Question of PSU

[GregsterD]

I'm pretty much ignorant in the technical side of PCs. I plan to get a new full tower case for my old system. I think it comes with a Power Supply Unit of 300W. However, my old system of PIII-500 with a P2-99 m/board uses a 240W PSU. So, if a plug a 300W or higher PSU into my system, will the higher power burn out my m/board? I'm sorry it seems like such a dumb question.

If it's not a problem at all, if I had a choice of choosing an alternate PSU, which brand should I go for? I've been reading the posts and I noticed that Enermax is a good brand. Is a 350W one fine as a future investment, or do you think that power consumption will increase in the future of newer systems?

 

[Teatowel]

No question is dumb.. don't feel bad for asking.

The higher PSU in your new tower case will not burn out anything of your old system. Basically, it will mean that you can plug in more stuff and still have it function properly. 240W is a fairly low PSU these days. As soon as you start putting faster P3s into your system, you will need the extra power.

Enermax are indeed a good make, and yes a 350w is a good investment as you will have more and more peripherals plugged in as time goes on, and it will suit you well if you plan to upgrade your processor whether it be to another Pentium 3 or an Athlon. Pentium 4 systems will require a different kind of PSU, so if you are thinking of getting one of those, then make sure that the PSU is Pentium 4 compliant.

Hope that helps
.