Will a 300W do it for me?

Wooster

Wooster

New Member
 
The Rosewill lists an adequate wattage while not being a popular brand. The best place to look? The sticky on power supplies has a segment on the "good" and the "bad" makes for a start. http://www.computerforum.com/90116-psu-good-bad-list.html

The atx standard recommendation is 350w while that usually suffers when considering a new build at this time. In that price bracket a better supply would be the OCZ StealthXStreme 500w model seen at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341012

The choice there would be if you are on a tight budget since the GameXStream 600w model runs $89.99 as seen at http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341001 That's the better series by OCZ there.
 
Wooster said:
I'm building a computer and I have a 300W power supply lying around. Will it be enough? (I'm guessing no) If not, will this power supply work?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182017

MOBO:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128344
CPU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017
CPU COOLER:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134
GFX:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102747
RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227298
HDD:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073
DVD:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151171
CASE:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146041
Click to expand...

300W will no be enough.

Yes that power supply will work.
 
One thing you may want to consider when choosing a supply is quality and the possible need to leave room for later expansion if you plan to run the build for some 3-4yrs. and not a fast upgrade a year or two down the line.

A 550w supply ran the last build here seeing 4 HDs and 2 optical drives without a problem while the current build saw a 700w supply to cover expansion still in the works to some extent. The preference here of course is for a heavier supply that will take a good pounding and not blink while even a good 480w supply will cover your list there.
 
ramodkk said:
:rolleyes:



No



Yes

I have a Rosewill 500W running a HD3870 and had no problems. The HD4850 needs at least a 450W power supply so that 550W Rosewill should be enough :)
Click to expand...

Guys, its not about total watts, its more about where that power is going (e.g. ratings on the 12V rails), the efficiency of the PSU etc etc. I tried to explain to Ramock that Rosewill PSU's are rubbish, http://www.computerforum.com/117624-rosewill-psu-s.html Either way, that PSU is under speced.

I would suggest you make sure you get a quality unit for the 4850, with at least 28A on the 12V rail (minus 12V+2 which is dedicated to the CPU). NIce example of what happens if you don't get a quality PSU with adequate capacity: http://www.computerforum.com/127853-psu-failure-fan-dying.html
 
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Alright, I'm not gonna start a new discussion like the one we had long time ago Bigfella. :P

So let's just go your way. To the OP, if you can, get something better than a Rosewill.

I was just trying to point out "my luck" with my Rosewill PSU, which has worked great so far. Which is why I suggested a Rosewill PSU. That's it, that was it. Not saying Rosewills are along the best.
 
That is fine mate, but this is not blackjack. Its not about luck. Its about whether or not the PSU is specified to meet the system requirements. No offence intended.
 
bigfellla said:
That is fine mate, but this is not blackjack. Its not about luck. Its about whether or not the PSU is specified to meet the system requirements. No offence intended.
Click to expand...

You gotta know the sys. requirements though! :P The 4850 draws only a tad more than the 8800gt. 28a for the card and all the drives, motors, and fans going to be drawn form the +12 line responsible for it is still hella overkill, if looking at it from a bare minimum perspective. More's the better of course, unless you end up running a lower power system on a high yield PSU; Your effeciency tends to take a hike.

Not all rosewill PSU's are shit FYI, I've seen a couple johnnyguru reviews that shower units with praise, It just depends on the OEM RW's selling.
 
Not everything by a low end brand is always total garbage. One reason for pointing out the "good" and the "bad" list earlier was the sticky was well written by ceewi1 there and lists some of the top options to consider as well as what is usually inferior.

Some people grab a generic cheapie and see it last for years while the next to come along sees the same thing go doa in two weeks or simply inadequate for their system configuration to begin with. Running that combination of hardwares stock shouldn't see a bit of trouble even while I wouldn't even touch a Rosewill here simply by preference to start with.

The OCZ StealthXStream model is on the low end of OCZ but was also in the same price range. The other 600w model is a better idea all around without being total overkill like seeing 850w or 1,000w for that build. But then you pay the extra for a quality supply to begin with.
 
Agreed PC Eye, which is why the only way you can really be sure (as i know you know) is to look at the technical specifications of the PSU, and go for high efficiency (80%+) rated at 40oC (not 25oC), with active PFC, 2 rails of at least 26A, or even better a single large 12V rail, etc, then go for credible brands within those requirements, and you're set. However i disagree that the 300W rosewill is sufficient for that intended system.
 
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You see the 350w recommended as a mininum standard for all atx boards at this time. From there you start adding a little more for each hardware you add like drives, video card, etc. to figure where you will be at.

The last build here saw an Antec TP II 480w then 550w model easily powering more then seen there. Although the video card was a low end model 4 HDs and two opticals place a demand easy enough. The 550w was about 70% efficiency there.

With now only two sata drives and two opticals still one now sata the OCZ 700w supply seems a little over there while not even glincing when a good load is on. It allows for expansion while having seen the $135- price tag last year is now seeing a $20 mark down for a back to school special. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341002

The supply sees four 12v rails and supports 6 sata drives quite adequate for the 6 sata ports on the current board here. That's another item you have to go by regardless of the make and model is having the right connections for the system it will be used on.
 
That PSU looks ok, but i am worried it doesn't specify the efficiency rating. I would still go Corsair, and to be honest your writing is very difficult to follow, but i get the idea - i just don't agree that a 300W (or 350W) PSU is sufficient here.
 
A 300w is already too small and outdated for any newer or even recent system. The lowest rated supply seeing barely enough would be an Antec Earthwatts 380w model since that would still see a 20+4pin main power connector unlike some old 300w supply.

When seeing a recommendation for a 450w supply they are generally using the 350w minimum standard for the board alone and then adding for each item like one HD, one optical, plus what a card will draw. So if two drives need 30w total add that to 380 taken away from 450 leaves with you 70w actually recommended for the card alone.

In actuality the 350w standard takes into account one HD and one optical along with one floppy drive to cover the basics. The extra leaves play room anticipating any ocing of a card. But the one thing to note about the combination there is that the system being planned won't be any power house where the typical 18A seen on rails won't be enough.
 
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