Code: [b]My Hardware:[/b] Dual Core Processor 2GB Ram 2x HDDs M-Audiophile 2496 (sound card) XFX ATI HD4850 Hi, I think I need a new PSU: my current 650w one can get quite hot and make screeching noises, and sometimes my computer just restarts and then comes back up with "Windows has recovered from a serious error". All my hardware is fine, as I've done checks, such as MemTests, HDD tests, CPU and RAM stress tests and nothing is out of the ordinary, and the temperatures are all low. I have a 400w PSU with a PCI-E connector and the right amount of connections that will suit all my hardware. Is it safe to try out this PSU to make sure that it will power my hardware? and if it isn't good enough and trips out, will all my hardware be safe from power surges etc? If I do try the PSU out and it doesn't work, will this PSU be OK? I have looked at the brand and it seems like a good brand of PSU, and they design PSUs for gaming, and this one in particular is for gaming: dabs.com - Xilence XP480-12R Power 480W Quiet PSU (XP480-12R) - Thankyou! Edit: Might I also add my current PSU doesn't even have a PCI-E connector, I am using an adapter to form a PCI-E connector to power my GPU. My PSU that I have now probably wasn't designed to power GPU's, but the one I have spare (400w) has a PCI-E connector.
Quality means a lot more than the advertised wattage. That said, I'd spend a few bucks more and go for a Seasonic or Corsair PSU, 550 watt or greater.
Thanks for the reply! I'm quite sure I won't need more than 480w for my rig at the moment, unless I planned on upgrading it further, i.e.: a new motherboard and bigger RAM and Processor etc (which I won't be doing so for quite a while ;\ ). I did some research and read reviews for Xilence, and they do quality PSUs for gaming.
Both Seasonic and Corsair make PSUs with a single, massive 12v rail and solid capacitors instead of the cheap electrolytic caps you find in most PSUs. They will last you a lot longer, and be more reliable all the way. Xilence may use good caps, have solid rails, etc. But I don't know, since I haven't used them, so I can't recommend them. Good luck.
Thanks for the reply! I did take a look at OCZ and Corsair, but after reading such good reviews on Xilence I decided to go ahead and buy the 480w version! Overall I am very pleased! - it looked very stylish, was twice as heavy as my old PSU (good sign), and works very cool even when playing COD4 with maxed graphics! I have also noticed 20-40 FPS increase and there are no more FPS drops anymore No more crashes either I cannot fault it! I would highly recommend Xilence!
