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Power supply consideration in new PC

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I am shopping for a new desktop and looking at the HP Pavilion Ellite, HPE-410t. Looks like a great buy and most reviews are good. However, there is one concern since the power supply is 300 watts.Since I tend to keep PCs a long time, I want to be able to add on. Should the ps be a concern for me?

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In reply to Power supply consideration in new PC

From the options list, it appears that HP expects you to be able to add a second hard drive and perhaps a second optical drive with the standard power supply.

From the manual images, it looks like the power supply is a standard ATX design. That means that if you ever need to, you should be able to replace the original power supply with a higher wattage supply.

The primary thing to watch when you replace an OEM power supply is that the new supply has connectors that match all of the power connections on your motherboard.

Chas

Depends on what you add on.

In reply to Power supply consideration in new PC

If you are going to add two hard drives and an expensive high-performance graphics card, I’d look at getting a new PSU for the box as well. (With a higher continuous wattage rating, from a good vendor, like Antec.)

edit: – for =

You also need to understand that there are 2 types of PS’s

In reply to Power supply consideration in new PC

The first type provides power at it’s ratted upper limit for short periods of time, the Second type’s Power Rating is what that PS can supply 100% of the time.

The main difference besides price between these different PS Types is the weight of the PS. Light ones are rated to a Theoretical Peek Value where as the heavy ones are rated to that Value for 100% of the time.

So if you have a PS like an Antec rated to 300 W that will provide 300W for 100% of the time where as if you have a No Name PS rated to 300 W it will only supply that 300W for short periods and then have to drop back to a much lower level to cool down so that it can provide the Peek Level again when it’s needed.

So Ratings don’t actually mean much as a 300W PS that is rated to 100% of that power for 100% of the time will have a Rating much higher when measured by the method of the Peek Value,

Also those Rated to 100% of their Upper Limit for 1200% of the time in use tend to offer much better protection tot he internal Electronics as they filter and are designed to provide Protection to the Internal Components. So if you get hit by a large Power Spike it gets stopped by the better PS’s and the less expensive ones just pass it straight through into the insides of the case and the Electronic Components in there start to Degrade. While the first Power Spike may not kill the system it will have started the Degrading Process and it will not be as reliable as it should be and will be in the slow path to reaching [b]Silicon Heaven.[/b]

While there are other brands of PS’s than Antec that offer the same protection I only personally ever use Antec PS’s as they have provided excellent service and saved one computer that got hit with a 33 KV Spike when a tree fell onto the Overhear Power Grid bringing the Transmission Lines into contact with the Low Voltage Mains Power Distribution Grid. I replaced the PS, Monitor and it worked again. Unlike anything else in that house which was totally destroyed.

I think that they are still digging bits of that Glass Cook Top out of walls and the ceiling today about 6 years latter. But as 3 houses where burnt to the ground loosing all of the electrical equipment that was plugged in at the time is a cheap option. 😉

Col

Whoa!

In reply to You also need to understand that there are 2 types of PS’s

Hopefully no-one was wearing jacked headphones at the time!!!

But is it normal to have air lines that close to each other? After all, stuff does happen.

Yes it’s normal here though normally the Transmission Lines

In reply to Whoa!

Are 11 KV and carry the Higher Voltage to cover the area. They are connected to transformers to Step down to the Mains Voltage. Just in this one street the Power Generating/Distribution Company ran some High Voltage Transmission Lines down this street. Just the step up and very long Glass Insulators on them.

Though in this case the 33 KV lines are pretty high.

Unfortunately for the people in that neighborhood the tree was higher and rotten. A little bit of Wind in a Severe Thunder Storm brought it down just the wrong way that day.

Of course the Insurance Company who covered the house that the tree was in where not very happy and where very hard to get along with. 😀

As for Stuff Happening I can tell you a story of a Transformer being replaced from 11 KV to 240 V where the New Workers Employed to break the Power Unions connected the thing up backward and instead of stepping down to 240 V it stepped up quite a bit. But the workers did nothing wrong it was electrically safe till they applied power. :^0

It’s interesting watching ceiling fans start and try to push the roof into orbit without warning. 😉

Col

Details, details, details

In reply to Yes it’s normal here though normally the Transmission Lines

Whomsoever is concerned with details.

Well those trivial details

In reply to Details, details, details

Make a big difference when you are plugging in your new Welder. 😀

Col

Thanks to everyone Happy Holidays!

In reply to Power supply consideration in new PC

Got what I needed. I appreciate your insights and humor!

Happy Holidays

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