Which one would you get

[Scimms]

I am replacing my 375w ps. Based on what I found out for my pc model I need the following:

Standard ATX Power Supply
24 pin
Main motherboard connector
6 SATA power connectors

Here are two I found online, which would you suggest?

http://www.xpcgear.com/zu550wx3.html
http://www.chariotdesign.com/55alatxpswle.html

[Snuggles]

I swear I left a long response earlier...

I'll rewrite when I get home.

[Snuggles]

Can't find my response. Shortened version of my lost response -

I wasn't really impressed with either of those Power Supplies. Haven't heard of the brands and the fact that neither shows the cables kinda concerns me.

Power supplies are one part you do not want to scrimp on - a supply of clean, reliable power is essential to the proper function of your computer and either an unsteady flow or an inability to push enough juice can produce very odd (and frustrating) side effects. Additionally, power supplies are the #2 contributor to PC noise, and the quality of your power supply directly relates to the noise it produces.

I would suggest something in the 700W range to set you up for your next vid card. One should expect to pay $75-$140 depending on Manu and capability.

I strongly recommend PC Power and Cooling. As a whole, they are quiet and very well made. Furthermore, their cables are well shielded, and groups are wrapped in mesh. They are also above average expensive, but I digress.

Check out NewEgg for your purchase. You can find everything from super cheap to the BMW of power supplies and reviews from satisfied (and dissatisfied) customers.

/Snug out.

[Scimms]

Thanks for all your help. Newegg is the place I selected the vid card. Was waiting to order when I determined what ps to get so it works out that I found both there. Per the Dell forums, my pc will only fit standard size ATX power supplies. I couldn't find the dimensions for this one but it is the only 750w ATX at newegg by that manu, I am assuming it is the standard size. Before I clicked "buy" I wanted to bother you once more to see if this is suitable. Also I went to the manu website to see if I could get the dimensions and all their pages kept timing out. Will try again tomorrow.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817703009

[Snuggles]

That's actually the direct descendant of the power supply in my box. Very good PS. Will probably still be good when you build your next box (if).

It is a standard ATX size (type under specifications).

Two things to note:
1. That is a Crossfire power supply. That means if you ever go dual vid card, they will need to be ATI. Here is its sister for nVidia cards (also $40 cheaper) -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817341011
2. The powersupply is a 20+4PIN, I believe you said yours was a 24PIN. You can just plug the 20 and the 4 into the 24 pins (will only go one way), or you can get a connector similar to -
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.a ... 6812119240
You can buy it at Fry's, your local PC repair store or order it on New Egg. I always get the male to female thing mixed up, so I prefer to pick that up in person if I need it so I can visually figure it out.

Anyways, that should work.

When you go to rip out the old one make sure you note either on paper or using stickies or using a camera what cables you pull out of where. Forget one, and your machine will not work. The Dell PS's probably were custom built for your box, so it may not have extra cables; your new PS will probably have cables you won't use. Care in removing the old one is very important so you know what to plug in!

+)

[Scimms]

Awesome tip! Similar to removing the plug wires in your car, I found that one out the hard way <blush>, had to tow it to a repair shop and let them figure it out. Now if only the technology would catch up to my needs, like do my housework for me, I could play more

[Dalana]

Sorry, been a little busy chasing viruses at work (I hate the holiday season when it comes to this). Looks like Snuggles has you taken care of. I'll check back in to see if you have any questions periodically.

[Scimms]

Dalana no worries. I totally understand. This is a busy time for everyone and I really appreciate the support I got from everyone. You all are amazing! I got the parts ordered and they should arrive Tues or Wed. Given all the prep I need to do for Christmas and the family dinner, I may not get around to the install till Christmas night. I printed out instructions for the ps install that are supposedly relevant to my model of pc. It was 47 pages long LOLOLOL. I haven't looked at it yet but it probably has a lot of pics/diagrams in it. Considering my true lack of mechanical prowess I may need "purty" pictures to get me through this. Ask Mutsume, I still haven't figured out how to hook up the Tivo, she has to do it for me. Being true to my female side, I am going to color code my cables with nail polish, I hope I have enough colors. I prob should video me doing this cuz I am sure the video would go viral. But it would not be safe for children, cuz I may drop a word or two that would not be appropriate.

[Scimms]

ZOMG! I finally finished installing. Long long long story. I had to repair two other pc's first. My sisters and my neices both had hard drive failure. One due to a nasty spyware that would not go away, the second had boot sector failure after a windows update. When I got them up and running I turned to mine. The first time I installed the vid card I lost all video. I put the old one back in and did some web searching. Apparently someone else had the same issue and they resolved it by putting the driver on the pc (C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers) before physically installing it. I tried it and it worked. So....next step is to see if I can go back into ice crown without things blowing up.

Thanks everyone for your help, I really appreciated it.

[Snuggles]

Glad to hear about your success!

Any time I can help out, feel free to ping me.