New processor and power supply questions

[b-rett686]

Hey. I was looking at upgrading my power supply and processor and I just have a couple questions.

First of all how can I tell if my motherboard supports a certain processor? I currently have a P4 1.6 ghz.

Second does it matter how big of a power supply I buy, can I fry the computer if I buy too powerful of one? And are all power supplies mainly wired the same. For example would they all have the same plugins, like my current one has a square shaped plug that goes into the motherboard. Would all supplies have the same plug or does the power supply kind of have to match the motherboard, etc.?

Thanks!

 

[JinkX]

p4 processor are almost the same ..
u can buy any one BUT the dual core ones .. cuz u have to upgrade ur mother board by then !!
and about the psu .. well i dont know much about them .. but i think that the psu will only give the power ur system need !!
p.s : why do u want to upgrade ur psu anyway ?? r u buying anything that needs it ??

 

[pat2k5]

you can't buy any p4 processor...

p4 1.6 is an old processor and is probably socket 478, you will need to find your motherboard model to be sure and then just go onto the mobo site and look at the model and it should tell you what processors are supported...

he doesn't necessarily need to be getting anything that needs more power to need a new PSU what if his current one is old and he doesn't wanna put anything in his pc in harms way incase it gives in...

 

[pat2k5]

and in response to power supplies they should all have the square 4 pin plug for the mobo and they also all have the rectangle plug, the only difference is some are 20 pin and some are 24 (the rectangle ones)

 

[b-rett686]

Awesome thanks alot. I bought a new video card for 50% off and it's reccomended that i have at least 300W and I only have 250W. I just want to make sure I don't put too much power in it if that's possible. So should I just look at my current power supply and see if it's 20 or 24 pin and order whatever I have?

Also how do I know how much power I need? I have a graphics card that needs at least 300W, a dvd drive, a cd burner, 1 40GB hard drive. Do I need 300W+whatever the cd drives need+whatever the hard drive needs, etc. or do you just go by the most demanding piece (in this case the video card). In other words if I bought a 300W power supply would it only run the video card and nothing else.

Thanks alot again!

 

[tomc102968]

did you try the search button there is an excellent guide somewhere.
i would get a 400-500 one anyhow any you would be safe. anatec true power 550w from newegg I think that what it is called

 

[b-rett686]

I found an awesome tutorial on power supplies. Anybody can find it here

As for the processor, I've searched everywhere and I can not find a name for my motherboard. I check the Dell site and all they can tell me is it's an ASUS. Is there any other possible way I find out what processors are supported?

Thanks

 

[Trotter]

Go here:
http://support.dell.com/#

Use Option #2 and choose your basic system (probably a Dimension?). Choose Manuals. Look up your system in the column on the right. Click View for the Service Manual, then click Technical Specifications.

It won't tell you eactly, but it should give you a range of speeds and maybe FSB speeds. From there, either post what it says, or look up the different speed CPUs on NewEgg and see for sure.

But I gotta go with Pat... odds are it is a 478. Your limiting factor for a new CPU will be the limit of the FSB of your motherboard.