how to determine how much power supply is needed?

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cammm14

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can someone help me out i currently have a 250w PS but i am building a new pc and i would like to know how to determine how much supply is needed.
 
It really depends on what devices you are going to be using. If you are using a couple hard drives, a CD-RW and/or a DVD-ROM/RW or whatever then you need to allow some power comfort. Also consider any devices that you will be connecting via FireWire or USB.
It wont hurt to "over do it". In most cases, you'll be fine with a power supply that puts out 400W or better.
I have a 420W in one of mine and have a bunch of external devices, 2 swap drives, a DVD, CD-RW, a lot of color-lit fans and a couple of UV tubes. I've never had a problem with power either.

In most cases, it's not the wattage amount, but the quality of the PSU itself. Make sure to buy a respected brand.

-Mike
 
I agree with Mike. And if you feel that maybe your PSU is going to be too powerful, remember this - too much is better than too little.
 
just go by feel. a good quality 350w now adays would work for a high end machine. Now dont get crappy psu like deer or Azen. Go thermeltake,enlight, etc etc. I would take a good quality 250w psu over a 550w crap psu like deer. And the heavier the psu the better the quality.
 
XT said:
just go by feel. a good quality 350w now adays would work for a high end machine. Now dont get crappy psu like deer or Azen. Go thermeltake,enlight, etc etc. I would take a good quality 250w psu over a 550w crap psu like deer. And the heavier the psu the better the quality.

I agree with about everyhting here...except...the heavier PSU the better the quality???

-Mike
 
that actually is true, heavier is better unless the manufacturer loaded it with a ton of lead. i think that indicates a better armature from heavier/ more wiring or maybe a more beefy core for the transformer. the reason is something like that i think.
 
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