Hack #19. Get More Power
Before you change out your system board, upgrade to a new CPU, or start jacking up the speed of your CPU and get lulled into a false comfort zone with your new blazing-fast turbocharged PC, make sure it's got the stamina to keep running smoothly. Many PCs have meager 200- to 250-watt power supplies, as shown in Figure 3-1, which are no match for the 300-watt capacity recommended by AMD for their CPUs. You'll need the extra juice to feed not only the CPU but the video card, RAM, disk drives, and other devices.
Figure 3-1. Power supply ratings are usually clearly labeled
Tip
Check the label on your power supply for its capacity rating in watts. 200, 225, 230, and 250 watts are common but usually insufficient for the needs of power users.
If you have an OEM system (such as those from Dell, Gateway, and others), it may not be possible to upgrade the power supply due to a unique physical design or specific electrical connections that are not industry-standard AT, ATX, or mini-ATX styles. Since most of us are not hacking name-brand OEM systems, we enjoy many options for customizing the system including changing the power supply.
One standard source for cool, quiet, high-performance PC power supplies is PC Power and Cooling (http://www.pcpowercooling.com). Their top-of-the-line supply can deliver a whopping 510 watts of power, which is more than adequate for any CPU ...
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