Computer Help - PC Power Supply

[Spok]

so...

I have a 5-6 month old HP desktop computer that my daughter loaded a highpowered video card in and then an extra internal cooling fan that with all else going on, now overdraws on the 300w power supply and lastnight the stupid thing shut down. We thought it was dead until i unplugged it for a few minutes and then replugged it and it came back to life. We know we're overdrawing on the power supply...

so, we want to install a 500w supply, are they all the same size? is there a brand I should steer clear of or towards. I don't want to spend a kazillion dollars, we've located a few on the web that meet our criteria but i don't want to buy something that won't fit. since they don't list unit measurments, I assume most all are standard size?

should be a simple swap out, right?

[ozyran440]

Originally Posted by Spok

so...

I have a 5-6 month old HP desktop computer that my daughter loaded a highpowered video card in and then an extra internal cooling fan that with all else going on, now overdraws on the 300w power supply and lastnight the stupid thing shut down. We thought it was dead until i unplugged it for a few minutes and then replugged it and it came back to life. We know we're overdrawing on the power supply...

so, we want to install a 500w supply, are they all the same size? is there a brand I should steer clear of or towards. I don't want to spend a kazillion dollars, we've located a few on the web that meet our criteria but i don't want to buy something that won't fit. since they don't list unit measurments, I assume most all are standard size?

should be a simple swap out, right?

Well, I'm no expert in the matter, but from my extensive research building two computer rigs I've learned (through Newegg) that Powmax power supplies are junk and to be avoided. Otherwise, you want to make sure it's an ATX (assuming your case is an ATX case) and other than that, it's pretty much plug 'n play.

For what it's worth, the rig I had set up ran a 250 GB Western Digital hard drive, a 2.3 GHz dual core AMD Athlon 64 X2 setup, 4 GB of RAM, a 256MB video card, the CPU fan, and 3 case fans off of a modular 400W power supply made by the Ultra company. I'd find it for you, but it looks like it's out of production. I bought it from Tiger Direct, but oddly enough I can't find it anymore.

Newegg has a few though. Here's a couple you might want to check out:
Newegg.com - hec HP485D 485W ATX12V Power Supply - Power Cord Included - Power Supplies - $33.28 after shipping

Newegg.com - hec HP485D 485W ATX12V Power Supply - No Power Cord - Power Supplies - 485W PSU; $21.99 shipped

Newegg.com - APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 500W ATX Power Supply - Power Supplies - 500W PSU; $39.99 shipped

Good luck!

(Mr. Spock, can't you just go to the Supply Dept. on board the might Enterprise and requisition one? )

[airforce1]

Originally Posted by Spok

so...

I have a 5-6 month old HP desktop computer that my daughter loaded a highpowered video card in and then an extra internal cooling fan that with all else going on, now overdraws on the 300w power supply and lastnight the stupid thing shut down. We thought it was dead until i unplugged it for a few minutes and then replugged it and it came back to life. We know we're overdrawing on the power supply...

so, we want to install a 500w supply, are they all the same size? is there a brand I should steer clear of or towards. I don't want to spend a kazillion dollars, we've located a few on the web that meet our criteria but i don't want to buy something that won't fit. since they don't list unit measurments, I assume most all are standard size?

should be a simple swap out, right?

Hey Spok,
If I remember correctly, the HP has a bit different configuration on the power connector at the system board. The connector fits, but there is a white wire on the generic p/s that isn't present on the HP's I've worked with. Newegg is pretty good and reasonably priced. You are right about the form factor, there is not much room for a size change! Bestec manufactured a lot of the P/S units for HP, they didn't build much reserve in them, though.
Am warming up the matter transporter to send the Star Trek keyboard.
It's a novelty thing, has the older style round plug but I'll throw an adapter in the box.

[rustygunner]

Spok... Need the model of your PC. Some HP's will take a standard ATX and some won't.
Pretty easy to swap out. I use FSP or OCZ (FSP OEM) units myself. Good quality for the money. Antec (most), Seasonic, FSP, Enermax, Corsair, BFG all are good.

[rustygunner]

I am assuming that a standard ATX 2.0 power supply will fit if a standard video card fits in the case. What video card did you install, btw?
+1 for newegg

[HoopleHead]

Spok, sounds like yours is similar to my HP but who knows... similar capacities and speeds. When I bought mine, one of the feedback reviewers was nice enough to say he'd changed to a 500w to handle his extra dingleberries, so I ordered that and a better MB at the same time as the computer. As I remember, everything fit well and was just pretty much snap out snap in.

