Desktop: Using higher-rated power supply?

H

hirobo2

Member
I've got an old desktop that's making too much humming noise, so I thought I'd switch the PSU with a new one that's supposed to be quiet.

The problem is, I bought the new PSU for another desktop, which is no longer around, and it has a higher wattage rating than the noisy PSU I want to replace.

So, my question is, will using a higher-rated PSU fry the motherboard and/or cause an electrical fire on the old desktop?
 
beers

beers

Moderator
Staff member
The voltage remains the same. The other half of the equation for wattage (voltage*amperage) is what determines the unit's wattage, though.

The amperage required by the components will just be what they "need" to operate. Having a 400w or 1600w PSU doesn't make a difference by itself for your power consumption. It's simply the amount of power available to components since the voltage is the same in all scenarios. If you had out of spec voltage then you may damage equipment, but all modern PSUs are defined around a couple of different voltages (5v,12v).

You do run into problems if your components draw more wattage than your PSU can facilitate. Otherwise you'll see the same behavior and consumption from higher rated units. If you wanted to utilize less power you may want to research PSUs that are more efficient (80+ rating).
 
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