New HDD requires a new Power Supply? True or False?

[guynexdoor]

I just bought an additional HDD. It's a WD Caviar 400GB...SATA

So now I have a Seagate 160gb and the new WD HDD.

Does this mean I should get a new Power supply?

HOw do I know how much power I need? I have the PS that came with my centurion 5 case. IT's a COOLER master brand I think. I looked at the PS and it says that max power is 350W

I have nvdia nforce MSI neo platinum MoBo
2 optical drives
1 GB RAM
AMD 3400 DUO
6600GT vid card xfx

THanks

 

[law9933]

google calculate+PSU one that came up http://www.journeysystems.com/?powercalc

 

[oynaz]

You have plenty of power with that PSU. Your rig draws about 200 watt at maximum.

 

[corkyg]

No!

 

[robisbell]

I came up with 462 watts at non peak, how you got 200 watts, I do not know.

 

[Tsuchiro]

your fine hdd only draw about 10w of power when seeking

 

[Fardringle]

As listed (assuming Dual Channel RAM) including the new Western Digital drive, your computer has a max power draw of about 250-265 watts, depending on the type of optical drives you have (CD/CDRW/DVD/DVDRW/etc.). Add 5 watts to that per case fan and about 15 watts per PCI add-in card to get the total maximum power draw your system could possibly use (you'll almost never hit it unless you have a game that tops out your CPU and Video card and both hard drives and both optical drives at the same time, but it's good to know what's possible).

I believe that CoolerMaster PSUs in the 350 watt range have an efficiency rating of about 70%. If that is the case, your PSU is capable of a continuous peak output of 245 watts. That could be a bit borderline if you ever do max out all of the drives at the same time, but under normal use (CPU, Video card, one hard drive and one optical drive running full speed) you shouldn't need more than 212 watts at any one time. So as long as your PSU is operating normally and you don't have a dozen case fans it should be fine.

 

[oynaz]

Originally posted by: robisbell
I came up with 462 watts at non peak, how you got 200 watts, I do not know.

Once again, you prove that you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about regarding power supplies. If you want to offer your advice, please read up on the subject.
I will concede that my estimate was a bit on the low side. 250 watts sound more like it. This does not change the fact that your 462 watt estimate is so far off that it isn't really in the right league.

 

[oynaz]

Originally posted by: Fardringle
I believe that CoolerMaster PSUs in the 350 watt range have an efficiency rating of about 70%. If that is the case, your PSU is capable of a continuous peak output of 245 watts. That could be a bit borderline if you ever do max out all of the drives at the same time, but under normal use (CPU, Video card, one hard drive and one optical drive running full speed) you shouldn't need more than 212 watts at any one time. So as long as your PSU is operating normally and you don't have a dozen case fans it should be fine.

Correct me if I am wrong, but is the wattage rating of the PSU not rated on the DC side? If that is so, your are calculating in the wrong direction.
(did that make sense in English? I am not a native English speaker).

 

[seemingly random]

Online wattage calculators are very inaccurate - most look like they were developed by a psu manufacturer. I don't know why people have such a hard time with power requirements. It does vary from pc to pc but a simple $20 kill-a-watt enables one to get a handle on it. For people who want to learn and end the wild guessing, try this on several pc's - it'll be enlightening. There's no excuse for not having one or an equivalent.

guynexdoor: your current psu is plenty. If you have an itch, replace it with a 330w Seasonic - the lowest wattage, standard format, quality psu that I know of. It'll be more efficient, quieter and even has a 6 pin connector for gpu's. If it matters, anandtech was very impressed with it.

 

[robisbell]

Once again, you prove that you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about regarding power supplies. If you want to offer your advice, please read up on the subject.
I will concede that my estimate was a bit on the low side. 250 watts sound more like it. This does not change the fact that your 462 watt estimate is so far off that it isn't really in the right league.

oynaz, kindly keep your assumptions to yourself, I have spoken to you numerous times and will be speaking to other authorities if you choose to keep behaving in a childish manner.

p.s. while you have book knowledge, you obviously have no hands on experience. I have 25 years, I was building them probably before you were born.

 

[Fardringle]

I try to stay away from personal attacks, but oynaz is right. You continually post completely inaccurate (and sometimes blatantly bad) advice regarding power supply requirements, robisbell.

I appreciate that you claim to have more than two decades of experience working with computers and I'm sure you're very good at whatever your specialty is. But it's obviously not in power supplies and you really should stop trying to convince everyone that they need to buy a new power supply when in many cases their current system is perfectly adequate.

