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Need help completing my first budget build - $500

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Hey everybody. Reviving this thread for a quick question.

This build is still running super well, thanks to all of you. My question is, is there any way to know how many devices in this thing will start to weigh too heavily on the PSU? I am needing to put a third disc drive in it but I want to make sure I won't cause problems. There are already also HDDs and the video card. Does the PSU get drawn from too heavily just having the devices plugged in but not in use all the time?

Thanks!
 
Hard disks don't consume much power, if your PSU is enough now, it will be enough with a few hard disks added =). If it wasn't you'd already be pushing limits.
 
As I said, if the PSU is enough for your current setup, it is enough if you add another hard disk.
 
Ok, cool.
Just concerned cause I think I have a 650W PSU and 2 hard drives and I now am about to put in my 3rd dvd drive. Do they not draw power when not in use?
 
tinpanalley said:
Ok, cool.
Just concerned cause I think I have a 650W PSU and 2 hard drives and I now am about to put in my 3rd dvd drive. Do they not draw power when not in use?
Click to expand...

They will draw a TINY amount when not in use. They draw most power when spinning up (same as hard drives), but thankfully they will not all spike at the same time.
 
I must really not be being very clear. I said I do have a video card. But I don't have two video cards as the other person said.
And it's dvd and blu-ray drives I'm talking about not hdds.
So are you saying that with even ONE gpu I'm pushing it on 650?
 
tinpanalley said:
I must really not be being very clear. I said I do have a video card. But I don't have two video cards as the other person said.
And it's dvd and blu-ray drives I'm talking about not hdds.
So are you saying that with even ONE gpu I'm pushing it on 650?
Click to expand...

I looked back through the thread and see that you have a GTX 470, I stand corrected. Hard drives draw more power than optical drives, so HDDs are a worst case. Short answer, 650W is a lot, you are fine.

Longer answer, let's use mathematics and avoid fear-based decision making:

i5 2400 = 95W
GTX 470 = 215W
4 DIMMs = 20W
10 HDD/ODDs = 150W
Everything else = 50W
Total = 530W
 
That is awesome mfenn. Thank you for always being so helpful. Adding it all like that is exactly what I needed to see. I just get paranoid. This is my first build. I've only had regular consumer mini, cramped, overheating cases before where an extra harddrive spun the fans out of control.
 
tinpanalley said:
That is awesome mfenn. Thank you for always being so helpful. Adding it all like that is exactly what I needed to see. I just get paranoid. This is my first build. I've only had regular consumer mini, cramped, overheating cases before where an extra harddrive spun the fans out of control.
Click to expand...

No problem. 🙂
 
Hmmm... how about a new twist... haven't been here in a while. 🙂
I'm moving to Europe. I notice the PSU I bought is fine for 110-240V and for either 50/60 Hz. So I know i won't blow up my computer. But what cable will I need then to go from my tower to the wall (aside from the obvious different plug on the end)?

I shouldn't have to be concerned about any other internal components right? Cause they all feed off of the PSU.
 
tinpanalley said:
Hmmm... how about a new twist... haven't been here in a while. 🙂
I'm moving to Europe. I notice the PSU I bought is fine for 110-240V and for either 50/60 Hz. So I know i won't blow up my computer. But what cable will I need then to go from my tower to the wall (aside from the obvious different plug on the end)?

I shouldn't have to be concerned about any other internal components right? Cause they all feed off of the PSU.
Click to expand...

Depends on where in europe, you will find countries in europe will use types C, E, F, G, J, K, L, and M, find out where you will be and then we can help you locate either an adapter or a plug. (or both if you will be moving around)
 
mnewsham said:
something like this
http://www.amazon.fr/Dexlan-Cordon-%C3%A9lectrique-secteur-standard/dp/B0009M14YK/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1336593641&sr=1-1
Click to expand...
Ok, but apart from having the right plug on the other end of the cable and the 3-pin female computer end on the other side, nothing else would be necessary for the components of my PC, because they all run off the PSU, correct?

And there isn't some weird thing about a 650W power supply in apartments in France? Just being overly safe.
 
Last edited:
Mobo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157230

Memory:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231314

Together they are about $152 shipped.

I would get the i5-3550 which brings the cost up to $360. It is not a k version but imo that is fine because you can still overclock this well enough. You probably wont be able to take any cpu much beyond 4.2 GHz with your budget.

The motherboard has 3 pci slots, and is surely the best choice on newegg for those that need or want the slots. That leaves plenty for a case and firewire card. You will be able to have your choice of pci or pciE for the firewire card.
 
sm625 said:
Mobo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157230

Memory:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231314

Together they are about $152 shipped.

I would get the i5-3550 which brings the cost up to $360. It is not a k version but imo that is fine because you can still overclock this well enough. You probably wont be able to take any cpu much beyond 4.2 GHz with your budget.

The motherboard has 3 pci slots, and is surely the best choice on newegg for those that need or want the slots. That leaves plenty for a case and firewire card. You will be able to have your choice of pci or pciE for the firewire card.
Click to expand...

A little bit late to the thread 😉
 
tinpanalley said:
Ok, but apart from having the right plug on the other end of the cable and the 3-pin female computer end on the other side, nothing else would be necessary for the components of my PC, because they all run off the PSU, correct?

And there isn't some weird thing about a 650W power supply in apartments in France? Just being overly safe.
Click to expand...

That should be it, older PSU's had switches to switchit over to 220v, yours SHOULD be automatic, but check just in case. Can't think of anything else that would be a problem really.
 
mnewsham said:
A little bit late to the thread 😉
Click to expand...
Haha. True, but it answers another question I've always had which is how do I (now that I have this great rig I assembled) keep up to date with newer versions of all my components going forward... new mobos, best new memory manufacturers, best hdd brands, which psu to upgrade to, etc?
 
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