Power supply question..

I've been running the stock HIPRO 300W PSU on my system for years now (recently been making strange noises from the fan) and I've been recently adding more stuff to my system. My case and MOBO's form factor is micro ATX. when i see a micro ATX PSU, it looks small and/or it doesnt even have the same bolt pattern. is this what i would buy if i might need one? any help is much appreciated.

 

Well first we would need to know the model number of the pc and maker. Some psu's were proprietary but replacements can be had. Please list specs for further help

 

well if your adding more power thirsty parts to your system then your 300w PSU will be struggling to power these new parts...

SO like ibbonkers said list the specs of your PC and any new parts you are planning to add?

 

It's a Compaq Presario S3000NX case. i did the psu calculator and its said i should have around 308 watts. it is a micro atx form factor. im not really sure what other kind of info to give but let me know if i do.

 

I hope this link works, http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v175/DSCRUB/Picture002-1.jpg in your picture it appears to be a standard PSU, but it is hard to say. Can you take a picture from the back of the computer showing the bolt holes for the PSU?

If the PSU is making noises, it it time to replace it. If I were you, I would go ahead and get a 500-600Watt PSU. Sure, it is overkill for your current rig, but I suspect you may be upgrading soon, and you can carry over a good PSU to a new build. And yeah, expect to pay $80 or a little more for a good one... But they are so worth it in the long run. :-D

 

I'll take a pic of the back in a little bit. i was just thinking of getting a 350 - 400W.

 

I am having power supply issues at the moment, same as your situation really. I installed a new processor and graphics card and now I need a better PSU. I have a 600W PSU in at the moment and I am gonna go for a new 700W "name brand" which should sort out my problem & yours.

Only speculation though as some more system info would get us closer to your problem.

:major2-Bit-Geek:major

 

do you mean like what type of add-ons i have? if so, ive got a geforce4 mx440, SB audigy se, a small fan for my HDDs, a 80mm front case fan, 92mm rear case fan, 2 HDDs, 2 CDs.

and heres a pic of my PSU

 

Looks like a standard ATX PSU to me. you can mount it either way. As long as it fits inside you case, you should be good to go with whatever PSU you pick out!:-D

What is the Quart on top, and what is the box on the left? Just curious.

 

yeah, ive got some quarts and a JL Audio sub. the box on the side is just my digital cable box.

ive been doing some looking around and now im noticing the micro atx PSUs have rectangle mounting holes and the standards have the offset mounts like mine. im pretty sure i would buy an atx.

 

you can slavage somem parts from another coimputer it'll work fine and as for the noise that it makes, make sure that every thing is tight and snug and you might want to dust the inside every couple of months as the fans will suck in dust and could overheat your hardware and when it comes to the power supply the dust will start to come out looking like smoke you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between flying dust or real smoke, it fools alot of people

 

As much system info as you can provide, CPU type e.g: AMD Athlon 64 x2 6000+ 3.0GHz. CPU,HDD,Graphics card, anything that uses power lol :-D

I'd just for something a little more powerful, 500W up.

I used to have a GeForce MX440 128MB AGP years ago now, good little card.

:major2-Bit-Geek:major

 

yeah, i have an athlon xp 2000. the geforce is a pretty good card, i dont game though so its just fine for me. i was actually just looking into getting a 350 - 400W PSU since its in my price range.