 

[Fardringle]

Originally posted by: oynaz

Originally posted by: Fardringle
I believe that CoolerMaster PSUs in the 350 watt range have an efficiency rating of about 70%. If that is the case, your PSU is capable of a continuous peak output of 245 watts. That could be a bit borderline if you ever do max out all of the drives at the same time, but under normal use (CPU, Video card, one hard drive and one optical drive running full speed) you shouldn't need more than 212 watts at any one time. So as long as your PSU is operating normally and you don't have a dozen case fans it should be fine.

Correct me if I am wrong, but is the wattage rating of the PSU not rated on the DC side? If that is so, your are calculating in the wrong direction.
(did that make sense in English? I am not a native English speaker).

You are correct, the % efficiency rating on power supplies is a actually measure of how much electricity is wasted/lost converting from external AC to internal DC power. However, in my experience it is also a decent indication (not exact but good for estimates) of how much continuous wattage the PSU can supply to the computer without encountering problems over long periods of peak usage such as gaming.

Power supply manufacturers use so many different (and often flawed) testing methods to come up with their wattage ratings that I won't take the listed number as "fact" even from the very best manufacturers. While that 350 watt Coolermaster might actually be able to provide a continuous 300 watts or more to the system, we don't really know without testing the specific device. Taking the 350 watt listing on the Coolermaster and multiplying it by it's external efficiency rating of 70% gives a number that usually even medium-quality power supplies can live up to, and leaves some extra available power on the better PSUs so you know that you have enough to keep the system happy.

 

[robisbell]

Originally posted by: Fardringle
I try to stay away from personal attacks, but oynaz is right. You continually post completely inaccurate (and sometimes blatantly bad) advice regarding power supply requirements, robisbell.

I appreciate that you claim to have more than two decades of experience working with computers and I'm sure you're very good at whatever your specialty is. But it's obviously not in power supplies and you really should stop trying to convince everyone that they need to buy a new power supply when in many cases their current system is perfectly adequate.

well, keep your slanderous accusations to yourself, I have informed you both that I will take whatever steps to deal with it. I do not personally care what you think but when you kids have to use fake names on a tech support site and can not behave in a professional manner, and then you have the gall to slander my professional knowledge and experience, that's where you've made a mistake. I do not take kindly to being slandered and I'd be more than happy to let the local DA discuss it with you, I've contacted them already about this. I hae watched you and oynaz stumble and do more harm than good on simple fixes, that should have taken a day at most to figure out, you've dragged on for weeks. I did not say anything in the forum about it, because I have some sense of civility. oh, and if you think this is a threat, I had to educate oynaz in the word and what it means, and this is no threat, just giving you a fair warning to cease and desist slandering me.

 

[Fardringle]

I'm sorry for the thread hijacking, guynexdoor, but robisbell tends to go overboard whenever anyone counters his claims that everyone in the world needs a much bigger power supply... Personally, I think he works for a power supply manufacturer and is just fishing for commissions, but that's only a guess based on the various PSU posts he's made.

Anyway, as we stated a few posts up, your power supply should be just fine for your system as long as it is working properly.

Now on to the fun stuff...

Originally posted by: robisbell
I do not personally care what you think but when you kids have to use fake names on a tech support site and can not behave in a professional manner, and then you have the gall to slander my professional knowledge and experience, that's where you've made a mistake.

Someone points out that you are incorrect on an Internet message board and you feel the need to threaten (yes, threaten is the correct word) legal action? I think we can all see who is being childish. For the record, while I enjoy acting like a child once in a while (particularly with my own children), I haven't been a child by any measure of the term for several decades.

Yes, I use a "fake" name for my forum login. My real name is common and boring and I've used this name since long before most people had heard of the Internet so I keep it more out of habit than anything else.

As far as your claim that anyone here has been slandering your professional knowledge and experience, since you are apparently an advocate of proper word usage in that you felt you needed to define the word threat for Oynaz, let me share with you the legal definition of the word:

SLANDER - A false defamation (expressed in spoken words, signs, or gestures) which injures the character or reputation of the person defamed; distinguished from libel.

Libel is the written or printed form of false defamation. However, not only did I not commit slander in any way in regards to you, I also did not commit libel. Either one would require the statement to be false. What I said regarding your posts about power supplies is entirely true. It may hurt your feelings, and for that I am sorry, but that doesn't make it any less true. As I said before, after 25 years I'm sure that you're good at what you do, but don't get mad when someone corrects you on a subject that they just might happen to know something about...

 

[SerpentRoyal]

System is fine. Enjoy the new HDD (about 15 watts load).

