Need Help Choosing a New PSU?

Question

I've been wanting to get a new graphics card for my computer, but unfortunately I've been told that I need a better power supply, but don't have a clue as to what to get. My computer is a Dell Inspiron with a Foxconn DG33M03 motherboard. I'm looking for something between 400 and 500W. Perhaps a little higher if the cost is decent.

Speaking of prices, since I'm wanting to buy a graphics card and was on a bit of a tight budget even before I realized a new PSU was something I would need, I'm looking for something that's cheap. Yet I also want something reliable, that will last. That's a long-shot, I know. I'm just crossing my fingers XD.

Answer 1

Thankfully, Dell now uses standard ATX power connections on their motherboards.

The one component that you never want to skimp on in a computer is the power supply. Good clean power is necessary for constant usage and efficiency in a computer. Buying a cheap power supply risks the chance of the power supply going out and taking the rest of the system with it. The PSU manufacturers that I recommend are:



Corsair, Antec, and Seasonic. PC Power and Cooling make solid units as well. Other PSU manufacturers that are worth looking at include Enermax, OCZ, Silverstone, and Coolermaster.



Since you're looking at the 400-500W range, why not get aim higher to help future proof your system? There aren't many upgrades that will require a massive amount of power for your system. I'm assuming that you don't have one of those dell slimline systems. You are stuck with an older technology, but socket 775 processors still have some life left kicking in them. For a PSU look for 80+ certification for power efficiency and reliability. I personally prefer modular cables, but people argue that adding points of resistance along the path of power decreases efficiency. Since I build computers, modular power supplies help and honestly, the power loss isn't that drastic imho.



Antec Earthwatts 500W 80+ Bronze Certified

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371035



Seasonic 500W 80+ Bronze Certified

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151080



Seasonic 460W 80+ Gold Certified

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151099



PC Power and Cooling 500W 80+ Bronze Certified

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703025



That's just to give you an idea. Some are quite expensive, but in my opinion worth it if you want to protect your investment. In general look for 80+ certification and an active PFC.



For the video card, how intensive do you plan to get and what are you using it for?

I like eVGA and XFX for their double lifetime warranties. Your card is always protected unless the company goes out of business like BFG.



GTS450 budget and requires a 400W minimum power supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151099

The GTX460 is a bit more and for the money i'd say get the 450.



ATI/AMD also offers their Radeon cards at a slightly lower price point than NVIDIA chips

XFX Radeon HD 5750

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150448



Or for even lower budget cards:

XFX GT240

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150451

eVGA GT240 SuperClocked

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130531



XFX Radeon HD 5570

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150474



XFX Radeon HD 4670

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150449



Look around that site and find what best suits you. I don't know what you are upgrading from or what your price point is. Some cards also have pre-overclocked versions. The manufacturer will overclock the base card for you and ensure that it is stable for retail use. Overclocking is when you take the base performance of a card and increase it via clock timings or multipliers.



Hope this helps!

BTW, if you didn't know already, NVIDIA and AMD/ATI are the two main rival graphics cards on the market. NVIDIA tends to have better performance, but at a higher price. AMD/ATI tend to have slightly less performance at a lower cost. The choice is up to you.

Answer 2

ok i will shop it short and candy. Your rig will paintings off a 500W PSU in spite of the shown fact that it is going to run loud and warm. to decrease noise and warmth and regular make your PSU final longer purchase a PSU with greater watts I reccomend between 750-850W as having greater watts will enable for greater overclocking and likewise enhancements interior the destiny which includes SLIing yet another 660 while the fee comes down from the launch of the 7XX sequence. shop on with those manufacturers: Corsair/oz../Seasonic/Antec. purchase the costliest/maximum high quality PSU you are able to fairly arise with the money for. between £sixty 5-£one hundred. i choose to recommend a Corsair 750 TX or above. One final concern: the dearer PSUs distinctly from Corsair have a tendency to have a a approaches better performance score and interior the long-term pay for themselves by capacity of reducing electrical energy intake as those PSUs can final for years on end. no longer a super form of an earnings in case you do no longer pay the electrical energy charges yet nonetheless those PSUs can final 2-3 finished computing device builds possibly longer and the greater top rate PSUs shop a relentless bypass of capacity on your areas meaning that the capacity on your areas does not surge/selection too plenty - this would make all your different areas final longer additionally. Niall.

Answer 3

With Dell, you have to be careful, because some of their models use motherboard formats (physical size/layout) and power supplies that are non-standard. Use Google to find the specs of your particular system by typing in Inspiron + the model number. The industry standard for power supplies is called ATX (as is the motherboard). As long as you see ATX in your system's spec sheet you can use any new aftermarket power supply. If it turns out that you have one of the weird Dell-only PSUs, you'll have to look around for more powerful Dell supplies.



Here's a 500W from Thermaltake, one of the absolute best and most reliable brands:



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153113



$35 after a $20 rebate is a terrific price. You can find cheaper PSUs with the same power rating, but you don't want to go for a cheap, no-name brand. They burn out quite readily, I've heard.



As for the video card, the current best deal by far is the ATI Radeon 4870. It's $100 after a $30 rebate:



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121376&cm_re=radeon_4870-_-14-121-376-_-Product



It was the flagship single-GPU card of the last generation of ATI's chips, but currently sells for cheaper than the new-generation but slower Radeon 5770 and 5830. That would be my recommendation for a terrific upgrade that won't break the bank. Companies are selling remaining stock 4870s dirt-cheap to free up inventory space since the 4870 isn't being made anymore.



I looked up the specs for the Dell Inspiron 530 series, if that's what you have, since that model popped up when I Googled the motherboard model. It did not say if the power supply is ATX or Micro PS3 (Dell's funny form factor) but I was able to look up replacement parts for the original PSU, and all the choices appear to be ATX, not the smaller Micro PS3, but I can't be 100% certain. If you have a 530-series I believe the regular size ATX like the one I linked you to above is what you need, but you might want to call Dell support to make sure.

Answer 4

I was just googling and came across this product hope it helps you



500W Power Supply with 80 Plus Bronze Replacement for EA-500

80 PLUS Bronze certified

ATX12V version 2.3

Universal Input

Active Power Factor Correction (PFC)

Dual +12V output circuits

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Supply-Bronze-Replacement-EA-500/dp/B002VLYKDO/?tag=klnprk-20



Also check out at Ebay

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?ff3=4&pub=5574865779&toolid=10001&campid=5336440665&customid=klnprk&mpre=http%3a%2f%2fshop.ebay.com%2fi.html%3f_nkw%3dAMD%2bPhenom%2bX4%2b9850%26_sacat%3d0%26_odkw%3dAMD%2bAthlon%26_osacat%3d0%26_trksid%3dp3286.c0.m270.l1313