[Deverica Wolf]

Hi. I've been asking around as I'm looking into a adding a 2TB 7200 Internal HD and two USB 2TB External HDs or perhaps one USB 3TB External HD for security backup. I currently have a Seagate 7200 1TB SATA II drive and it's being filled real quick with games and music.
This is my CPU...
http://www.premiumgeeks.com/desktop/hp/hp-pavilion-elite-hpe-400f-specs (EDIT: Link Fixed)

When asking around, a kind gentleman named p4p3r on this forum suggested that I get a 400W PSU as my currant 300W would in insufficient for the equipment I'm going to purchase.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136824&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Hard+Drives-_-Western+Digital-_-22136824
http://www.amazon.com/Western-Digital-Essential-Desktop-External/dp/B0041OSQBG/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1302474076&sr=1-4]Amazon.com: Western Digital My Book Essential 2 TB USB 3.0/2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive: Electronics[/URL]

What I'm wondering...is this really needed or worth it? I plan on getting rid of this PC and giving it to my mom for simple internet browsing and music playing in a couple of months. I'm gonna get a great gaming PC. Also, I have a 2 year warranty on this and I don't want to void it.

Anyway, this is the one I'm looking at...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171046

Would this work OK with my PC? Could I risk damaging something? Would it be easier on my system to just add a second Internal 1TB instead of a additional 2TB?

Any help would be grateful.

NOTE: The link to my PC stats are above.

 

[ryanbob1234]

thats not bad but, would get this for $5 more
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139017

 

[Deverica Wolf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanbob1234;13087931
thats not bad but, would get this for $5 more
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139017

Would this work OK for me without any problems?
PC: http://www.premiumgeeks.com/desktop/hp/hp-pavilion-elite-hpe-400f-specs

 

[Phaedrus2129]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanbob1234;13087931
thats not bad but, would get this for $5 more
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139017

Actually it's pretty mediocre, since they just took the 400W and changed the label, and nothing else.

 

[ryanbob1234]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deverica Wolf;13088026
Would this work OK for me without any problems?
PC: http://www.premiumgeeks.com/desktop/hp/hp-pavilion-elite-hpe-400f-specs

the specs look perfectly fine if its what you want get it, I see no problems

 

[PapaSmurf]

Listen to Phaedrus. He is being kind calling that CoolerMaster mediocre in my opinion. That is being VERY generous. But I question the need for a new PSU anyway. Your current PSU should be able to handle the addition of one internal hard drive and since the external drives are externally powered they would impose a minimal additional draw on the system. If it's running okay now I'm betting it can take those changes and still be okay. I would try it and see before wasting money on a psu upgrade you might not need.

If you do decide to bet a new PSU I would suggest the vastly superior and much higher quality Antec Earthwatts 380D, Neo Eco 400, or Corsair CX430 instead of that less than stellar Coolermaster for about the same amount of money or even less.

 

[Deverica Wolf]

Thanks to everybody for their help. Greatly appreciate it. I'm not so naive I can't do a Google search but when it comes to online purchasing and potentially hurting my computer I like expert's thoughts.

Oh, BTW, this is my currant PSU...(Don't know why I didn't look it up before I posted the thread.

)
http://www.atxpowersupplies.com/300-...atx-300-gu.php
http://www.ehow.com/list_7576651_bes...5wc-specs.html

Quote:

Bestec ATX0300D5WC OutputMax. Load +5Vsb2A -12V0.3A +12V13A +5V30A -5V0.3A +3.3V20A

I've asked this question in another Forum and have gotton mix responses. Some think I should get it, some do not.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/30...erage#t2280055

Quote:

PapaSmurf said: If it's running okay now I'm betting it can take those changes and still be okay. I would try it and see before wasting money on a psu upgrade you might not need.

One question, though. What's the risk of damage for running a insufficient PSU? How will I know that if it's no good? If the PC won't start up, then, yeah, that's a no brainer, but if it is working, could it be doing secret damage inside?

But, yeah, it's running great; It's only 5 months old! Plus, I got a 1 year limited warranty from HP and after that a 2 year warranty from Walmart; I ship it to them for free if anything messes up. The whole PC can get slow and sluggish after being on couple of hours and a lot of downloading but a restart fixes that. I was thinking of just that; Trying it and going as needed. I was just worried about frying something...I'm not to savvy with PSUs and Motherboards and big HDs compatibility.

