Unsure if PDU is enough!!

[peenutz]

Hey guys!

Im unsure if my new computer has enough power to run all my stuff. I currently have:-

Tp3-550 antec PDU. (550w)
M5a97 pro asus motherboard.
Amd fx 8150 black edition processor 3.6ghz with stock fan.
Evga gtx 560 superclocked graphics card.
8gb ram.
500gb hard drive
3x 120mm fans in case.

Will this PDU have enough power to run everything without it burning out?
Thanks for your help guys.

[profJim]

Your Antec TP3-550 is a five year old psu (power supply unit) that is made by Seasonic.
The general recommendation is that you should not run your psu higher than 80% of its rated power output.
As long as your system doesn't demand more than 440 watts for extended periods, you should be OK.
It's hard to say how much longer your psu will work, but Seasonic is one of the best psu manufacturers.

Adding a second video card is not recommended with the TP3-550, especially if you overclock your cpu and video cards.
A high quality 650 - 750 watt psu is needed for an overclocked SLI system.
My Antec TP-750 New psu is also made by Seasonic and works great with my overclocked E6850 + N650SLI-DS4 system with two GTX 460 video cards.

[peenutz]

Thanks for an amazingly quick responce.

Unfortunalty I am not good with computers and am unsure on how much everything takes to run.
I know that the GPU from the box uses 450w. Is this its normal wattage or is that what its maximum is?

Also how much do other things need for power such as the hard drive, fans and CPU.

Sorry to be a pain.

Thanks again

[profJim]

You're welcome and no, you're not being a pain.
The 450 watt figure is probably the minimum recommended psu wattage for use with your video card.

With my P35 system with one GTX 460 video card, my system draws about 350 watts from the wall outlet. My psu has 90% efficiency, so this means that my psu is providing about 315 watts to power my system, where 350 x 0.90 (90%) = 315. These results are with my cpu and video card overclocked to their maximum stable settings. I have seven fans installed in my P35 system plus one ssd and one hard drive.

A web search using: psu calculator will link you to sites where you enter your hardware components and they will provide the recommended psu capacity. Power supply efficiency is best when the psu output is about 40 - 60 of its rated power. Buying a psu that is rated for twice as much power as your system "usually" needs is a good guideline. Buying a psu that can put out more than this amount won't hurt anything, other than your wallet.

It's always best to read psu reviews from top rated websites, such as JonnyGuru, HardOCP, HardwareSecrets, PCper, XbitLabs, TechPowerUp and BenchmarkReviews. Most sites do a mickey mouse job when testing and rating power supplies. Buying a brand name psu does not guarantee that you're buying a good unit, as many brand name power supplies don't pass the stringent tests done by the best review sites.

Antec, Corsair, NZXT, Seasonic and XFX power supplies are almost always excellent units.
There are other excellent power supplies, but some brand name units from the same manufacturer are mediocre or deficient.

[Acebmxer]

Check out this. eXtreme Power Supply Calculator It will help calculate the size psu you need.