Do I need a new Power Supply?

[Zarxrax]

I'm building a new pc, and I'm not really sure how much of a power supply I will need. My current system has an Antec True 380, which I guess was a pretty decent power supply back when I bought it about 3 years ago.

My new PC will have an intel q6600 processor, probably an nvidia 8600gt or similarly mid-range video card, 4gb ram, 2 hard disks, and a dvd burner.

Will this 380 watt power supply suffice, or do I need to get a new one? Any low-cost recommendations?

 

[fredhe12]

The short answer: Yes, sounds like you'll need more power.

How much more? That's open to debate, and it seems when it comes to PSUs, debate you will get aplenty in these parts.

Start with the search function. You'll find plenty of great discussions on this topic. There are a couple of useful PSU guides around here as well.

 

[qwertyaas]

Don't think that'll be enough to power that at all.

 

[Zarxrax]

Would this little TruePower Trio 550 be a good choice? http://shop4.outpost.com/produ...sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

The $60 price seems irresistible, and from reading a bunch of threads around here, the wattage sounds like it will be sufficient. Is there anything better for around the same price? I'm on a budget so it's hard to justify spending a lot of money on a power supply as opposed to something that will actually make my pc faster.

 

[dclive]

I'm powering this:

Acer E700 (965 chipset) board
4 x 1GB DDR2/667 chips
4 x 500GB 3.5" HDDs
1 x 5.25" DVD +/- RW
1 x EVGA 8800GTS/320
1 x Hauppauge PVR-500 PCI Dual-tuner TV card
keyboard/mouse/USB remote controller for Logitec mouse
Mid-tower case, case fan, fan for CPU
Intel Quad-core 6600 (Q6600) CPU


on the stock Acer E700 300W PSU. No issues; been running constantly for almost a week now.

 

[PurdueRy]

Yes, it should be enough but it depends on the rails, how old it is, and the brand

 

[John]

The True380 should have Fuhjyyu caps inside that may be on the edge of detonation. Grab a flashlight and look thru the 80mm exhaust fan for signs of raised or blown caps. Personally I would retire your current True380 and go with the more efficient Trio 550 (80% eff, single 42A rail, 5 yr warranty), but whatever you do, try not crossload the 12V rail.