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Watts and usage? |
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Sheena Gelfand
Huh? Very perceptive
Join date: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 314
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08-13-2007 12:17
My hubby has a 300 Watt Desk Top and is looking at putting a new video card and the one he likes is a ATI Radion x1950 256 but this card uses up 70 watts so my question is how do I tell how many watts are being used from his pc in one given moment from running SL and does anyone know if his machine will handle the watts of this card? Thanks bunches
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Lindal Kidd
Dances With Noobs
Join date: 26 Jun 2007
Posts: 8,371
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08-13-2007 12:22
Sheena,
My Resident Geek suggests that your husband should look at upgrading to a 400 to 600 watt power supply to handle the newer video cards. He says he prefers Seasonic because they are very quiet. |
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Sheena Gelfand
Huh? Very perceptive
Join date: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 314
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08-13-2007 12:26
hehe yeah well he just upgraded my PC to a 450 watt and don't think hes ready to drop another couple of thousand on another PC just yet thats why he was looking into getting a better video card because there is nothing wrong with his PC now and he is running a ATI x1300 pro in there now.
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Chris Norse
Loud Arrogant Redneck
Join date: 1 Oct 2006
Posts: 5,735
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08-13-2007 12:29
As long as he can find a power supply that will fit your case, it shouldn't cost thousands to upgrade. I put a new power supply in mine last year for $100.
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William Wallace, Braveheart “Rules are mostly made to be broken and are too often for the lazy to hide behind” Douglas MacArthur FULL |
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Tomas Gandini
Just Me!
Join date: 27 Jun 2006
Posts: 384
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08-13-2007 12:30
He doesn't need to buy a whole new machine to upgrade the power supply. Power supplys for PC's don't run into the thousands, they can be purchased for less that 100.
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 Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups |
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Sheena Gelfand
Huh? Very perceptive
Join date: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 314
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08-13-2007 12:32
Does anyone know how to tell how many watts a machine uses in one moment running just sl?
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Just sitting here waiting to crash.
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Schwanson Schlegel
SL's Tokin' Villain
Join date: 15 Nov 2003
Posts: 2,721
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08-13-2007 12:39
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Oberon Onmura
Registered User
Join date: 28 Dec 2006
Posts: 125
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Power supply
08-13-2007 12:44
I put a 500-watt power supply in my (cheap) PC so I could install a hefty video card to run SL. The result was fantastic. The power supply was something like $69 and easy to install. The only problem is, it's noisy! When that fan kicks into "turbo mode" or whatever it does, it's really loud.
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Chris Norse
Loud Arrogant Redneck
Join date: 1 Oct 2006
Posts: 5,735
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08-13-2007 12:45
The video card should tell you that you need a min wattage power supply. Just but a power supply above that and you will be fine.
_____________________
I'm going to pick a fight
William Wallace, Braveheart “Rules are mostly made to be broken and are too often for the lazy to hide behind” Douglas MacArthur FULL |
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Reitsuki Kojima
Witchhunter
Join date: 27 Jan 2004
Posts: 5,328
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08-13-2007 13:22
Also, just as a suggestion, if you do work - at all - inside your computer case? Go with a "modular" power supply when you upgrade.
I'll never go back to the other kind, ever -.- _____________________
I am myself indifferent honest; but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me: I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offenses at my beck than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act them in. What should such fellows as I do crawling between earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves, all; believe none of us.
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Alicia Sautereau
if (!social) hide;
Join date: 20 Feb 2007
Posts: 3,125
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08-13-2007 13:35
getting the x1950xt aswell (hope they have it in stock) and upgrade from a 400watt to a 550watt while at it
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Sheena Gelfand
Huh? Very perceptive
Join date: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 314
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08-13-2007 13:38
Yep its looking like he will have to upgrade the power supply to add any good video card so now hunting for atleast a 550 watt power supply. Even just my 8600 gt requires atleast a 350 watt and the ATI 1950 requires a 450 watt or greater.
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Katier Reitveld
M2 News Manager
Join date: 13 Sep 2005
Posts: 412
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08-13-2007 14:34
Sheena, My Resident Geek suggests that your husband should look at upgrading to a 400 to 600 watt power supply to handle the newer video cards. He says he prefers Seasonic because they are very quiet. Agree, I prefer Tagan, but when you do upgrade the PSU make sure you get QUALITY. A 600W cheapo cheapo is WORSE (by a long way) than my 430W Tagan. This is due to quality of components etc. which REALLY matter for a PSU. A Poor PSU will get stressed easier and pop more readilly.. and a Poor PSU going pop will almost certainly take out far more components than a quality PSU failing. Seasonic is Good Tagan is Good Enermax is another one to consider. Also OCZ Worth going modular too and a minimum of say 430W. |
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Katier Reitveld
M2 News Manager
Join date: 13 Sep 2005
Posts: 412
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08-13-2007 14:35
Does anyone know how to tell how many watts a machine uses in one moment running just sl? Depends on the spec of the PC and the quality of the PSU. Poor PSU's are not only unreliable but also draw more current for the same output ( less efficient ). |
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Katier Reitveld
M2 News Manager
Join date: 13 Sep 2005
Posts: 412
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08-13-2007 14:36
The video card should tell you that you need a min wattage power supply. Just but a power supply above that and you will be fine. As stated above, make sure it's QUALITY. If the Video card recomends 400W (for example) and you put a 430W Tagan in you'll be fine... put a 500W el-cheapo and you may well find it failing on you and overstressed. |
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Alicia Sautereau
if (!social) hide;
Join date: 20 Feb 2007
Posts: 3,125
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08-13-2007 14:43
Agree, I prefer Tagan, but when you do upgrade the PSU make sure you get QUALITY. A 600W cheapo cheapo is WORSE (by a long way) than my 430W Tagan. This is due to quality of components etc. which REALLY matter for a PSU. A Poor PSU will get stressed easier and pop more readilly.. and a Poor PSU going pop will almost certainly take out far more components than a quality PSU failing. Seasonic is Good Tagan is Good Enermax is another one to consider. Also OCZ Worth going modular too and a minimum of say 430W. so the Tagan Easycon 480 or Tagan Dual Engine 500 would be a good investment _____________________
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Katier Reitveld
M2 News Manager
Join date: 13 Sep 2005
Posts: 412
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08-13-2007 16:09
so the Tagan Easycon 480 or Tagan Dual Engine 500 would be a good investment Yep both should do you well. |
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Suzi Sohmers
Registered User
Join date: 4 Oct 2006
Posts: 292
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08-13-2007 18:28
Put some more fans in the case too. Cheap, and a real investment.
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Tod69 Talamasca
The Human Tripod ;)
Join date: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 4,107
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08-13-2007 18:52
And if you want REAL bragging rights- they make 1500Watt PSU's as well. They're a bit pricey, but heh!! MORE POWER!!!!
 For one of those you'd better have a decent sized case.  Places online for PSU's: www.newegg.com www.tigerdirect.com www.xoxide.com www.frozencpu.com www.crazypc.com The last 3 are more of the "Performance Parts" place. Nice stuff, if you can afford some of it. Antec was/is another brand of PSU that is supposed to be reliable. havent bought one in a while to know. My lil' 650 Watt Cooler Master is doing just fine for now. They were out of the 700 & 800 Watt PSUs. Other brands I've been told were excellent: Thermaltake and OCZ. _____________________
really pissy & mean right now and NOT happy with Life.
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