consider buying a new graphic card

[lookouthere]

if i want to buy either 6600gt or 6800xt, both are agp, how big should my power supply be? will 300w be able to support? it's a sony desktop btw.
the spec is 2.8ghz p4, 160gb, 2x256 ram, dvd-rom and dvd-rw. i don't know if it will be able to handle this, if not, then i not going to buy the card

 

[Powermoloch]

Well......just to be in a safe side. a better PSU is critical...

 

[Piuc2020]

You won't know until you try it, despite what people say you don't need a huge 1000W PSU with dual 12V rails rated at 30A each made by Antec to run a 6800 card.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: Piuc2020
You won't know until you try it, despite what people say you don't need a huge 1000W PSU with dual 12V rails rated at 30A each made by Antec to run a 6800 card.

Or a better 1000W PSU from Enermax with four 12V rails rated at 18A each.


But on the more realistic side, a high quality 300W or 350W PSU would be recommended. Name brands such as Antec, Enermax, OCZ, etc are the best way to go.

If you're using a generic 300W PSU, I'd upgrade immediately. Those can crap out, act flakey, and even fry your components when they are stressed too much.

The easiest way to tell the quality of a PSU is in the weight; generic/low quality PSU's usually only weigh a couple of pounds, while even a 300W brand name will feel quite beefy.

 

[narcotic]

solid power supply will make your card last longer (as well as any other piece of hardware), it is an issue that is many times overlooked.
Anyway, you are looking at two very different options especially $$$ wise.
If you got the $$ then sure, go for the 6800, but if you're on a budget the 6600gt is not a bad deal.

 

[Eureka]

The 6600GT can run on a 300W PSU if it's good for anything.

Norm

 

[w00t]

My X800XL is starting to feel slow you should get a 7800gt to keep up.

 

[edplayer]

Originally posted by: Powermoloch
Well......just to be in a safe side. a better PSU is critical...

that doesn't even make sense

just to be safe - critical!

 

[mwmorph]

i had a 240w atx psu. i can say, it was suprisingly heavy. felt like a giant brick. What you need is a) quality and b) amps on the +12v rail. report to us what brand and how many +12v amps it ahs along with the full system config and we can reply more accurately.

 

[hans030390]

Do you know the specs on the PSU?

Your system looks similar to mine, so I think you'd be fine. Mine runs 100% stable, and its a 300watt PSU (it's TINY too) with 17A on the 12V rail

 

[Eureka]

Well, the Sony PSUs are pretty efficient... (hey I'm on a Vaio too)

Norm

 

[RussianSensation]

Originally posted by: w00t
My X800XL is starting to feel slow you should get a 7800gt to keep up.

He is upgrading from GeForce 4 MX440 so he isnt as demanding as you. PLus he only has 512mb of ram so he'll never benefit from 7800GT since he doesnt seem to be a hardcore gamer.

6600GT is fine for $150. If 6800GS comes out for $200 in AGP, jump on that instead. Check the rating on 12V rail. If it's above 18A, you should be fine.

 

[lookouthere]

mine sony is rs322 which should be similar to hans030390's sony. yes i am upgrading my mx440 which is crappy. so you guy think 6600gt should be able run fine?

 

[Eureka]

Actually, it should be closer to mine (RS320)... so yes it does; I'm using a 6600GT.

Norm

 

[PC Freak]

Look at this PSU at newegg: Thermaltake TR2 W0070 ATX 430W
Price seems good but I don't know much about thermaltake.

Anyone have experience with this PSU?