Do I Need To Upgrade My Power Supply?

[RcaMumba]

My computer only came with a 250w power supply. Since I have gotten it I have added a CD-ROM, Wireless Networking Card, New Graphics Card, and more RAM. Should I upgrade? I would like to also add another harddrive sometime...which I'm sure will require more power. Also can I have too much power...or how do I know how much is needed? Thanks!

[Gav021288]

I dont know much about power suplys but I dont think you can have too much power

[photolady]

250w is low. In today's standard computers, those that we build or upgrade ourselves, at least 450w isn't too much. What graphics card did you get? Most of the newer ones will tell you to have at least a 350w just for the card. Add fans, harddrives, optical drives, ram and lights, then you need what I said above.

[hypothermia]

I'd go to 500W reguardless. Unless this machine is prehistoric, I don't see why upgrading to double the power would hurt. Then again I run my everyday rig on a 400W psu.

[Evoker]

this might help
http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/

[RcaMumba]

Okay thanks everyone for your help. I will be upgrading soon then! Yeah, I thought 250 was pretty low myself...the weird thing is this is a fairly new computer. 2.8Ghz, 512mb DDR RAM, 256MB Video Card...

[Rich M]

Yikes that is way underpowered...I would do it sooner.

[hypothermia]

Woah! That's a pretty new computer to only come with a 250W PSU :/

[sho-dan]

if its a low end brand name computer,ie dell,hp gateway,thats what they usually come with 250w psu/high end maybe 350w

[RcaMumba]

Its a compaq...that explains it..lol Its a pretty good computer now with the upgrades.

[Nick Grana]

Why don't people heed all the warnings of buying certain things like Comtrash/HP, Emachines, and the likes. You have a 250 PSU because more money is made selling you inferior parts. Packard H-E-L-L was the absolute worst. IBM made a good machine but don't expect anything lower that 10 times the price replacement parts compared to other systems.
Sorry. I'm sure your new machine will be just fine. I was on the fixing side so I saw many more products than most cusomers did.