Graphics card upgrade and PSU advice ?

[blobby1234]

Hi everyone

I've got a year old AMD system;
AMD 3500+ 939 (not overclocked) with HS & Fan
MSI Neo 2 Plat MB (ms 7025)
2 x 512MB dual channel ram
160 MB HD with 8MB cache
DVD writer
PCI modem
1 case fans connected
Leadtek A400 6800LE 128MB gx card (not overclocked)
FSP 300W Noisekiller PSU Model - FSP300-60PN

Rather than shell out on a new PCI-E system I thought I could upgrade GFX card for the time being ........... as the 3500+ is still a pretty good CPU.

Got my heart set on the new Gainward Bliss 7800GS Silent 512MB for £282.

Only probelm that I can see is the PSU ............ will the new card be much more of a power hungry beast than my old 6800LE ?? as I don't really want to purchase and find that I will have to change the PSU (which I do not want to do !).

Any thoughts ??

Cheers

 

[michael 118]

im not sure of an exact model, but you should be looking for at least 500/550 watts
try: www.novatech.com

 

[michael 118]

Also are you looking to game on it alot?

 

[blobby1234]

I am a gamer yes ................. the current set-up runs games very well and got scores of 8500 in 3Dmark03 and 3600 in 3dmark05, which are OK.


I have read various threads on the web about you've got to have a meaty PSU with the new cards but other have said that it down to the quality of the PSU not it's wattage.

I'm a bit confused .............. don't really want to have to change PSU as, again, I read threads saying people have turned the PC back on with the new PSU and it kept rebooting ! How easy is to change a PSU ........... I won;t have to change any BIOS setting etc ?

 

[michael 118]

no of course not, the best way i found out when i changed mine was to label every single power cable and map it out, so i wasnt confused which wires went where. the only awkward bit is unscrewing it, i managed to drop my friends screw down the side of the mobo.....
you should really change it if you want the best out of your pc, that graphics card you have your eye on will need the power.

and no you wont have to change any settings at all

 

[blobby1234]

So in theory if I unplug leads to the varous devices, change PSU and then re-plug as before, I should boot up as normal and my system won't want anything changing ?

Is it that easy !!!

 

[michael 118]

yup thats it, you wont even get a message when you start up

just make sure you have the right type of psu which should be the same type as your old one, FSP

 

[blobby1234]

just make sure you have the right type of psu which should be the same type as your old one, FSP

Right so I've got to buy a FSP PSU .......... I can't buy any other make, say Antec ?

 

[Me__2001]

you can buy whatever PSU you want, just make sure its a decent make like antec, tagan, enermax or a hiper typer R somethint with atleast 450W should do you

 

[blobby1234]

So we don't think that my old 300W will be OK then ? shame

 

[TriplexDread]

I do beleive in looking into the futre however Even my specs below do not need such a powerful PSU. My system is stable, not a problem and as you can see im running in SLI with a x2 4200 on a Tagen 480

If you want to look into maybe goin SLI and getting a load of other stuff ie Hard drives and alike then yes get a 500+ if not then a 430+ is sufficient

 

[blobby1234]

Thanx for the advice ....... I think i may have to invest in a 430/480 PSU then.

 

[silverback007]

I have also been looking @ upgrading to the 7800GS and would suggest that you go for the 7800GS+ version (4 extra pipes) for £293 (£11 more) "Gainward do it again! This is the only 7900GT card with 24 pixel pipelines available on AGP. Then along with its 512MB of super-fast GDDR3 memory making this the worlds fastest AGP card ever produced. There is only 1500 units available worldwide!! So be quick as this is a deal not to be missed!" - you can pick up a Gainward 7800GS+ from www.overclockers.co.uk (OcUK) plus replace PSU with a Tagan 530W also from OcUK / That will do the trick. ps...you will have plenty off power when you want to drop a PhysX Accelerator for your FPSs ;-)