Power Supply and New Graphics Card - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

MahlerIsGod · 02-13-2004, 03:51 PM

Greetings,
Its time to upgrade. I have a crappy MX440 which means I can play Loderunner and Tetris. You can get a 9800Pro for around $250 or less (if your lucky) but I also have a 250watt power supply. If I upgrade my video card do I need to get a new power supply? A friend of mine got the new 9700Pro when they came out and he needed a new power supply to run his new card. Do I need to upgrade my power supply just in general. I have a P42.6HT, 1.25G DDR 3200 RAM, etc. Do I need more power? Thanks for any info, tips, help, etc.

_the_wombat · 02-13-2004, 05:04 PM

Yes you do. You could try running as is but expect stability problems or outright failure.

Grab an Antec Tru Power 430. it is a very good PSU, and decently priced at that.

propaganda · 02-13-2004, 05:59 PM

Well if he is going to keep upgrading he could get a 430 watt PSU. But if he isn't that just a bit extreme.

You could just go with a 300 watt or possibly a 350 if you going to upgrade some more but not crazy upgrades.

_the_wombat · 02-13-2004, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by propaganda
Well if he is going to keep upgrading he could get a 430 watt PSU. But if he isn't that just a bit extreme.

You could just go with a 300 watt or possibly a 350 if you going to upgrade some more but not crazy upgrades.

Quote:

RADEON™ 9800 Series of products requires connection to your PC's internal power supply for operation. Consult your system builder or OEM to ensure your system has an adequate power supply. Otherwise, ATI recommends a 300-Watt power supply or greater to ensure normal system operation where a number of other internal devices are installed.

Why not get something good now and not worry?
I started with a cheap 350 and though "why not eh?".
Guess what? PSU failure. Got myself a good one, problem solved.

You could mabey get away with a good quality 250, depending on the number of other devices.
I would feel uncomfortable running what he has now plus some HDD's and fans.

ChrisJericho · 02-14-2004, 01:01 AM

Hmmm well I have a cheapo 350w PS and I have it hooked up to 2 Maxtor HD's, one DVD-RW drive, radeon 9800 Pro, cathode lights, a bunch of fans. Haven't had a problem.

Since it sounds like you've decided on the 9800 Pro you could just buy it, hook it up and see if there is still enough juice in your system. If you have stability issues, take out the 9800, put the MX back in temporarily, then buy a new PS. 250w might be able to cut it depending on how many devices you have, but eventually sometime down the line you will have to get a more powerful PS.

Crack · 02-14-2004, 04:11 AM

I would suggest a new case, most of the time you can get a new 450-500w PS with the case for almost as much as a single PS...
Just a thought

Lasereth · 02-14-2004, 09:45 PM

Well, the GeForce FX 5900 Ultra *requires* a 350w PSU. I assume the Radeon 9800 Pro will need power around that range. I'd get a nice shitty POWMAX or RAIDMAX 350w PSU if you don't have too many devices. Mine ran my GeForce FX 5900 Ultra fine this past summer with 1 HDD, CD-RW, etc.

The 250w PSU is gonna be pushed to its limits. It might run it for a bit, but I'd expect a death around the corner if it did.

*PS* NewEgg has the Sapphire Radeon 9800 Pro NOT on sale for $215. Now that's a deal.

-Lasereth

MahlerIsGod · 02-15-2004, 12:47 AM

*PS* NewEgg has the Sapphire Radeon 9800 Pro NOT on sale for $215. Now that's a deal.

What does "NOT" stand for? And I think I tracked down the Sapphire at New Egg:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...=BROWSE&depa=0

and

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...=BROWSE&depa=0

They seem identical except one is called Bulk and one Retail. SHould I spend the extra ten bucks for the Retail or does it matter? Thanks Lasereth. You seem to know your way around the graphics card maze. Thanks for your input

ChrisJericho · 02-15-2004, 01:11 AM

The retail card will come in the pretty box and have software included. The OEM will just be the card without software. Whichever one you choose don't forget to put the free newegg t-shirt in your cart before you checkout ! (I wrote the cookiemonster review for the size medium ;-) )

dim5 · 02-15-2004, 01:30 AM

430 watts seems kind of like overkill for the specs he's running. I think the only reason you'd really need to go with 430 versus 350 or so on that setup is if you plan on overclocking. If you're planning future upgrades, the beefier power supply couldn't hurt, though.

Lasereth · 02-15-2004, 06:21 AM

Sorry for the confusion Mahler, by NOT on sale I meant that $215 is its ordinary price. That card was on sale the other day for $214, so I didn't want you to think that it was about to be raised in price.

-Lasereth

cheesemoney · 02-15-2004, 08:08 PM

Get a 5900 for 180 bucks and flash the bios.... it will destroy that 9800 for far less money, running at 5950 speeds.

Lasereth · 02-15-2004, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cheesemoney
Get a 5900 for 180 bucks and flash the bios.... it will destroy that 9800 for far less money, running at 5950 speeds.

It's not that simple. You have to know which brands support the flash, and even if you get a brand that does support it, it's very easy to fuck it over with one wrong step. I have to admit that if I was going to spend $200 or less on a videocard I'd get a 5900 and attempt the flash, but for $215, that Radeon 9800 Pro can't be beat.

