Power supply vs. graphic card

[lostmanTech]

sup guys,
ok so i have a 250 watt power supply. (ATX-250-12E) I want to buy a chaintech geforce 6600 256MB. It requires minimum 300 W power supply. Any suggestions in regards to 1. video cards that dont need that much power and are def worth buying....2. good power supplies that are def worth buying. Thanks

ps. i have a geforce fx5200 128MB, that runs on 250watt power supply

[MasterShazbot]

I got a 500 watt supply from Ebay for $26.95.

Buy a new power supply, and if you ever get the cash, upgrade to a 16-pixel pipeline card for a nice improvment (look at BF2files's benchmarks of the BF2 demo, the 6800 GT was rockin', and the 6600 GT did pretty good.)

[lostmanTech]

Thanks man

How picky are motherboards to power supplies? What do you look for besides watts?

[MasterShazbot]

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh . . .

I don't think any mobos have problems with powersupplies. There's always the fact you have to be sure your case can fit a power supply (I.E. it can't smack into any of your mobos parts.)

My 500 watt supply has two fans. I quess that keeps it quiet (Hard to hear anything with my 5900 whirling away, but headphones take care of the noise problem very quickly )
so I would keep an eye out for multiple fans. I would also make sure the ps has enough cables for your system.

If your going to get PCIe in the future, which is becoming a very good idea, than your video card (PCIe16x) will be able to power its fan through the PCI slot, so you won't need as many cables in a PCIe system.

[m3trj]

Make sure you get a good brand PSU, and get a 400W or more so you have room for future upgrades. You should never load a PSU to 100% of it's rated power.

[DJ-CHRIS]

Most prebuilt computer's have propertiary power supply's meaning plugging in a normal power supply kills the motherboard

A cheap 200$ combo would be a eVGA 6600GT and a Thermaltake TT-420AD

[lostmanTech]

so DJ chris, your saying i cant just go out and buy another PSU because it could burn out my mobo right?

so then whats so special with the Thermaltake TT-420AD if i run that risk?

[Him]

He recommended the Thermaltake because they are a very good company and it is a very good PSU for the price.

Look at it this way... Your PSU is the ONLY component in your computer that is directly connected to everything else. Other things are connected to each other, but indirectly. If you have a cheap psu, and it goes, there is a very good chance that it will take your whole computer with it. My friend got a cheap one off of Ebay for $50, plugged it into his 6600GT, and it immediately fried. IMMIDIATELY! Do NOT cheap out on the PSU, it is the one thign that you never want to cheap out on.

Listen to Chris, he is right. What kind of computer do you have?

[jseber1982]

i just bought my 650watt psu, lol the damn fan in it is the loudest fan in my system

[lostmanTech]

i have an emachine....regretfully.....<sigh>......but it is one of their highend systems.

I def agree with you that if I buy a new PSU....its not gunna be crap, i just dont know what to look for. i.e. brands, and whats the best way to tell it wont fry my computer

thanks guys this helps me alot