PSU

i was thinking of installing an additional HD for my PC, but my friend say that my 380 w psu won't hold, and i need to replace it first. i want to ask your opinion about that.

my PC:
- intel bearlake G31 motherboard
- intel core 2 duo E7200
- Seagate 250 gb hard drive
- samsung cd-rw/dvd-r
- 1 gb ddr2 memory
- Simbadda 380 W PSU

monitor and speaker have their own power source, and no video card.

i want to add a WD caviar green 500 gb HD. do i need to replace my PSU with a 500 w psu, like my friend says?

How old is your PSU?

Also, is it a branded PSU or a regular PSU?

a regular PSU, about 1 year old.

If you aren't leaving your system on 24/7 I don't see any issue with using a branded 300W PSU, honestly if your PC has been holding out fine with a 300W I don't get why he would even suggest you need to upgrade to facilitate another harddrive, harddrives don't take up much wattage in comparison to other components.

My server has a 650W PSU which has been going 4 years now, and it is dedicated (meaning I leave it on 24/7 save a crash here and there, and the once a week reboot).

i see, so 380 w is enough after all? i just use my pc about 7 -8 hours a day.

...and i suspect he told me that because he's trying to sell me a 500 w psu. that's why i'm trying to get a second opinion first.

Is he selling you a branded or regular? I wouldn't even buy it if it's a regular one.

a branded one. a silverstone 500 w pure power if i'm not mistaken.

A 500 watt branded psu should be more than enough for your box even a decent 400 watt such as the corsair CX400W would be more than enough to satisfy your needs.

Have a look on here for PSU reviews.
Also if they sell them in the US avoid SHAW power supplies like the plague they've been known to go off with a bang and take all sorts of things with them.

I googled Simbbadda and it looks like a case power supply. These kinds of psu are usually bad in the long term for your system. However in the short term, I don't see any reason to buy the your friends Silverstone unless it real sweet deal. Meaning its must be new and be 10-25 Dollars with free installation (if you don't know how to install PSU) b/c Silverstone is generally a average brand and I have seen better brands with higher wattage on sale for around 30-40 dollars.

If you aren't in a rush, I would buy the hard drive, then look for PSU sales at your local computer store for the next couple of weeks or if you are in the US, then black friday sales are sometimes good. This is assuming installation and time won't be a problem.

If you want to buy a new PSU for whatever reason, just ask away and I am sure people in the forum will help you with their recommendations.

well since i've already bought the HD i guess i'll just install it for now and save money for a new psu later. on that note, can you reccommend me a good psu? i'm thinking of something in the 20 - 30 $ area.

You'll rarely get something good if you're looking at the 20-30 buck bracket that's the realm of bargain basement stuff though I'll say that there are a few gems to be found.
My personal recommendation for your needs would be to get a Corsair CX400 or a Coolermaster extremepower 500w.
Otherwise if you're still adamant getting a cheap PSU I'd say look for a reputable OEM provider named PSU.

how much does it cost? a rough estimation is okay. anything higher than 60$ is NG.

Well the Corsair CX400 retails around the AU$60+/- mark, the Coolermaster Extremepower sits around the same mark as well.
So I'd expect it to probably be cheaper in the US.

ugh, better start to starve myself then. thanks.

Assuming you are based in the US, then technology psu deals aplenty. Here are some links

40 Bucks with mail and rebate, tax not yet included...... was 30 dollars just a few days ago but they jacked up the price 10 dollars, OCZ is one of the best brands. Wattage at 500

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341012&nm_mc=AFC-Bensbargains&cm_mmc=AFC-Bensbargains-_-NA-_-NA-_-17341012


and 50 bucks with, after mail and rebate, tax not yet included. This one is 700 watts so it might be overkill, but a little extra wattage doesn't hurt for any future upgrades

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10009502


If those deals don't do it for you. Check http://bensbargains.net/category/76/power-supply every week or so, b/c they constantly upload deals. I bought a PC Power and Cooling PSU 750 watts (which is the best brand for PSU) for less than 50 US dollars via a sale once. So if you have patience you can find killer deals.