350W Power Supply enough?

[Mstephens]

Hey there, I'm looking for some advice on what size of power supply I should get for a new computer I'm building. I have tried searching online and haven't really found much information. Went to http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000314.htm and found the information to be slightly dated compared to today's computers.

Here is my build:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+
Asus M2V-TVM
Western Digital 250GB SATA II
Sapphire X1300 256MB /w TV-Out, DCI
DDR2 1GB PC5300 667Mhz Corsair
Soundblaster Audigy SE 7.1

So far, I have found out that the 4200+ takes 89W, and I heard that it's 10W for every 100MB of RAM, making it another 100W. Anyone else know what the rest of these parts would take?

Thanks,

Mark

[soybean]

One comment I often see regarding power supplies is that cheap ones are less trustworthy concerning the stated rating in Watts.  In other words, not all 350W or 400W or whatever Wattage ratings are equal.  It's something to keep in mind when selecting a power supply.

With that in mind, I suggest you visit http://www.journeysystems.com/power_supply_calculator.php and use the Power Supply Calculator.  

[Neil]

Don't want to mess with your build but it seems a bit unballanced. I'd consider getting a slower processor and RAM in exchange for a better graphics card, especially if you want to play lots of games The x1300 is more of a budget card. I have an Athlon 64 3000 and only PC2700 RAM but with my x1600XT card I doubt your computer will have that much performance gain over mine, if any. Just my opinion.

Soybean, your calculator seems a bit old; the graphics card is not even listed.

[Calum]

I've seen that calculator before, someone's posted it a few time in other posts, but I can't remember who.
I thought it was rather old, no new processors or graphics cards are listed.
I agree with Neil's statement, that PC does seem a bit unbalanced.
Also, get quality over quantity when choosing a PSU - a better PSU is better than a cheaper one with more power as the cheaper one may not perform well and may be subject to other problems.
And get more watts than you need when you buy it, so you leave some headroom for future upgrades.
Then you won't need a new PSU when you upgrade.

[soybean]

I really had not visited http://www.journeysystems.com/power_supply_calculator.php for quite a long time.  Having just looked at it, I agree it needs to be updated.

[Mstephens]

Thank you all for your comments.

This build I put together is actually put together for my parents. The reason I went with those parts was because the most intensive program they will be running is Photoshop. I figured that a more powerful processor and RAM would be more beneficial than a graphics card, as they don't want to be playing games on it. Knowing this, would you still recommend a better graphics card and lesser CPU?

I was originally looking for a computer case with a power supply in it, but I can't seem to find any that would suite their needs, so I guess I will have to buy the power supply seperately. In that case, I think I'll go with a 450W supply. I've heard Thermaltake is a good brand, any other recommendations?

Thanks again,

Mark

[Neil]

In that case it seems like a good system. I have never used photoshop to any great extent so I don't want to give you wrong advice and hopefully someone here will be able to clear things up. I've done a quick search on some other forums and found they suggest a fast preferably dual-core processer and lots of fast RAM. Graphics card speed is not important, as long as it is sufficent. In that case my suggestion would be to buy extra RAM - which would definatly speed things up if using large photos - possibly reducing the RAM speed/processor if you need to save money. I'd say 1.25gb - 1.5gb would be a good amount. Again, though, I'm just making educated guesses here and hopefully someone with more knowledge can contribute.

[Calum]

That PC should be great for photo editing.
1.5Gb or 2Gb of RAM may be helpful if they do really heavy photo editing or multitasking, but 1Gb should be OK.
I have 1Gb and I find my computer's up to anything I throw at it other than BF2142, so I may be getting 2Gb of RAM.
A dual core would be a good idea, so that Athlon X2 is a good choice.

[GX1_Man]

I was originally looking for a computer case with a power supply in it, but I can't seem to find any that would suite their needs, so I guess I will have to buy the power supply seperately. In that case, I think I'll go with a 450W supply. I've heard Thermaltake is a good brand, any other recommendations?

Most cases with an included power supply are cheap junk and not recommended. Antec is an exception and their PSU's are always at the top of my list.  

A name brand 350w is usually better than an "el cheapo" 500w in terms of build quality and actual output. You also risk damage to your very expensive components by these Chinese knock-offs.

[Mstephens]

GX1_Man: I actually had picked out an Antec case, it has a 350W SmartPower power supply. I suppose that isn't an Antec power supply? Here is the link: http://www.memoryexpress.com/index.php?PageTag=&page=file&memx_menu=EmbedProductDetail.php&DisplayProductID=5260&SID=

Thanks again for everyone's comments on this. I quite appreciate it.

Mark

[soybean]

I believe 350W SmartPower power supply sure is an Antec power supply.  I can't imagine them putting some other brand power supply in their cases.  

[GX1_Man]

Antec cases have Antec power supplies. The SmartPower is one of their trademarks.  

[Mstephens]

So do you think a 350W Smart Power supply could run this computer, knowing it's from Antec?

Thanks,

Mark

[GX1_Man]

That would probably be close to the minimum, but if you already have it, try it and see.