Does your power supply restrict how much you can overclock?

[eojinlim]

Does a power supply that is insufficient for a system handicap one's ability to overclock a system? I'm just curious if there has been any mention of this and whether someone is able to provide me with an answer.

 

[myocardia]

It definitely does. The faster any electronic part "goes", the more electricity it uses. All of your computer's electricity is supplied to the various parts by the power supply.

 

[eojinlim]

So, basically, if the power supply is just straining to keep everything electrically "satisfied", it will not play nice when you overclock it further, right?

 

[DrMrLordX]

Right. Chances are the system will randomly shut down if you start overclocking beyond its capacity.

 

[eojinlim]

A simple solution would be to get a better power supply, right? Would an Antec Neo 500W psu suffice?

 

[cmdrdredd]

I'd look at the Corsair, OCZ, Seasonic, and Fortron models. They're all pretty similar in quality.

 

[Conky]

It might be easier to disconnect a couple of those HD's first to see if the power drain is making that big of a difference. Overclocking a C2D is not that drastic.

 

[nyker96]

I think also some PS puts out cleaner/better power that is power with less ripple, it makes your equipment more stable which allows higher OC.

 

[aka1nas]

I also find that if you are doing more extreme OC'ing that a UPS with AVR helps quite a bit too. At least with my crappy apartment wiring.

 

[Skott]

Like Nyker said its not just about how many watts the psu puts out. How many amps and the quality of the power is a big factor as well. The rails need to hold the power steady too. Get too much drop and you'll experience shut downs and reboots. its not all about size. Quality matters too.