-Lasereth

02-13-2004, 03:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
MahlerIsGod At The Globe Showing Will How Its Done Location: London/Elysium	Power Supply and New Graphics Card Greetings, Its time to upgrade. I have a crappy MX440 which means I can play Loderunner and Tetris. You can get a 9800Pro for around $250 or less (if your lucky) but I also have a 250watt power supply. If I upgrade my video card do I need to get a new power supply? A friend of mine got the new 9700Pro when they came out and he needed a new power supply to run his new card. Do I need to upgrade my power supply just in general. I have a P42.6HT, 1.25G DDR 3200 RAM, etc. Do I need more power? Thanks for any info, tips, help, etc. __________________ "But a work of art is a conscious human effort that has to do with communication. It is that or its nothing. When an accident is applauded as a work of art, when a cult grows up around the deliciousness of inadvertent beauty, we are in the presence of the greatest decadence the West has known in its history."

02-14-2004, 01:01 AM	#5 (permalink)
ChrisJericho eat more fruit Location: Seattle	Hmmm well I have a cheapo 350w PS and I have it hooked up to 2 Maxtor HD's, one DVD-RW drive, radeon 9800 Pro, cathode lights, a bunch of fans. Haven't had a problem. Since it sounds like you've decided on the 9800 Pro you could just buy it, hook it up and see if there is still enough juice in your system. If you have stability issues, take out the 9800, put the MX back in temporarily, then buy a new PS. 250w might be able to cut it depending on how many devices you have, but eventually sometime down the line you will have to get a more powerful PS. __________________ "A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows us that faith proves nothing." - Friedrich Nietzsche

02-14-2004, 04:11 AM	#6 (permalink)
Crack Misanthropic Location: Ohio! yay!	I would suggest a new case, most of the time you can get a new 450-500w PS with the case for almost as much as a single PS... Just a thought __________________ Crack, you and I are long overdue for a vicious bout of mansex. ~Halx

02-14-2004, 09:45 PM	#7 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	Well, the GeForce FX 5900 Ultra requires a 350w PSU. I assume the Radeon 9800 Pro will need power around that range. I'd get a nice shitty POWMAX or RAIDMAX 350w PSU if you don't have too many devices. Mine ran my GeForce FX 5900 Ultra fine this past summer with 1 HDD, CD-RW, etc. The 250w PSU is gonna be pushed to its limits. It might run it for a bit, but I'd expect a death around the corner if it did. PS NewEgg has the Sapphire Radeon 9800 Pro NOT on sale for $215. Now that's a deal. -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

02-15-2004, 12:47 AM	#8 (permalink)
MahlerIsGod At The Globe Showing Will How Its Done Location: London/Elysium	PS NewEgg has the Sapphire Radeon 9800 Pro NOT on sale for $215. Now that's a deal. What does "NOT" stand for? And I think I tracked down the Sapphire at New Egg: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...=BROWSE&depa=0 and http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...=BROWSE&depa=0 They seem identical except one is called Bulk and one Retail. SHould I spend the extra ten bucks for the Retail or does it matter? Thanks Lasereth. You seem to know your way around the graphics card maze. Thanks for your input __________________ "But a work of art is a conscious human effort that has to do with communication. It is that or its nothing. When an accident is applauded as a work of art, when a cult grows up around the deliciousness of inadvertent beauty, we are in the presence of the greatest decadence the West has known in its history."

02-13-2004, 05:04 PM	#2 (permalink)
_the_wombat Tilted	Yes you do. You could try running as is but expect stability problems or outright failure. Grab an Antec Tru Power 430. it is a very good PSU, and decently priced at that.

02-13-2004, 05:59 PM	#3 (permalink)
propaganda Psycho	Well if he is going to keep upgrading he could get a 430 watt PSU. But if he isn't that just a bit extreme. You could just go with a 300 watt or possibly a 350 if you going to upgrade some more but not crazy upgrades.

02-15-2004, 01:11 AM	#9 (permalink)
ChrisJericho eat more fruit Location: Seattle	The retail card will come in the pretty box and have software included. The OEM will just be the card without software. Whichever one you choose don't forget to put the free newegg t-shirt in your cart before you checkout ! (I wrote the cookiemonster review for the size medium ;-) ) __________________ "A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows us that faith proves nothing." - Friedrich Nietzsche

02-15-2004, 01:30 AM	#10 (permalink)
dim5 Crazy	430 watts seems kind of like overkill for the specs he's running. I think the only reason you'd really need to go with 430 versus 350 or so on that setup is if you plan on overclocking. If you're planning future upgrades, the beefier power supply couldn't hurt, though.

02-15-2004, 06:21 AM	#11 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	Sorry for the confusion Mahler, by NOT on sale I meant that $215 is its ordinary price. That card was on sale the other day for $214, so I didn't want you to think that it was about to be raised in price. -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

02-15-2004, 08:08 PM	#12 (permalink)
cheesemoney Loser Location: Paradise	Get a 5900 for 180 bucks and flash the bios.... it will destroy that 9800 for far less money, running at 5950 speeds.