Will my PSU be able to run a Geforce 8600GT?

[m_260]

I: have a Compaq computer wimodem SR1630NX. I have upgraded to windows vista, I have added one more DVD+/- RW Drive and I have added one extra 512 mb DDR ram to get a total of 1gb.

I have a HiPRO D3057F3R 300W power supply.  Here is newegg's link to the exact power supply I have: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817174026

I checked out NVidia's website and it says that 300W is enough to run the 8600GT, but is that true for my system? I know that power requirements may be different than what Nvidia states because of all the other hardware that requires power from PSU.

I'd like to upgrade to 8600GT instead of using the integrated graphics which is horrible. I know that higher wattage psu's may not be that expensive to buy but I'd like to not have to spend the time to install it (however easy it may be to do that).

Thanks!

[DaveLembke]

300 Watts is cutting it close ... I'd have a 400Watt or better so that the PSU is not having to run at 100% all the time which will lead to it failing sooner than if it was running at say 75% if a 400watt. PSU's also are not that bad in price generally, and if you burn up that 300watt supply it could take out more than just itself, it could damage your motherboard as it fails and can not regulate its voltage outputs correctly. You have to weigh the risk. Can you chance burning up the motherboard or is it smarter to have a stronger PSU that can handle better loads.

The other danger running 100% is that you can corrupt your hard drive as the amperage and voltage available dips and the platters dont quite spin at the correct speed, but slower in RPM's and the data ends up intruding on neighboring sectors as the drive starts to lag behind the data it is writing to it and you can suffer total data loss or a very costly data recovery if that important.

[m_260]

The calculator http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp says I only need 215 W.

How reliable is that recommendation?

I'm not a hardcore gamer. On the weekend, I might pllay Age of Empires 3 now and then or NBA Live 08 now and then. I'm thinking of taking on Battlefield 2 again.

I don't mind if I have to turn the resolutions to a lower resolution but I'd like to keep at high settings otherwise, something I can't do now with the integrated graphics card.

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I think that my current PSU (supplied by compaq) is a good quality PSU but that only problem is that it provides only a max of 300W. Also if I am not mistaken, the cool 'n' quiet technology employed in the computer regulates the amount of power the computer needs at any given point of time as a result of devices not having to run at high speeds (to reduce noise and heat output)?