Power supply in an HP a4060n; and a 7950 vid card= dead PSU?

Question

I thought I had a 350 watt psu but now I realize that I'm an idiot and only have 250 watts (not recommended for a 7950GT video card). My computer has had a few random restarts but usually overnight and not when I was actually taxing the system.

This morning I come to the computer login screen even though I hadn't restarted last night (this makes me suspect the psu). So I try to log in and then click.... off the computer goes.

Now when I try to boot up I'm only getting partial response such the led's turning on and the fan for both the heat sink and the psu.

I would like for someone to confirm my suspicions, tell me what and idiot I am for installing a 7950 on a 250 watt power supply, and maybe tell me if there's likely to be any damage to my hardware from a couple of restarts that I tried while troubleshooting.

Answer 1

The 7950GT is a 50 watter, so it draws more than 4 amps on the +12V rail. A 250 watt power supply typically has a maximum output of only 9 amps on the +12V rail. The fans, motors of the drives and some other electronic components also draw from the same rail. The 7950GT would tend to overload the +12V rail or run it HOT.

A 350W power supply usually has an output of 15 amps on the +12V rail, it should be ok. A bigger power supply (380-450W) should run cooler, last longer and provide you with plenty of elbow room for upgrades.