How to know how many watts has my power supply?

[Talayero]

Hello,

my PC's power supply hasn't any label or inscription with its characteristics.
Is there any way to find them out? I tried Everest Home Edition but I didn't get the information about the watts.

The thing is I have now 5 hard drives and 3 optical devices in my PC and I'm afraid that the power that was installed years before isn't good enough.

Thanks in advance.

I'd appreciate also any advice about good power supplies or about the power I would need for that hardware, 5 hard drives, 3 optical devices, 3 pci slots... More than 3000 watts, I guess.

I edit: I meant 300 watts

[waheed]

More than 3000 watts, I guess.

3000 Watts Thats alot of power!!! :P

If would be useful if you stated what make/model your current PS is.

I would recommend at least 400 Watts for multiple hard drives.

You would also need to look at the amp ratings on the 3 rails; 3.3V, 5V, and 12V.

12V is the most common used by components so go for one with high ratings on the 12V rail.

My recommendations is Antec. They do good PS. Im currently using a Antec Neopower 480W.

[redwudz]

First, if your PS has no rating or other labels, get rid of it. Most countries including the US require labels stating capacity and a FCC number on that type of equipment.

Second, I have 4 HDs, 3 opticals, a Zip drive, a floppy drive, a PCI IDE controller and a PCI-E video card and my PS runs relatively cool. It's rated at 480W. If your existing PS puts out hot air much above 50-55C (120-130F) it may be overloaded.

I would recommend a good replacement in the 500W range. Not a cheap one that claims 500W, but a good brand such as Antec or similar.

EDIT: I forgot I also have 4 case fans, and a 80mm aux fan next to the video card, all in a server case.

[Talayero]

I managed to find a sticker.

It sais:

MX Model LC-A300 ATX.

Output 300 W

+3.3 V 20A
+5 V 30A
+12V 10A
+5VSB 2A
-5V 0.5A
-12V 0.8A

So, I suppose I need a better one.

I think I'll get the Antec Neopower 480W. Or if I find an Antec of 400W, would be that enough? I mean, is 480W a bit exaggerated for my PC or is OK?

[waheed]

Fill in the rest of your computer specs under your profile. It depends on CPU, Graphics cards, etc...

Its a bit hard advising a PS without knowing your PC specs.

[redwudz]

Antec Neopower 480W should easily be enough. The 400W would probably be enough also, though with 5 HDs, it won't hurt to err on the high side.

A quality PS is usually a little underrated while the cheap ones are often really overrated as far as their output capacity goes. Can't go wrong with quality when your whole system is at stake.

EDIT: BTW, make sure that the new PS will fit in your case. A few original PS's are not standard size, Compaq and some other manufacturers come to mind. The dimensions should be given from the manufacturer of the PS.

And yes, filling in you computer profile is very helpful.

[Talayero]

I got this information from Everest Home Edition:

Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Professional
OS Service Pack Service Pack 1
DirectX 4.09.00.0904 (DirectX 9.0c)

Motherboard
CPU Type Intel Pentium 4, 3000 MHz (15 x 200)
Motherboard Name Gigabyte GA-8IK1100 v2.0 (5 PCI, 1 AGP Pro, 6 DDR DIMM, Audio, LAN, IEEE-1394)
Motherboard Chipset Intel Canterwood i875P
System Memory 1024 MB (DDR SDRAM)
BIOS Type Award Modular (03/01/04)

Display
Video Adapter RADEON 9200 SEC (128 MB)

Storage
IDE Controller Intel(R) 82801EB Ultra ATA Storage Controllers
SCSI/RAID Controller Conceptronic CSATAi2 SATA Controller
SCSI/RAID Controller Conceptronic CSATAiD Controller
SCSI/RAID Controller D347PRT SCSI Controller
SCSI/RAID Controller Intel(R) 82801ER SATA RAID Controller
Floppy Drive
Disk Drive WDC WD2000JB-00GVA0 (186 GB, IDE)
Disk Drive WDC WD1600JD-00GBB0 (149 GB, IDE)
Disk Drive WDC WD2000JD-00GBB0 (186 GB, IDE)
Disk Drive WDC WD20 00JD-00HBB0 SCSI Disk Device (186 GB)
Disk Drive WDC WD25 00JD-00HBC0 SCSI Disk Device (232 GB)

Optical Drive HL-DT-ST DVD-ROM GDR8163B (16x/52x DVD-ROM)
Optical Drive LITE-ON CD-RW SOHR-5238S (52x/32x/52x CD-RW)
Optical Drive PIONEER DVD-RW DVR-109 (DVD+R9:6x, DVD-R9:6x, DVD+RW:16x/8x,


I've just seen on a web the Tagan power supplies, that have a good price for me and seem to be of quality.

There are two models with the same price. Could yo tell me please which is the best one?

TAGAN U22:

Power: 480 W
PFC Active: Yes
+3.3V: 28 A
+5V: 48 A
+12V (1): 20 A
+12V (2): 20 A
-5V: - 0.8 A
-12V : 1.0 A
5Vsb: 2.5 A

TAGAN U-01:

Power: 480 W
PFC Active: Yes
+3.3V: 28 A
+5V: 48 A
+12V: 28 A
-5V: 0.8 A
-12V : 1.0 A
5Vsb: 2.5 A

Thanks in advance.

[redwudz]

From what I can find out, the U-22 is a universal PS with a few options over the U-01, mainly separate +12V rails. Either one should do, the U-22 is more of a deluxe version, probably a better choice if you have the extra 4 pin PS connector on the motherboard for the separate CPU power.

The size is: Dimensions (W x H x D) 6" x 3.5" x 6.25", so make sure this is compatible with your existing PS size. Sorry, I didn't see that in metric, if that's what you use. Seems a good supply, good reviews on it.

[Talayero]

Thanks for answering. I think I'll buy the U-22.

I had a look at my motherboard and was unable to see that extra 4 pin PS connector. Anyway I'm not an expert at all and I'd better ask some owners of that same motherboard if they know something about it.