+12V far less then what its ment to be.

~~Rik~~ · #11 28th Oct 2008, 11:51

Well yes, i have a socket754 single core and on a PSU calculator my maximum wattage usage came out at 297watts under full load and most 300watt PSU's are only rated at 300watts for very short periods. With PSU's it is usually worth having a bit of an "overhead" so you can add hardware without issue and also not strain your PSU too much.

A PSU will only give out the wattage required, it does not and is not designed to run at it's maximum output day in and day out.

The closer to a PSU's maximum you run, the hotter it will get. The hotter it gets, the shorter it's lifespan,

When cheapo PSU's die, they usually cause damage to other parts of your pc, just ask any e-machine owner that has been faced with a nice big bill because their cheapo standard PSU has gone bang and taken the motherboard with it.

As i said before, i use a 450watt PSU, and because it's maximum output is a fair bit above the maximum my system requires, the air coming out the back of it has never been more than slightly warm, even in the middle of summer (not that we had a great one this year).

**rbscooby** · #12 28th Oct 2008, 13:16

well erm i think its time to make a mental note then:

note to self: upgrade PSU ASAP

end of note to self

lol

and seeing as everything is on adaptors i really do think it is time for an upgrade, although i do want to upgrade my board, na not worth risking it..... lol

thanks for the Info there.....

~~Rik~~ · #13 28th Oct 2008, 13:51

No problem at all. If you should need any advice on what PSU to go for then post in this thread and we will do what we can to help further.:)

**cheesepuff** · #14 28th Oct 2008, 14:39

like i always tell my friends.

Quote:

If there is something you HAVE to spend more than you want on for your computer build, it better be the PSU

**thingie2** · #15 28th Oct 2008, 16:09

Yea, PSU is something you change your budget to fit, not the other way around.

**Carbon** · #16 28th Oct 2008, 16:56

PSU calculators are junk and you were probably running a larger die sized single-core in the past. However, a good cheap Corsair or other SeaSonic unit is always a good idea and will last you forever. There's a 380 Earthwatts on NewEgg for like $35, imagine you can find something similar in the UK.