i don't have a case yet, but...

[dimsum411]

ok i don't have a case yet, but these are the specs for my new rig:

asus a7n8x deluxe
amd xp barton 2500+
512 crucial ddr333 pc2700
chaintech a-gx20 ti4200

my dumb question is: will an Antec 300W SmartPower PSU be sufficient enough for my board.

edit: the case will be an Antec SX630II Perf. Series II Mini Tower

[Yian]

Jesus Christ definitely not!!! You need a better power supply!!

[dimsum411]

what range in wattage are we talking about here

[Chimera[NL]]

500!! Seriously! Then we're talking pro stuff!

[dimsum411]

well maybe i should add that this is a budget rig, for my brother. does he really need that much power?


its the same exact case/psu setup in sharky extreme's value gaming pc roundup:
http://sharkyextreme.com/guides/MVGSBG/article.php/2236481

[Yian]

You should think for the computer, not your brother.:p You dont want to get a half-ass psu then blow up all your parts at once, right?

Before you go ahead and buy a psu, though, make sure it gives enought power to each different voltage. A 400W psu that gives 20 at 12V is different than a 400W that gives 28 at 12V. Just read the tag on the side of psu.

In most case, however, if you stick to 400w or 450w, it should be fine, since most of the psu today pretty much divide the output on voltage as equally as possibly.

I never use more than 200w myself. My light bulb is at exactly 200w. My computer, however, uses 450w.

[sushi128]

a 300w is fine. as long as the quality is good (antec should do it). don't know what these guys are talkin about, but 500w is shit if the power supply isn't good quality.

[Hitman]

Get the Antec 480W Power Supply TRUE480, I read the reviews and the Antec truepower series are the QUIETEST and most stable psu's around.

[sushi128]

quietest i've used are the enermax whisper quiets. not for budget systems

[Yian]

I used to think that my power supply was noisy and I was really after a quiet one. As soon as that no-noise powersupply came in, though, I realized that my CPU fand and my Video card's fan are even louder.

[sushi128]

loudest thing in my main rig is the stupid smartfan 2 (summer, gotta turn it up :()

i find the PSU isn't really loud in the first place. loudest thing i remember complaining about is my HD>

[Yian]

I still have my old hard drive and I'm still using it. This is ther very hard drive I ever had and it holds 12GB in total. I now store all the files in my second, newer hard drive, and let the old one run the OS, just in case if the old one break down one day, my important files will remain intact. Boy, that hard drive is at least four years old, and yet the loudest hard drive I have ever seen (my second hard drive makes absolutely no sound.

Sometimes my computer stop doing anything, and I thought it freezed, but when I hear the noise from my hard drive, I know it's just working hard, and that stopped me from pressing the cold reboot button. In most case it comes back to life. I used to think that my computer came with an activity sound indicator when I was a n00b, but now I know it is from a noisy hard drive...

What should I do if this one dies!? All the new ones make no sound, and hoe do I know if it is working!? :(

[WhoGivesARatsAss]

350W power supply should do you fine.. 500 W is overkill and pretty damn useless.. unless u use all 6 pci slots and ur agp slot and have atleast 3 case fans!

300W is a tad low as i know from experience.. i get 11.5 Volts in the +12 V thing so i guess i am runnin a tad low on power there

but with a gf 4 card even a 300W psu should suffice.. just get a good quality one oks! (for that take sushis recommendation or rhennas)

[Hitman]

"I used to think that my power supply was noisy and I was really after a quiet one. As soon as that no-noise powersupply came in, though, I realized that my CPU fand and my Video card's fan are even louder."

What Yian said, I went about replacing my psu thinking that was the loudest thing in there and then I realised it was the shitty Antec stock case fans and the gpu stock fan that was makinug all the damn noise.. seriously though you never know just how loud your psu is till you replace that with a quiet one, as soon as I can save some more i'm going for the fanless psu, sure it's pricey but being damn quiet is my ultimate goal.. a fanless psu is all I need to be there.

Fanless model here.. sweet thing is all the heat will be transported out of the system.

http://www.silentmaxx.net/silent_products/power_supplies/power_supplies.html