Can someone recommend me a 400w-500w PSU?

Question

I have a HP Pavilion A6050Y. It came with a stocked 300w PSU but it is too weak for the Geforce 7600GT I want. This is going to be the first time I‘m buying and installing a PSU so any help would be appreciated. Also, how do I know what kind of PSU will fit my computer?

Other than the size, is there anything else I must look into to make sure a PSU is compatible with my computer? Where can I find information about my PSU?

I just got an email from HP support telling me that any PSU higher than 300w has never been tested on my computer. They warned anything higher than 300w could damage my computer. Is this true that higher watt PSU could destroy my pc?

Answer 1

several brands of PSUs are quite reputable, and keep in mind that you truly get what you pay for in a power supply. going the cheap route will greatly increase the risk of frying key components of your computer.

i reccomend:
Antec Truepower
any Thermaltake brand PSU
there's a brand called PC Power & Cooling, which has recently earned a good reputation.

personally, i'd say you can never go wrong with an Antec Truepower PSU. time and time again, they are the highest rated power supplies in terms of reliability and actual power output. sometimes you pay for a 500w psu and end up only getting 460w of true power. Antec gives the power it advertieses.

i've been building custom high-performance PCs for about 5 years now, and after experiencing some huge blunders with power supplies, i always buy a PSU from one of those 3 companies. I am currently using an Antec Truepower 700w and i love it.

the best part about installing a PSU is that everything is "keyed". so, it's nearly impossible to plug something in wrong. just make sure you have everything plugged in that needs to be plugged in and you'll be good to go.

Answer 2

I checked the HP info online and no info was given about the PSU in your box. However, to be safe what I would do if I were in your place is I would remove the ,PSU in there now and take it to your local computer store, not a best buy but a mom and pop that will have the time to help you out, and show them what you have and what you would like... I use thermaltake PSU's mainly from habit and lack of problems... beware of PSU's that list their peak wattage instead of their continuous output.

Good Luck

Answer 3

NVidia has a web page that can give you several answers to your question. Here is the link.

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_build_psu.html

I am building a computer and I have the same video card. I have not been able to purchase the PSU yet, (lack of money), but I will be purchasing one listed at this site.

Answer 4

Retail PSUs have 150mm width. Check the width of your current PSU. If not the same width, the mounting holes may not align and you have no choice but to buy HP PSU.

Do not just buy based on TOTAL wattage. Buy based on high +12V wattage or high +12V amps, preferably dual +12V rail. Something like this:
http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product&p_serial=RS-430-ASAA&other_title=RS-430-ASAAiGreen%20Power%20430W

Do not rely on minimum PSU requirement. You will just run it HOT at FULL LOAD (esp. the +12V rail).