 

[Old Hippie]

well, keep your slanderous accusations to yourself, I have informed you both that I will take whatever steps to deal with it. I do not personally care what you think but when you kids have to use fake names on a tech support site and can not behave in a professional manner, and then you have the gall to slander my professional knowledge and experience, that's where you've made a mistake. I do not take kindly to being slandered and I'd be more than happy to let the local DA discuss it with you, I've contacted them already about this. I hae watched you and oynaz stumble and do more harm than good on simple fixes, that should have taken a day at most to figure out, you've dragged on for weeks. I did not say anything in the forum about it, because I have some sense of civility. oh, and if you think this is a threat, I had to educate oynaz in the word and what it means, and this is no threat, just giving you a fair warning to cease and desist slandering me.

If you really did, they must have laughed at you. This long distance trouble shooting we're attempting is all about opinions.

There's a tremendous amount of knowledge on this forum, and I respect that and everybody/anybody that tries to help.

However, your last response dropped my respect for you down a notch.

You're gonna need to call the DA and add me to your hit list. :laugh:

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: robisbell

Originally posted by: Fardringle
I try to stay away from personal attacks, but oynaz is right. You continually post completely inaccurate (and sometimes blatantly bad) advice regarding power supply requirements, robisbell.

I appreciate that you claim to have more than two decades of experience working with computers and I'm sure you're very good at whatever your specialty is. But it's obviously not in power supplies and you really should stop trying to convince everyone that they need to buy a new power supply when in many cases their current system is perfectly adequate.

well, keep your slanderous accusations to yourself, I have informed you both that I will take whatever steps to deal with it. I do not personally care what you think but when you kids have to use fake names on a tech support site and can not behave in a professional manner, and then you have the gall to slander my professional knowledge and experience, that's where you've made a mistake. I do not take kindly to being slandered and I'd be more than happy to let the local DA discuss it with you, I've contacted them already about this. I hae watched you and oynaz stumble and do more harm than good on simple fixes, that should have taken a day at most to figure out, you've dragged on for weeks. I did not say anything in the forum about it, because I have some sense of civility. oh, and if you think this is a threat, I had to educate oynaz in the word and what it means, and this is no threat, just giving you a fair warning to cease and desist slandering me.

You're being loony, and your comments about PSU requirements are loony too. The OP's PSU is far more than what is required for his system, and even 30 seconds spent with a $20 Kill-A-Watt gizmo would prove that.

I'd guess 180 W total used under full load.

 

[oynaz]

Originally posted by: Fardringle
You are correct, the % efficiency rating on power supplies is a actually measure of how much electricity is wasted/lost converting from external AC to internal DC power. However, in my experience it is also a decent indication (not exact but good for estimates) of how much continuous wattage the PSU can supply to the computer without encountering problems over long periods of peak usage such as gaming.

Power supply manufacturers use so many different (and often flawed) testing methods to come up with their wattage ratings that I won't take the listed number as "fact" even from the very best manufacturers. While that 350 watt Coolermaster might actually be able to provide a continuous 300 watts or more to the system, we don't really know without testing the specific device. Taking the 350 watt listing on the Coolermaster and multiplying it by it's external efficiency rating of 70% gives a number that usually even medium-quality power supplies can live up to, and leaves some extra available power on the better PSUs so you know that you have enough to keep the system happy.

That actually makes a lot of sense. I think I will blatantly steal your guideline for future use ;-)

 

[seemingly random]

There was a thread in the psu forum a while ago (and probably many in the past seven years) that reaffirmed my belief that 70% of rated power is a good middle ground between allowing for a little spare capacity and wastage. Of course, this is only half the battle. The other half is determining watt the components are actually using...

An actual example using the watt usage reported on a CyberPower ups:

MSI Diamond+ 939, 4400x2 10%oc, stock hsf, 2gb ram, 7600gt fanless, 2x1600x1200 lcd's, raptor150, 3x120mm @~900rpm case fans, seasonic psu, CnQ enabled

idle: 89w/1.14vcore - this is with w2k sp4+ which uses a little more than xp for some reason.
load: 146w/1.41vcore - using a couple of free benchmarks

Of course, the lcd power consumption is not included but having two being driven by the gpu causes it to draw a couple of more watts.

So a psu rated at 210w would be sufficient for this configuration using the 70% rule. And the pc doesn't run any better with a pcp&c 610w although it does consume a couple of more watts with the pcp&c and is noticeably noisier.

 

[dclive]

The entire 'you need a 400W PSU or your computer / components are going to blow up' is a charade. It's become silly.

A 300W PSU is more than enough (MUCH more than enough) for the vast majority.