Power Supply Issue

[spex]

Hey All,

I've developed a PC issue this evening - think I know the problem, just wanted to confirm it with all you clever people and get some advice.

Got home from work today and booted up my machine (AMD XP2600, 1GB RAM, all on nForce 2 MSI mobo, Radeon 9800 Pro, 60GB Hard Drive, DVD-ROM and CDRW and three case fans). Machine booted, but monitor didn't kick in. This has happened a couple of times since I installed the 9800Pro a few weeks ago, but a reboot sorts it out. Not this time. Eveything else is getting power, but the graphics are a bit sporadic. When the card does kick in, I get as far as the XP boot screen, and the machine reboots.

This seems like a power supply issue to me as I know the 9800Pro is a bit power hungry (I currently have a 350W power supply as supplied in a SCAN case), although I did recently install SP2 on XPPro. Not sure if that can cause an issue?

So question is: am I right in suspecting the power supply, and if so can anyone recommened a good quality power supply that isn't going to cost the earth?

Many thanks for any help guys!

Rory.

[mike_w]

For cheap, but still decent, PSUs, check out Scan, specifically the 3XS PSUs. Apparently, they are the same as Antecs on the inside, but much cheaper.

When the machine reboots, is like someboody has hit the reset button, or is there a flash of a blue screen before the reboot?

[spex]

Mike - cheers, I'll look into those tomorrow.

When it reboots it's just like someone hit the reset button. At first I thought it might be the heat, but it's booted OK in far higher temps, and according to the BIOS readings, it's only 35 deg on the proc and 32 in the case.

Mind you, I spose that's pretty high.

[mike_w]

Mike - cheers, I'll look into those tomorrow.

When it reboots it's just like someone hit the reset button. At first I thought it might be the heat, but it's booted OK in far higher temps, and according to the BIOS readings, it's only 35 deg on the proc and 32 in the case.

Mind you, I spose that's pretty high.

Assuming that the readings are correct, 35C is perfectly fine - as a rule, I generally prefer to keep it below 55C, 60C is when I start getting concerned.

[spex]

Seems pertty likely to be a PS thing then. What wattage do you recommend for a PC of that spec?

[mike_w]

Have you got a spare PSU, or a friend's PSU, you could use to test your system to make sure it is the PSU?

Also, since (I assume) it only happened since you put the new 9800 Pro in, you might want to try the 9800 Pro in somebody else's machine to make sure that the 9800 Pro isn't causing the problem rather than the PSU.

As for the wattage, it depends on your budget. Of course, if you get a high wattage, you might be able to keep it to use on your next computer, saving you money in the long run. When choosing a PSU, I think that brand is most important. Antec are supposed to be among the best, and I believe that the Chieftec and 3XS (that I pointed out earlier) PSUs are basically rebranded Antecs.

[Slick]

For cheap, but still decent, PSUs, check out Scan, specifically the 3XS PSUs. Apparently, they are the same as Antecs on the inside, but much cheaper.

I need a new PSU, cant find any called 3XS tho. Got a link?

[spex]

Unfortunately trying the components in someone else's machine isn't really an option.

I'll try unplugging a few components and seeing if it boots. If it does I'll take the gamble it's the PS and purchase a new one. Reckon a 480W should be sufficient!

[mike_w]

I need a new PSU, cant find any called 3XS tho. Got a link?

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...roductID=59490
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...roductID=59491
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...roductID=59492

Ta-da!