This is the original thread that started the PSU debate...
http://www.overclock.net/hard-drives...ternal-hd.html

Anyway I'm a little on the ball right now. I'm thinking **** it and just buying 'em. I only got 50GB of space left. Too much burning FLAC files from my CDs...Anyway I think I'm gonna wait till the afternoon to see if anyone has anything else to say and then I'm gonna make a decision. Thanks for the input, friends!

EDIT: Actually, I have another question, if you'd be so kind.

Quote:

PapaSmurf said: Your current PSU should be able to handle the addition of one internal hard drive and since the external drives are externally powered they would impose a minimal additional draw on the system.

Would a 3TB INTERNAL HD work with my system? I've heard that they are only compatible with newer motherboards. Also, is there any difference in the way a 2TB or a 3TB USB EXTERNAL are compatible with systems? There should be no difference other than perhaps speed, right? Thank you. PC: http://www.premiumgeeks.com/desktop/...hpe-400f-specs

 

[Phaedrus2129]

Your current PSU is based on a design from 2002 or earlier, since it has a -5V rail. It probably dates 1999 or earlier, since the +5V is rated for 30A while the +12V is good for only 13A, a pattern indicative of an ATX 1.3 era PSU.

In short: replace it now. If you're willing to spend $50 you can get a quality ATX12V 2.3 400W PSU based on a modern double forward topology, built by SeaSonic:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-029-_-Product

 

[obsidian86]

you could look at the rosewill green series

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182202

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182199

 

[Deverica Wolf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phaedrus2129;13095982
Your current PSU is based on a design from 2002 or earlier, since it has a -5V rail. It probably dates 1999 or earlier, since the +5V is rated for 30A while the +12V is good for only 13A, a pattern indicative of an ATX 1.3 era PSU.

In short: replace it now. If you're willing to spend $50 you can get a quality ATX12V 2.3 400W PSU based on a modern double forward topology, built by SeaSonic:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371029&cm_re=400c-_-17-371-029-_-Product

You know what, I just compared those numbers from the site I copied and pasted from to the actual numbers I had written down when I opened up my PC. I had assumed they were the same (don't ever do that...) but they're actually slightly different...
Quote:

(As it was written on MY PSU.)
Bestec
Model: ATX0300D5WC Rev:B
+12V / 19A. -12V / 0.8A
+5V / 25A. +5VSB / 2A
+3.3V / 18A.

I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not but there they are.

I would rather not upgrade if I don't have to, since I just wanted to give this piece of crap to my mother, but if I am to get a new PSU, what's the highest I could go for Watts with my Motherboard? Money is not an issue. If I have to get a new one, that opens up the door for perhaps a better graphics card for me. The one I have right now, ATI HD 5450 512MB won't let me play TF2. Everything else is good to go but that. It's limit is 300W. I would need to have an idea about my Graphics card potential l before I buy a new PSU. I know this is getting wacky but seriously, if I gotta upgrade my PSU I might as well have a party. Any ideas? http://www.premiumgeeks.com/desktop/hp/hp-pavilion-elite-hpe-400f-specs

 

[Skripka]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deverica Wolf;13099781
If I am to get a new PSU, what's the highest I could go for Watts with my Motherboard? Money is not an issue. If I have to get a new one, that opens up the door for perhaps a better graphics card for me.

You can get a 1500W nuclear reactor PSU that costs $400USD if you *want*. Catch being, running a PSU at a minute fraction of load capacity gets you crappy efficiency.

Your motherboard has no impact on the maximum wattage rating of the PSU.

 

[Deverica Wolf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skripka You can get a 1500W nuclear reactor PSU that costs $400USD if you *want*. Catch being, running a PSU at a minute fraction of load capacity gets you crappy efficiency. Your motherboard has no impact on the maximum wattage rating of the PSU.

Well...I obviously am not savvy with this. Just concerned about safety, what my comp. as a whole can handle without damage. That's an unrealistic amount of Watts for me. What I mean is, could a 500 to 800W be usable with no problems?

 

[PapaSmurf]

The system will only use as much of the wattage as it needs from what the psu can generate. It's like a car. You can drive a small 4 cyl 80 horsepower economy car at 65 mph and you can drive a high performance big block v8 400 horsepower Mustang at that same 65 mph. You only use as much of the potential power from the engine as you need for the task. It's essentially the same with a power supply.

There are points of diminishing returns though. In your case I wouldn't go much over 400 to 450 watts as you would never need that much power and you would be wasting money. That NeoEco that Phaedrus and I linked to would be an excellent choice and MUCH better than either of those two Rosewill Greens. Those Rosewills are nice psus, but not as good as that Antec NeoEco.

 

[Deverica Wolf]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and suggestions. I did appreciate it all with will keep it for future reference. This will be my final question as I feel it has gone on too long. I will update once I've made a decision. I'm gonna repeat this question...

