[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Lister of Smeg

So you're saying if he has an sli setup quad core 4+ GB of RAM and is using a cheap & nasty 500W winpower, he is not likely to fry his machine!

---------- Post added at 22:03 ---------- Previous post was at 21:59 ----------



I would only ever recommend a value PSU for just that basic use i.e. for a office machine or just browsing the web.

A Cheap PSU...

Is very unlikely to supply the stated wattage - none of the cheaper ones do

Not a problem. If she is looking at a 400w PSU to replace a 250W one, it's unlikely to drop below the 250 (even assuming the PC uses anywhere near 250W).

Is very likely to be noisy, either immediately or after using it for a short while

Likely being the operative word.

It might not have enough connectors or the right sort

Might not. If she has multiple HDDs, Graphics cards or Optical drives. This isn't likely if she is replacing a 250W PSU, because she would have needed a larger PSU before now.

It's very unlikely to be '80 plus' certified http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/80_PLUS

It's a false economy basically, but if you must use a cheap PSU get one at least 100W higher

False economy, although it's one she may have to put up with if she can't afford the extra for an 80+ certified PSU.