instruction book for the Rockfish 700w said that I was to plug the other end (black) of the 6 pin PCI-E adapter to the PCI-E graphic card and there is no 6 pin connector on the GeForce graphic card.

I have installed graphic cards and sound cards and memory before with no problem in the past...just snap them in and go. But this seemed like a lot of work to go through in order for me to connect my two moniters. I don't want to mirror the moniters, I want to expand my moniter space.

I am sorry for the confusion. I hope that this clears up my messy techno talk.

I guess that I should say that the Rockfish power supply unit is a Best Buy brand also. Now it is starting to click why they wanted me to get the geek squad to install my power supply and graphic card at $100 price tag additional.

Well, their aim was to make money. Your aim is to hang onto the same money that they want to make. Did you get your two monitors set up like you wanted?

Its new to me too, so its probably not a trusty proven brand.

Yes Rocketfish is a best buy store brand and yes there is a large profit margin on these which is likely why they pushed you to buy it. (As for bestbuy's offerings; the antec Earthwatts 650w would have been a much better and slightly cheaper choice in the same price range but an even cheaper 450 or 500w PSU would have been sufficent for your system)
Here's what Hard OCP's testing found out about the Rocketfish PSU (It isn't good The same revied also tests the best buy store branded 400w Dynex PSU with even more dissapointing results)
http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?...50aHVzaWFzdA==

The actual OEM is a company called Huntkey and not only is it a rebranded huntkey 650w and fails to deliver 700w the build quality is also poor. The Hard OCP test found that the PSU was actually a marginal 550w unit and is defently overrated. My personal reccomendation is to return that overpriced piece of junk if you are still in the return period.

I have put a geforce 8400 in a dell insperon 530 with the stock psu and it is perfectly sufficent as long as the system is an otherwise stock configuration (not alot of other drives,expansion cards, etc.) I believe dell offered the 8500gt as a factory option in that system and is shipped with the same bestec 300w PSU as the base units. That being said the bestec 300w is only mid range in quality and is near it's max with that card so a 450w or 500w PSU would not be a bad upgrade. And try to stick with the following brands Antec, Corsair, Enermax, FSP, PC Power & Cooling, Seasonic

Here are some reccomendations for your system:
FSP 500w $70 (They have a 450 w for $55 but it has only 2 SATA connectors and the Insperon 530 is an all SATA system so you will want 4 sata connectors unless you plan on useing adaptors, the 500w has 4 SATA connectors which is the number of drive bays in the 530)
Antec EA500 500w $70
PC Power & Cooling silencer 500w $70
If you don't want to shop online computer shops generally offer better prices on PSU's than best buy. Just be careful to get the major brands mentioned earlier since computer shops also tend to stock some low quality overrated junk.

I thank everyone for their responses. It was good information and I decided to bring the Rockfish PSU back to Best Buy for my refund. I will look into the other brands that were mentioned and see if my installation will be any easier for my two moniters.

Thanks again.

I have absolutely no idea whatsoever why someone would tell you that to run double monitors, you would have to double your PSU wattage. That is so unbelievably DEAD WRONG!

A monitor draws very little to almost no power from the PC. The monitors have their own power supply, and all they get from the PC is a very low amplitude signal.

Follow the recommendations of the video card manufacturer and you will do just fine

Here are a couple of PSUs that would be more than adequate with your rig, especially with the 8400GT card.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371006

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139003

Keep in mind that these are not the best prices on these 2 supplies. From time to time they are on sale at much lower prices.

So are you saying that I don't need a higher PSU wattage and that I can just use the GeForce graphics card in order to run my two moniters?

This is what the Geek Squad at Best Buy are telling me that I needed to do. Anyway it is a moot point since I have returned the PSU already. I could have had my moniters up and running if that was the case. I was just concerned that I was going to ruin my computer if I didn't have enough wattage in my power supply.

Thanks for the info. I will try it with the card and see what happens.

The only thing requireing more power is the card itself. You don't need double the power to run two moniters since the moniters are not powered by the system and the video card uses the same amount of power reguardless of weather it is running one or two moniters. Your stock PSU should be able to handle that card as long as you don't have any other upgrades however it would be near it's max with that card (You have a 300w PSU and your system will draw around 270w with that card so you're cutting it close) so a 450w-500w PSU would not be a bad upgrade and would give you some headroom for future upgrades. Also PSU's deterioate over time so if you load your PSU near it's max now it may give you problems in a year or two as the capacitors age since it's max output may drop 10-30%.

I think it is because doubling the power supply wattage doubles the store's income from you .