Question about Power Supply Unit

Hi,

I was wondering, is it possible to put a PSU from another brand inside a PC?

And if so, what things are important to think about when buying a PSU?

 

Are we talking about desktops?

 

Yes we´re talking about desktops.

So basically my question is, if you must use the same type of PSU that came installed with the PC.

 

The PSU should be the same form factor (ATX, SFX, TFX, etc) and check the length of it. Also if you are upgrading the PSU on an OEM (Dell, HP, etc) machine, you should check if the original PSU or its cables are proprietary. If they are, you may not be able to replace it with an ordinary PSU you bought retail.

 

here's a good place to start

 

yup as long as the form factor matches up you can use any brand. you also have to check the actual wattage. just dont skimp on power supplies imo its almost the most important part

 

How can you tell this? I´m sorry, but I´m a bit of a noob when it comes to hardware.

Yes, I´ve read that it´s very important. A bad PSU can take down the whole PC.

Wow, that´s a bit too much info.

 

I hope this is not too much info, but this article on Tom's Hardware goes over the form factors, connectors and more info on PSUs:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-specifications-atx-reference,3061.html

If you search for "replacing power supply for [insert computer model here]", you may find whether its proprietary or not. Alternatively you can also tell us the model for the computer whose PSU you want to replace.

 

@ WSFuser

Thanks, I´ve done some reading. This is the model, it´s from Delta Electronics:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-ATX-460W-Desktop-PC-power-supply-/301095204603

So I suppose it should be possible to use another brand?

And if so, which replacement would you choose?

http://www.computerstore.nl/category/202961/computervoedingen.html?prijs=0-70,70-90

 

Any of the Corsair PSUs should be fine however that website has a very paltry selection of PSUs. Half of the them are from Corsair alone (not that they're bad or anything).

 

Just for the clarity, so it is indeed possible to replace the one from Delta Electronics?

These things above are of no concern?

Also, can I buy a modular PSU? And what about the amount of wattage, does it make sense to go for more watt?

 

First sorry for the late response. I think I missed the email notification or something.

Just as a comparison, the Corsair CX500 has:

1 x Main connector (20+4Pin)
1 x 4+4 Pin EPS 12V
2 x PCI-E
5 x SATA
4 x Peripheral
1 x Floppy

Of course.

Not really. You would be surprised how much hardware a high quality 450W PSU can handle:

http://www.overclock3d.net/articles/power_supply/how_many_watts_do_you_actually_need/1

 

@ WSFuser

No problem, thanks for the feedback.

I will probably buy the Corsair CX500, it´s for a friend actually.

 

When I bought my monster desktop with its gtx 570 gpu, the card was rated 150w at idle and 300w at max, plus 5 hard disks, 2 dvd trays, an extra wireless network card, and a bit more, I went for a 775w psu to be on the safe side.

The overall consumption when gaming is about 370-400w max.
So I could go for less, but I like a bit of margin and fan silence.
But I might have gotten away with 600w, but I like the 7 year warranty.

Mrk

 

Yes, I´ve read it´s handy when you´re buying for example a more powerful GPU, that´s more power hungry.

So a 'heavier' PSU means more upgrade options.