Quote:

PapaSmurf said: If it's running okay now I'm betting it can take those changes and still be okay. I would try it and see before wasting money on a psu upgrade you might not need.

Quote:

Deverica Wolf said: One question, though. What's the risk of damage for running a insufficient PSU? How will I know that if it's no good? If the PC won't start up, then, yeah, that's a no brainer, but if it is working, could it be doing secret damage inside?

PapaSmurf, I am still wondering about this. I'm now thinking maybe it would be good to get a 400PSU to be on the safe side. But is it possible to try my 300W with the new HDs first, like you said? What risks could it bring to my PC if it's not sufficient enough? That's my final question and if you could inform and that world be great. Thank you.

PC Link: http://www.premiumgeeks.com/desktop/...hpe-400f-specs

 

[Redwoodz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deverica Wolf Thank you everyone for your thoughts and suggestions. I did appreciate it all with will keep it for future reference. This will be my final question as I feel it has gone on too long. I will update once I've made a decision. I'm gonna repeat this question... PapaSmurf, I am still wondering about this. I'm now thinking maybe it would be good to get a 400PSU to be on the safe side. But is it possible to try my 300W with the new HDs first, like you said? What risks could it bring to my PC if it's not sufficient enough? That's my final question and if you could inform and that world be great. Thank you. PC Link: http://www.premiumgeeks.com/desktop/...hpe-400f-specs

The risks are it will shut-down,or affect performance if not enough power.If it goes bad-that's another story.Your whole house is at risk

 

[PapaSmurf]

Once you identified the actual PSU it's like Phaedrus said. It's old, outdated, and needs to be replaced. At best it would only cause instability, but at worst it could damage the other components in the system or possibly go up in smoke and/or catch fire (although that is an extreme case). I find it amazing that a company like HP would use such an outdated psu in a current system. I figured that it would be of a somewhat recent design and capable of running that system safely, but that concept was blown completely out of the water.

Basically, do what Phaedrus recommends. He's probably forgotten more about PSU's than 99.9% of the people on OCN and most other forums will ever know, and a lot of what those others know they learned from him, Tator Tot and a few others that do know what they are talking about.

 

[Deverica Wolf]

Yeah. Well the orginal PSU numbers that Phaedrus looked at are not the actual ones I have. I copied and pasted the first one from that website but took a second look at my label. It is the same PSU name and model number but I think I have a newer version...

Quote:

Orginal Post From Website Bestec ATX0300D5WC Output Max. Load +5Vsb 2A -12V 0.3A +12V 13A +5V 30A -5V 0.3A +3.3V 20A

Quote:

Actual PSU Stats On My Label Bestec Model: ATX0300D5WC Rev:B +12V / 19A. -12V / 0.8A +5V / 25A. +5VSB / 2A +3.3V / 18A.

Quote:

Phaedrus said: Your current PSU is based on a design from 2002 or earlier, since it has a -5V rail. It probably dates 1999 or earlier, since the +5V is rated for 30A while the +12V is good for only 13A, a pattern indicative of an ATX 1.3 era PSU.

Are these both the same kind or is there a difference? (I know I said no more questions but sue me. One more.)

 

[Aniket]

Get either two of these:
1> corsair vx450
2> antec high current gamer 400
both of thes are great psu

 

[PapaSmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deverica Wolf Yeah. Well the orginal PSU numbers that Phaedrus looked at are not the actual ones I have. I copied and pasted the first one from that website but took a second look at my label. It is the same PSU name and model number but I think I have a newer version... Are these both the same kind or is there a difference? (I know I said no more questions but sue me. One more.)

No, the specs on the second one (the rev. b) are more in line with an ATX 2.x psu which I would expect them to be using these days. While that isn't the best brand it wouldn't be nearly as bad. Unless Phaedrus knows something about the quality of the Rev. B it would probably be okay to try it with the new hard drives.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aniket Get either two of these: 1> corsair vx450 2> antec high current gamer 400 both of thes are great psu

And overpriced compared to the Antec's linked to previously.

 

[Phaedrus2129]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deverica Wolf Yeah. Well the orginal PSU numbers that Phaedrus looked at are not the actual ones I have. I copied and pasted the first one from that website but took a second look at my label. It is the same PSU name and model number but I think I have a newer version... Are these both the same kind or is there a difference? (I know I said no more questions but sue me. One more.)

It may or may not be a revision of the same PSU. Hard to say. You could open it up and take pictures so I could make some guesses as to its approximate quality...