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PSU rates, higher is better?

724 views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  MattCharman 
#1 ·
Hi guys. I replaced PSU for my Dell3000 about two years ago. Recently upgraded graphics card to a 500mb. I noticed the machine kinda making louder noise from the fan and finally the PSU died (I guessed). It was a 300w rate. I wonder should I step up to buy a 400 or 450w, or it has to stay within the spec of Dell Diemsion 3000? Will the common sense "the bigger the better" works in my favor in this case? Thanks
 
#2 ·
You can never have too much power.
Brand & Model of your GPU?
We recommend a minimum 550W for any PC using PCI-E graphics.
SeaSonic-XFX-Corsair (not the CX or GS Series) are top quality PSU's.
 
#3 ·
It could be an increase in power, but with the internal design of the Dell it could also be an increase in overall heat, or a combination of both.

My recollection of the Dimension 3000 is that it also has a shroud over the CPU heat sink to the case exhaust fan, which means if you put anything else in there that needs cooling it doesn't get any where near as much airflow as in a standard case. I'd certainly chuck a temp. probe in there if you have one, and measure overall ambient temp. If you don't have one, the BIOS usually has something that can give you an idea, though you need to run the system for a bit first, then reboot into BIOS and look at the temps.

If you're putting a GFX card in there that has a large heat sink, or a fan - ie is a pretty good heat generator - I'd be inclined to add another cooling fan somewhere, especially if temp in the case is more than 10C hotter than the room. You don't have many options in the Dell, but a PCI exhaust fan blower style would work well - sorry, I don't know of any silent ones.
 
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