Do I need to upgrade my PSU?

[oddyager]

I'm planning to upgrade my hardware soon and am not sure if I should also look at replacing my PSU, too. It's a Fortron 500w Blue Storm. This is the upgrade path that I will probably take:

3000 Venice single core -> 5000 Brisbane dual-core
6600GT 256MB -> 8800GT 512 MB
DFI LanParty Ultra-D -> unsure
Primary HD 7200 rpm -> maybe move to a 10K rpm Raptor drive
2 Gb OCZ DDR-ram -> something DDR2 800 sticks. unsure who to buy form yet

DVD/CD, seocnary HDs will remain the same

Ole Blue Storm has served me well for many years and I don't think the upgraded equipment I will eventually put in exceeds its capabilities, correct?

Thanks!

 

[RallyMaster]

Nah...it's not going to need more than that 500W. You're set.

 

[mpilchfamily]

I'm inclinded to disagree here. If its 3 years old then we are talking about the original Blue Storm and not the Newer Blue Storm II. The Original blue storm only has 285W going to the 12V rails so less then 24A availible. The newer version has up to 40A availible. So yes you will need a new PSU for the system.

Here are the stats of the old Blue Storm.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article212-page1.html

I will agree all you need is a good 380W to 500W PSU. But not all PSUs at that wattage rating are created equal. There are still many older models on the market that don't supply much power to the 12V lines like today's models do. I would suggest looking at the Antec EarthWatts line of PSUs. They are well priced and offer plenty of power. Even the 380W model will be able to support your system so long as you don't plan to OC it.

 

[oddyager]

yes, its the original Blue Storm.

I will probably be overclocking across the board. Would that Earthwatts model still work or are there others I should look at as well? I can see myself dropping 80-100 for a PSU.

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: oddyager
yes, its the original Blue Storm.

I will probably be overclocking across the board. Would that Earthwatts model still work or are there others I should look at as well? I can see myself dropping 80-100 for a PSU.

I agree that's probably not enough PSU. In your price range, this Corsair would be perfect, although technically, it's a bit of overkill.


edit: This one is cheaper, and would let you upgrade both your CPU and video card at a later date, like the first one I recommended.

 

[MarcVenice]

Then again, a non modular 550vx could be cheaper, or a antec earthwatts 500w. Depending on how much you want to spend. The 520hx is a very nice PSU though, modular, which is a nice plus compared to the 550vx.

Btw, you should drop the 8800gt and get a HD4850 Even if that means getting rid of the raptor drive, and buying a WD 640gb instead. HD4850 will give extra gaming performance, a 10k HD will not.