Shoutbox

the fan on my power supply stoped workin and it gets really hot and shuts down so today i am goin up to best buy or someplace to get a new power supply and i want to know wat should i take up there so they know wat kind i need, like my computer model? something about the mother board?

id take up my motherboard type, ie ATX etc.. you PSU type (should be same as ure motherboard), along with ure case type (again, same as your mobo and PSU). After this, take this info and get a PSU that matches it, ie, if ure mobo and case is ATX (2.0) then go buy a PSU that is ATX 2.0

You can always replace the fan with another stock one, but always have in mind that the capacitors inside can keep enough power to shock you, even when unplugged.

If you're gonna replace the whole PSU, they need to know if your mobo is AT or ATX, preferably, take your motherboard make and model to the shop.

AT form factor is for older computers and is obsolete these days and it's gonna be a bit hard to find them, nowadays all computers have an ATX form factor, another thing you might consider is how much power you need, I recommend anything from 400watts and up, the more the better so you're prepared for future upgrades.

Later, Luis.

Why not just take the broken PSU? That'll let them know everything you need for a new one....

i'll probally do wat he said and take the actual power supply up there
also why more thatn 400 wats? and how do i know wat i have now?

On the side of the PSU there should be a reasonable size sticker and it'll tell you what wattage it can take!

quote:

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Originally posted by guanako
i'll probally do wat he said and take the actual power supply up there
also why more thatn 400 wats? and how do i know wat i have now?

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Taking your broken PSU is a good idea, but if you're gonna invest in a new one, it's worth spending the 0-20 extra dollars in a more powerful one just in case you upgrade your system in a future. Anyways, that's what the guys in the shop are going to recommend, but you have the final word

quote:

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Originally posted by msg_plus_freak
On the side of the PSU there should be a reasonable size sticker and it'll tell you what wattage it can take!

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Yup

The wattage output is always stated on the PSU (it's a mandatory thing to put on PSU's).

EDIT: ay caramba, I forget, again, to refresh before posting... oh well...

250W is for many current basic systems critical and can be a case of just hitting the mark or just failing...
(although I never had any problems with my 250W PSU and P4 with 2 CD/DVD's, 2 big HDD's, normal graphics card, two big fans and a monitor plugged into it; but this can be a matter of quality of your PSU, not all PSU's of the same wattage have the same quality and there is more then simply the wattage variable, but this is something you shouldn't worry about when buying a +300W one)

300W is for many current basic systems relativly enough.

400W and you have plenty to go on for additional components...

450W seems like a lot IMO and for many current systems (even seriously power machines) more than enough with plenty to spare...

It depends on the price. But I certainly wouldn't go lower than the one you currently have...

Yer and it depends what you get and use, like with my pc i bought a £30 case and it came with a 450watt psu, but if you buy seprate you can get software ( ithink) which you can control them more and you get mre quality. Like some now a days they have surge protected built in etc...

A PSU is a "dead" piece of hardware AFAIK. There is no software for it; it converts AC to DC, period, you can't control anything.
And about those surge protectors, search the forum to read what I've said about them (it aint pretty )...