hmm will this do?

My pal has just recently taken my old Gateway 510GB off me, gave me the extra buck to buy my new custom computer of scan!

but back the point at hand it had a 300watt PSU, im not big on them so i couldnt give him any information on what max graphics card he could up upgrade to, also he doest have a hexus account which in my opinuion is the best and easyest soruce for computer information and help!

from what i could find on gateway support is this for the PSU, even thought my limited knowledge of PSU it looks s**t to me ;)



Feature Specification
Manufacturer Bestec
Manufacturer Model ATX-300-12E
Type OEM ATX12V
Dimensions (L × W × H) 5.5 × 5.9 × 3.4 inches (140 × 150 × 86 × mm)
Safety Certifications UL, CSA, TUV, CE
Efficiency 68% minimum at full load
Reliability > 50 K hours at 25° C ambient conditions.
AC Input Voltage 115/230 VAC with following characteristics:
Max current: 6/3 A
Frequency: 47-63 HZ
Protection: Internal fuse
AC Input is switch selectable between 115 V (100-127 V) and 230 V (200-240 V)
DC Output Voltages
+3.3 V Max Current: 28 A
Min Current: 0.3 A
Load: ±5%
Line: ±1%

+5 V Max Current: 30 A
Min Current: 0.5 A
Load: ±5%
Line: ±1%

+12 V Max Current: 15 A
Min Current: 0.0 A
Load: ±5%
Line: ±1%

-12 V Max Current: 0.8 A
Min Current: 0.0 A
Load: ±10%
Line: ±1%

+5 VSB Max Current: 2.0 A
Min Current: 0.0 A
Load: ±5%
Line: ±1%

Notes:

+3.3 V and +5 V total output not to exceed 180 W
+3.3 V, +5 V, and +12 V total output not to exceed 288 W
Load and line refer to regulation.

from what i can see the best hes guna get is geforce 4Ti :P haha

If you want to put a halfway decent graphics card in there you are going to need to upgrade that PSU.

I would say something like a Corsair VX450 would be perfect or a Silverstone ST35F would be sufficient (and a bit cheaper) for the majority of modern graphics cards.

The Bestec PSUs are poor quality

I managed to cook one with only 1HD, E2180 CPU, Stock cooler, 1 CD writer, 1 DVD ROM and on board graphics and sound.

To be fair it was rated for 250W but still I can't imagine the above using more than 250W....

So their power claims are at best exagerated.

As webby said, get the Corsair or even the Enermax Modu82+ series (I think they come in 425W, 525W and 625W)

The Seasonic S12 is very efficient as well 85% and with a fairly flat efficiency curve so its okay to get a bit more power than you need without sacrificing efficiency.

The Corsair PSUs are made by Seasonic.

Ive put stuff in computers before but its not mine so im worried if i did it for him i could bugger it up, people say its easy but i cant see how haha.

would a good quailty 425W do it?

and what graphics card could he stick in with that shabby psu.

thanks for the replys.