How much power do I need?

[FrankieF21]

I am planning on building a computer from scratch and have picked out evrything i am planning to put together but dont know how much power i need for a:

Pentium 4 @ 2.8
1GB PC 3200
Radeon 9600 Pro
120 GB Hard Drive

[JPMiller]

http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/
power supply calculator..
http://www.thetechboard.com/tutorials/atx.php
general info...

[NDC]

Just keep in mind that WATTS isn't everything.

[JPMiller]

very true...
I will suggest This as me and Omardeth always do as being the best bang for your buck... We both use them religiously now... good solid PSU with plenty of steady power on all the rails.

[ragtop]

The PS that JPMiller suggests is a great value & is worth considering.

But to answer your question - in theory, you could probably get by on a 300W power supply if its a top quality unit. Unfortunately, many of the lower quality units don't reliably put out their full rated capacity.

On the other hand, your best bet on a new build is to get something bigger than the minimum - that will give you a little extra power in case you want to add a couple extra drives or a power hungry video card in the future. Personally, I would go with at least a top quality 350W supply - or better yet, a 400W.

[FrankieF21]

Thanks for your info i am going to invest in the one you metioned. Thanks for the imput

[StealthyV]

the Antec true power 430w is what I have...no problems so far. note that when you're building a system, you should plan for all eventualities you might face, later on as well as now. you might decide in 9 months that you want a gaming system, or a server, and need the additional power. plan ahead, spend the extra $20, and get a higher wattage. you'll be happy you did when you upgrade next/sell your system.

~Branson

[Greasy Burger]

TTGI 420watts for $45 from www.directron.com should be more than enough. Fortron/Sparkle is also great

[Omardeth]

just make sure you have atleast 16A on the 12v rail . you should be ok there and get a dual fan power supply , the one JP linked falls under that and i HIGHY recomend it .

i just ordered 2 more friday to replace the supplies in amamax.com cases .