As for Newegg, I've bought thousands of dollars worth of stuff from them, all the way from cables and connectors, to computers, to monitors, even including a larger screen 1080P... only had one tiny problem with them over a returned Xhdd case that didn't work and I didn't think I should have to pay shipping both ways for the replacement. They don't haggle, they just do whatever their normal procedure is.

Good luck, but you probably won't need any luck.

[Spok]

The computer is an HP Pavillion with an AMD tripple core processore w/3 gig of RAM. model # I think is A64301

The video card is an Nvidia GEForce 8800 GTS

[trikebubble]

So much for that "Epic" battle she was playing, huh?

[Spok]

^^^

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

funny you mention that, she was in the middle of one of those epic battles when it gave up the ghost.

and, the nerve, she was forced to do something else for the rest of the evening because she was disconnected from the virtual world, she discovered that there is a TV in her room and low and behold, a program she liked was on too.

[trikebubble]

Originally Posted by Spok

^^^

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

funny you mention that, she was in the middle of one of those epic battles when it gave up the ghost.

and, the nerve, she was forced to do something else for the rest of the evening because she was disconnected from the virtual world, she discovered that there is a TV in her room and low and behold, a program she liked was on too.

You know, tell her that opening the front door and stepping outside doesn't take near 300 watts...............Bwaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!

[Spok]

imagine that eh? fresh air, sunshine and a real world?

[Tod]

I've only owned one HP in the last 5 years, and that's because it was given to me by a neighbor.

I was unable to upgrade the power supply in it due to space constraints.
HP had designed their case to only accept a reduced size unit, and there just weren't any others that would fit, even though it was supposedly ATX.

I hear they are more standardized now, so you should be able to do it, just make sure if it's ATX, MicroATX or BTX, as they can mount differently, but some will fit all three.
If you go to a local parts vendor, take the measurements with you and a picture of the main power plug showing the colored wire arrangements if possible.

[Spok]

Originally Posted by Tod

I've only owned one HP in the last 5 years, and that's because it was given to me by a neighbor.

I was unable to upgrade the power supply in it due to space constraints.
HP had designed their case to only accept a reduced size unit, and there just weren't any others that would fit, even though it was supposedly ATX.

I hear they are more standardized now, so you should be able to do it, just make sure if it's ATX, MicroATX or BTX, as they can mount differently, but some will fit all three.
If you go to a local parts vendor, take the measurements with you and a picture of the main power plug showing the colored wire arrangements if possible.

wonder if the geek squad would have a clue what PS would fit

[Spok]

Originally Posted by Tod

I've only owned one HP in the last 5 years, and that's because it was given to me by a neighbor.

I was unable to upgrade the power supply in it due to space constraints.
HP had designed their case to only accept a reduced size unit, and there just weren't any others that would fit, even though it was supposedly ATX.

I hear they are more standardized now, so you should be able to do it, just make sure if it's ATX, MicroATX or BTX, as they can mount differently, but some will fit all three.
If you go to a local parts vendor, take the measurements with you and a picture of the main power plug showing the colored wire arrangements if possible.

and how does a guy go about determining this?

well...i looked. i see the model # as ATX-300-12Z

i'd assume that it is an ATX then

[HoopleHead]

My pavillion is only dual-core 2.4gh and it runs my Nvidia 7300 with 4 hard drives without ever even having to speed up the fans. You might require more but I use this supply: Newegg.com - APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 500W ATX Power Supply - Power Supplies

[Spok]

^^^

thats the exact PS i'm looking at. should be enough to do the job

[ozyran440]

Here you go, Spok, the most power you can drop into your computer:
Newegg.com - ePOWER EP-2000P10-T3 2000W ATX12V Ver.2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Power Supplies

[Spok]

Originally Posted by ozyran440

Here you go, Spok, the most power you can drop into your computer:
Newegg.com - ePOWER EP-2000P10-T3 2000W ATX12V Ver.2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Power Supplies

thanks but uh...you missed the part where I said that i didn't wan't to spend a kazillion dollars

if I were to build my own system from the ground up, i'd go with something along those lines but as I no longer follow computers and their manufacture etc...i lost touch with all that techy knowledge.

[anamosity]

Time to refresh your reading skills Dave.

Choosing The Right Power Supply

Plus I would run as fast as possible from APEVIA, they used to be under the name aspire but due to the negativity they got from pizz poor componets renamed themselves to get fresh start.