Determining what power supply to use

[the_binary_soul]

Hey

I feel stupid for asking this, but how do I determine how many watts my power supply should have if I am building a computer.

I am looking at this motherboard

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1022268&Tab=2&NoMapp=0


thanks

[wtd]

A power supply around 400 watts should work for you, but you may want to go a bit higher if you're installing a lot of drives, RAM, and a high-end video card.

Power supplies are one of the cheapest, yet most important components of a PC.

[the_binary_soul]

ok, I'll be installing 1024mb of ram, bu I'll only have a 64 mb video card (what I am planning anyways)

thanks

[shorthair]

Sorry for the wee flame , but guys just because a video card has 64 meg , that does not describe it .... my 6800 is 128 meg , but requires 600 watt power minimum , If you posting specs with a video card please dont just put hte ram size , ther are 3000 dollar cards out there with 64 meg of ram

This is a common ccurance with people . they get caught up in hte numbers il garuntee you that if you ask 100 people which is beter they will say a 256 over a 128 video card , just becasue peple seem to believe that its the main perspective on video cards

[Leftover]

600 watt? and who makes that? if that's a desktop machine I find it hard to believe that your graphics card needs that much. The 6800 requires a 400 watt PSU and reccomends 480. No where could I find 600 watt on the web, and I even took the liberty of calling our suppliers this morning and asking them what they thought a 6800 needed, the highest answer I got was 420.

You are partially right about the 64mb card bit, matrox has soem bitchin duel DVI 64mb cards with 32 pipelines, but most likely if the user just posted 64mb video card, they probably aren't experts, and therefor dont have big expensive graphics cards like that, therefor no reason to flame, if anything asume its a basic 64mb card or ask nicely, its not nice to flame the new guys .

As far as that mobo goes, a 350W is minimum for it. I would reccomend a 400-420 for best performance. If you plan on having a full case (2 hdd's, 2 rom drives, graphics, sound, tv etc.) then it would be better for you to get a 450 or a 500. As far as a basic system goes though (Mobo, cpu, 1gb ddr, burner, 1hdd, graphics, sound) a 420 would be more then enough. You can get a ThermalTake PurePower 420 watt duel fan for around $70 Canadian. Good luck.

[wtd]

Well, you could buy a PowerMac. Those have 650 watt power supplies.

[Leftover]

but not because the graphics on em alone needs it

[Andy]

read the specs of each component, they will tell u how much power is needed...

[wtd]

Leftover wrote:

but not because the graphics on em alone needs it

The 6800 Ultra DDL might.

[Leftover]

Nope.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,1591397,00.asp?kc=ETRSS02129TX1K0000532

Quote:

Instead of a 480-watt power supply, users can use a quality 350-watt power supply, Nvidia is now specifying

Like my suppliers told me.

[wtd]

They're talking about the "stock" 6800. The one Apple uses pushes four DVI signals through two DVI ports. It's a different beast, and that PSU isn't there for drives (one optical, and two hard drives... max.

[Martin]

The new alienware computers use 1000W PSU's.

[Andy]

o that 4 ghz one?

[Martin]

Yep. Dual vid cards too.

[Leftover]

What are you talking about? Don't you do research before ya post stuff? the alienware 4ghz machine comes with a 480 watt, and if you go to custom, the biggest you can select is 650 watt.