Gauging power supplies

**AngstMerchant** · 09-01-2002, 06:56 PM

I need information on how to gauge what kind of power supply is optimal for a new system design. Money isn't really the issue so. . . .

anyone??

**taco_fox** · 09-01-2002, 07:26 PM

If you need to know how much wattage you need then look at this list:

----------
Power supply: How big a PSU do I need?
list complied by RudyG from ttzforums
AGP video card - 20-30W
PCI video card - 20W
AMD Athlon 900MHz-1.1GHz - 50W
AMD Athlon 1.2MHz-1.4GHz - 55-65W
Intel Pentium III 800MHz-1.26GHz - 30W
Intel Pentium 4 1.4GHz-1.7GHz - 65W
Intel Pentium 4 1.8GHz-2.0GHz - 75W
Intel Celeron 700MHz-900MHz - 25W
Intel Celeron 1.0GHz-1.1GHz - 35W
ATX Motherboard - 30W-40W
128MB RAM - 10W
256MB RAM - 20W
12X or higher IDE CD-RW Drive - 25W
32X or higher IDE CD-ROM Drive - 20W
10x or higher IDE DVD-ROM Drive - 20W
SCSI CD-RW Drive - 17W
SCSI CD-ROM Drive - 12W
5400RPM IDE Hard Drive - 10W
7200RPM IDE Hard Drive - 13W
7200RPM SCSI Hard Drive - 24W
10000RPM SCSI Hard Drive - 30W
Floppy Drive - 5W
Network Card - 4W
Modem - 5W
Sound Card - 5W
SCSI Controller Card - 20W
Firewire/USB Controller Card - 10W
Case Fan - 3W
CPU Fan - 3W

The wattage numbers above are estimates and may be rounded to the nearest 5 watts. The given wattage may only reach the specified level during power-up or during peak usage. Always purchase a power supply with a bit more wattage than you calculate you'll need, to make room for future upgrades.
(linear)
----------

If you need to know what manufacturer you can trust, then I recommend Enermax. I hear good things from them all the time.

09-01-2002, 07:40 PM

Optimal?

Just get something you know you can't over stress. This way, down the road, you won't have to worry about that next peripheral that caught your eye.

**AngstMerchant** · 09-01-2002, 08:14 PM

Is it possible to get a power supply so powerful that it could damage my hardware??

Basically, is there a "too big" zone??

**taco_fox** · 09-01-2002, 08:46 PM

**Bobaroo** · 09-02-2002, 07:38 AM

Get atleast a 400w PSU. A 550w would be more than enough.

**Kdr Kane** · 09-02-2002, 07:55 AM

It's sort of like using a 10,000 watt generator to power your house.

It's conceivable to use up all that power the generator has to offer if you turn on all your appliances. This will cause brownouts - or - blackouts if the power dies.

If you connected to a 3,000,000 watt power plant instead, then you aren't very likely to use up all that juice.

09-02-2002, 07:59 AM

a 500+ Watt power supply is overkill for even the most ardent RAID nut out there.

**darkknight1223** · 09-02-2002, 01:16 PM

I would get a 450 if I were you. Make sure you dont get to small a PS, or your computer will fry up and start smoking like mine did.

» Forum Navigation

» Advertisement

Similar Threads