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Is there any way that I can check on the load on the power supply and
what would be a safe working load for the supply??.

The machine originally was installed with a 250 W power supply but I
have since installed a TV card and recently an upgraded graphics card. I
have had no indication that the power supply is not coping and I work on
the basis of 'if it's not broke don't fix it'

I also have a newer supply rated at .350 W but to install it requires a
little nibbling/panel beating on the case.

So, is there measurement that I can use to see if the powerload is being
stretched and it would be prudent to upgrade. e.g. when the flames get
longer than 3 inches.


TIA

"Bugalugs" <!> wrote in message
news:fdv4kn$p9i$...
> Is there any way that I can check on the load on the power supply and what
> would be a safe working load for the supply??.
>
> The machine originally was installed with a 250 W power supply but I have
> since installed a TV card and recently an upgraded graphics card. I have
> had no indication that the power supply is not coping and I work on the
> basis of 'if it's not broke don't fix it'
>
> I also have a newer supply rated at .350 W but to install it requires a
> little nibbling/panel beating on the case.
>
> So, is there measurement that I can use to see if the powerload is being
> stretched and it would be prudent to upgrade. e.g. when the flames get
> longer than 3 inches.
>

For a good power usage calculator, try
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/p...ulatorlite.jsp

Also, check the voltages as reported by your BIOS, if those figures deviate
too much from where they should be, then you probably need the 350W


PC

On Wed, 03 Oct 2007 17:09:45 +1300, Bugalugs <!> wrote:

>Is there any way that I can check on the load on the power supply and
>what would be a safe working load for the supply??.
>
>The machine originally was installed with a 250 W power supply but I
>have since installed a TV card and recently an upgraded graphics card. I
>have had no indication that the power supply is not coping and I work on
>the basis of 'if it's not broke don't fix it'
>
>I also have a newer supply rated at .350 W but to install it requires a
>little nibbling/panel beating on the case.
>
>So, is there measurement that I can use to see if the powerload is being
>stretched and it would be prudent to upgrade. e.g. when the flames get
>longer than 3 inches.
>
>
>TIA



Yes it way way to low go for a 400w + PSU or even larger..

PSU are more or less standard fittings, unless you have some DEL, HP etc branded case..

Somewhere on the interweb "Bugalugs" typed:
> Is there any way that I can check on the load on the power supply and
> what would be a safe working load for the supply??.
>
> The machine originally was installed with a 250 W power supply but I
> have since installed a TV card and recently an upgraded graphics
> card. I have had no indication that the power supply is not coping
> and I work on the basis of 'if it's not broke don't fix it'
>
> I also have a newer supply rated at .350 W but to install it requires
> a little nibbling/panel beating on the case.
>
> So, is there measurement that I can use to see if the powerload is
> being stretched and it would be prudent to upgrade. e.g. when the
> flames get longer than 3 inches.
>
>
> TIA

There's an easy way to know when your PSU needs replacing, as I found out on
Sunday. It's when an internal capacitor that used to look like this:

http://test.internet-webmaster.de/upload/1191391886.jpg

Makes a *very* loud bang that got the neigbours wondering if I *do* belong
in this nieghbourhood after all, and ends up looking like this:

http://test.internet-webmaster.de/upload/1191392010.jpg

Those caps are 35mm high and 20mm in diameter and made of quite thick
aluminium. It reminded me of a 12-gauge shotgun.

Luckily I was just plugging it in at the time (with the covers off) so was
able to unplag it straight away. As in a nano-second. <g> Nothing else was
hurt.

That was a 250W PSU that's in the machine I use as a test-bed, I'd been
wondering if it had enough grunt in the last week as things didn't seem
quite right. (In fact I think that's what triggered it. ) I'd just
fitted a SCSI card (no attached devices, just the card at that stage) and
was hoping to let Windows find it and install drivers.

Fortunaetly I'd thrown out a non-working Enermax PSU the week before and,
just before I did, I decided to look inside. I saw a pair of big capacitors
with the word "Rubycon" on the side and know that they're top-quality (and
expensive) caps. I unsoldered them and hadn't got as far as putting them
away, they were still by my soldering station.

On examining them I saw that they were the same value as the one that blew.
I replaced the pair in the PSU with the Rubycons and the PSU and PC started
right back up as if nothing had gone wrong.

Hehee! I guess that doesn't help you much though. Unless you fit a SCSI card
and see if it blows?
--
TTFN

Shaun.

Bugalugs wrote:

> I also have a newer supply rated at .350 W but to install it requires a
> little nibbling/panel beating on the case.

You might be able to swap boards over between the 2 powersupplys, it
seems there is somewhat of a standard for the size of them. I had to do
that to ressurect a desktop machine where it had a different size case
of the PSU.

> So, is there measurement that I can use to see if the powerload is being
> stretched and it would be prudent to upgrade. e.g. when the flames get
> longer than 3 inches.

Jaycar have added a watt meter to their things they sell.

Cadae wrote:
> "Bugalugs" <!> wrote in message
> news:fdv4kn$p9i$...
>> Is there any way that I can check on the load on the power supply and
>> what would be a safe working load for the supply??.
>>
>> The machine originally was installed with a 250 W power supply but I
>> have since installed a TV card and recently an upgraded graphics card.
>> I have had no indication that the power supply is not coping and I
>> work on the basis of 'if it's not broke don't fix it'
>>
>> I also have a newer supply rated at .350 W but to install it requires
>> a little nibbling/panel beating on the case.
>>
>> So, is there measurement that I can use to see if the powerload is
>> being stretched and it would be prudent to upgrade. e.g. when the
>> flames get longer than 3 inches.
>>
>
> For a good power usage calculator, try
> http://www.extreme.outervision.com/p...ulatorlite.jsp
>
> Also, check the voltages as reported by your BIOS, if those figures
> deviate too much from where they should be, then you probably need the 350W
>
>
> PC
>
Most useful site. While the result didn't show it to be critical it
might just be prudent to make the change.

Thanks

On Oct 3, 12:09 am, Bugalugs <bugalug...@netscape.net!> wrote:
> Is there any way that I can check on the load on thepower supplyand
> what would be a safe working load for the supply??.
>
> The machine originally was installed with a 250 Wpower supplybut I
> have since installed a TV card and recently an upgraded graphics card. I
> have had no indication that thepower supplyis not coping and I work on
> the basis of 'if it's not broke don't fix it'

The only way to get your answer is to measure. Nothing posted can
calculate a useful number. The best load is to access (multitask) to
all peripherals simultaneously. For example, video processor
processing complex graphics (ie a movie) while DVD is being read,
while downloading via a network card, while reading files repeatedly
from the hard drive while reading a floppy, while playing a song.

Now you are ready to read important voltages. The less than two
minute procedure is in "When your computer dies without warning....."
starting 6 Feb 2007 in the newsgroup alt.windows-xp at:
http://tinyurl.com/yvf9vh

Voltage numbers are different because those listed numbers take
into account other parameters such as how voltages are measured.
Numbers may also provide other useful information if posted here. The
motherboard can measure voltages. But a multimeter is necessary to
first calibrate those readings. And those readings are only useful
when power supply is fully loaded. Again, the only useful numbers
only provide useful information when supply is fully loaded by
everything in the computer.