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Will this work

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  • 20-10-2009 7:03pm
    #1
    mav79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,648 ✭✭✭


    I'm just about to start building my first pc, I have an old HP media centre pc, and was wondering if i could use the hard drive, dvd drive and graphics card with the new build. The dvd drive is a HL-DT-ST DVDRRW GWA-4083B, the hard drive is a Seagate ST3160023AS. The graphics card is a 7600 gt. I will be replacing all of these in the next couple of months, does it make sense just to hold off with the build until then?

    new build is ASUS M4A79XTTD EVO mobo
    AMD Phenom II X2 550
    4 Ghz OCZ Platinum DDR3
    630 Watt power supply
    Antec 300 case


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    #2
    marco_polo
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,079 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    mav79 wrote: »
    I'm just about to start building my first pc, I have an old HP media centre pc, and was wondering if i could use the hard drive, dvd drive and graphics card with the new build. The dvd drive is a HL-DT-ST DVDRRW GWA-4083B, the hard drive is a Seagate ST3160023AS. The graphics card is a 7600 gt. I will be replacing all of these in the next couple of months, does it make sense just to hold off with the build until then?

    new build is ASUS M4A79XTTD EVO mobo
    AMD Phenom II X2 550
    4 Ghz OCZ Platinum DDR3
    630 Watt power supply
    Antec 300 case

    No worries they will be fine. SATA HD, PCIe Graphics card and even if the DVD drive is an older IDE there seems to be one slot on that motherboard.


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    #3
    Solitaire
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 18,377 Mod ✭✭✭✭Solitaire


    Mobo sounds pricey :confused: And a 630W PSU? How? Why? :P We're talking about a 80W CPU and an old 7600GT here... And is it a Hiper by any chance? ;)


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    #4
    54kroc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,376 ✭✭✭54kroc


    Solitaire wrote: »
    Mobo sounds pricey :confused: And a 630W PSU? How? Why?

    Why not? I read this on the pc power & cooling site
    This is the biggest myth of all. First, it's important to understand that a power supply only delivers the power that's needed by the system, nothing more. If your PC currently has a 400W supply and the system needs 350W, it will still need and use only 350W - if the only change is upgrading to a 500W power supply (the upgrade makes sense since there are many advantages to running a power supply at a lower percentage of its rated capacity). Whether the electric bill goes up or down is solely determined by the efficiency of the new power supply. Greater efficiency means a lower electric bill because more of the AC power is converted into DC for the computer, rather than wasted as heat.


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    #5
    mav79
    Registered Users Posts: 1,648 ✭✭✭mav79


    Cheers for the info, the 7600 is just for a few more weeks am looking at the 4770 or the nvidia 250, and the motherboard might have been a mistake was thinking about future proofing for a few years, but paid for now so i'll just have to put up with it. seeing as its my first build kinda knew there would be a few mistakes.

    Do i just format the hard drive i have before transfering it over or can i just restore it to factory settings:confused:


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    #6
    Deano12345
    Registered Users Posts: 1,594 ✭✭✭Deano12345


    mav79 wrote: »
    Cheers for the info, the 7600 is just for a few more weeks am looking at the 4770 or the nvidia 250, and the motherboard might have been a mistake was thinking about future proofing for a few years, but paid for now so i'll just have to put up with it. seeing as its my first build kinda knew there would be a few mistakes.

    Do i just format the hard drive i have before transfering it over or can i just restore it to factory settings:confused:


    Put the HDD in your new computer then format it.

    Congrats on the first build too.


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    #7
    marco_polo
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,079 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    cork45 wrote: »
    Why not? I read this on the pc power & cooling site

    One thing is that a less powerful PSU is cheaper if it is sufficent for what you require.

    The second reason is that PSUs tend to be at their most efficent at about a 50% load or thereabouts (and not much less efficent all the way between 20% and 100% load). However efficency drops way down at below about a 20% load or thereabouts.

    As the majority of PCs spend a large portion of their working life doing not very much, ie. while you are browsing the net etc. (AFAIK a fairly low end pc could be using as little as 50 W or thereabouts, which would be well under 10% load for a 630W PSU).

    What you don't want is a situation where are running at under a 20% load most of the time.


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    #8
    54kroc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,376 ✭✭✭54kroc


    Nicely explained marco polo.


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    #9
    marco_polo
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,079 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    cork45 wrote: »
    Nicely explained marco polo.

    I think the most important points in order are

    1) Make sure that the PSU can draw enough power when the components are maxed out.
    2) That the system is putting above an average 20% load on the PSU.
    3) Ideally average load should be close to the 50% mark (although not critical as the efficency gain is only a few percent really. Example efficency data from a corsair TX850W review).

    Of course any future requirements need to be taken into consideration especially if serious graphic upgrades are envisaged.


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    #10
    Effluo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,890 ✭✭✭Effluo


    Was having a goo at xbitlabs the other day...

    They recently did a test on some 1kw+ psu's and it was v interesting to see the efficiency of them all!
    One of the weaker ones was funnily enough the corsair, but on the whole they all did very well.

    All the 80+ psu's maintained over 80% efficiency from around the 100w to 150w load right up until 1kws...

    Even the non 80+ models did pretty ok staying over 75% pretty much all the time.
    http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/1000w-psu-roundup-2.html


    Here's a review of some of the corsairs...
    The vx450w looks great 80% efficiency starting at around 50watts.
    Actually just saw the first review ever of my own tx650 :(

    I'm glad i have a power hungry 4870! Imagine having a psu and it not running at 80+ efficient!
    Oh woe would be me.... :p


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    #11
    marco_polo
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 10,079 Mod ✭✭✭✭marco_polo


    Effluo wrote: »
    Was having a goo at xbitlabs the other day...

    They recently did a test on some 1kw+ psu's and it was v interesting to see the efficiency of them all!
    One of the weaker ones was funnily enough the corsair, but on the whole they all did very well.

    All the 80+ psu's maintained over 80% efficiency from around the 100w to 150w load right up until 1kws...

    Even the non 80+ models did pretty ok staying over 75% pretty much all the time.
    http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/1000w-psu-roundup-2.html



    Here's a review of some of the corsairs...
    The vx450w looks great 80% efficiency starting at around 50watts.
    Actually just saw the first review ever of my own tx650 :(

    I'm glad i have a power hungry 4870! Imagine having a psu and it not running at 80+ efficient!
    Oh woe would be me.... :p
    Maintaining 80% at around about 10% load is good progress, viva la green revolution! :D


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