PSU finding wattage/size?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Julie Meikle
  • Start date Start date
J

Julie Meikle

Hi, Is there anyway of finding this without taking the back off the tower
case?
I am trying to buy a graphics card for someone ( & their PC is 200 miles
away) & the card I have seen states it needs 300w.

Thanks
 
"Julie said:
Hi, Is there anyway of finding this without taking the back off the tower
case?
I am trying to buy a graphics card for someone ( & their PC is 200 miles
away) & the card I have seen states it needs 300w.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Is it a home brew machine, or was it bought from a store already
assembled ? If it is store bought, you can probably look up
the specs on the web.

Power supplies are not enumerated by the system software, so
no utility can tell you how big the power supply is. It has a
very nice label on the side, that contains all the pertinent
details, but that means taking the side off the machine. (There
is at least one brand of power supply, where the idiots put the
label on the hidden side of the PSU, but with any luck you won't
be dealing with one of those.)

Paul
 
Hi, Is there anyway of finding this without taking the back off the tower
case?
I am trying to buy a graphics card for someone ( & their PC is 200 miles
away) & the card I have seen states it needs 300w.

Thanks
Click to expand...
If they will install a AGP, PCIE or PCI graphics card wouldn't they have
to open the case eventually? Ask for the make, model and serial# of the
PC then look for the specs online.
 
jaster said:
If they will install a AGP, PCIE or PCI graphics card wouldn't they have
to open the case eventually? Ask for the make, model and serial# of the
PC then look for the specs online.
Click to expand...

Yes lots of info online....everything except PSU!

The case will be opened, but by me in a couple of weeks, but I wanted to
make sure the PSU is powerful enough to run the graphics card before I order
it & take it to the PC
Looks like more of a delay!
Thanks
Julie
 
Hi, Is there anyway of finding this without taking the back off the tower
case?
I am trying to buy a graphics card for someone ( & their PC is 200 miles
away) & the card I have seen states it needs 300w.
Click to expand...


No, only the system documentation, any vendor specs if
they're online (like an OEM, Dell, Compaq, etc), or the
label on the PSU's side will tell you.

What's this system like? Major components I mean? 300W
isn't very large by modern standards though if it's a mATX
PSU, it'd definitely not worth 300W "real" watts.
Otherwise, there are plenty of generics out there that claim
over 300W on the label but aren't really worth 300W either,
so all the details have to be considered together.

What video card?
 
Yes lots of info online....everything except PSU!

The case will be opened, but by me in a couple of weeks, but I wanted to
make sure the PSU is powerful enough to run the graphics card before I
order it & take it to the PC
Looks like more of a delay!
Thanks
Julie
Click to expand...

Well you have the option of writing tech support for that info. I've
gotten replies within a week from some vendors. I'd also ask them
if the graphics card can be installed in that PC. Like buying a graphics
card that needs a power supply but the psu doesn't have that extra power
connector.

If it's an older PC running a PII or earlier chances are it's not 300
watts. If you know for sure it's an ATX power supply you could buy a
300 power supply just in case and return it unopened when you find you
don't need it.
 
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