Power Supply help!

[FlyinSolo]

I recently installed my GeForce 6600 and about 2 weeks later my computer is dead. It is a Dell Dimension 4600 with a P4. I am guessing 2 HD's and the video card put too much strain on it or something because I unplugged the card, the 2nd HD and used a supply out of an old HP and the computer came on. So anyway I have no idea what I am looking for. Could someone recomend a power supply, maybe a brand and how much power do I need, 400W, 500W? I am affraid to fire FS back up for fear of toasting this one as well seeing as it's a lower wattage than the last...
Thanks!

[757200ba]

Hi, well it looks, by your description that you have a power supply problem.You've done well the way to get to the conclusion (we call it excluding parts).
How much power do you need? Well that depends in what you have on your pc, if with that card and two hard drives, you know the result. So you also have to count with your optical drives too (cd rom).In my opinion we can say never less than a 450watts, because we never know what else you are going to use, but if you were a pc builder i would go for something more powerfull,but just for future upgrades, but if your happy with your pc (you could send us your processor speed, and memory Ram, and mother board) 450 must be enough send us your specs.About a brand for a power supply it depends how much you wan to spend but believe me excluding those, super and all beautifull ones, they're are about the same.Good luck
Hope it helped, take care,keep us informed
Cheers  

[FlyinSolo]

Well it's got the 2.8GHz P4, 1G of memory(coming shortly), CD Rom, CD/DVD Burner, 2 HD's and the 6600. I was thinking 450W should take care of all that but I'm not sure?

[Politically Incorrect]

Dell 4600 PSU issues are not uncommon. i just replaced one today for a friend.

[Mushroom_Farmer]

Dell 4600 PSU issues are not uncommon. i just replaced one today for a friend.

True, true, true. I have 2 Dells(both given to me, would never buy one). Both have just adequate power supplys and were equiped with, for the time they were built, what I would consider sub-standard but adequate graphic cards.
I have replaced the card in one with a better, though not newer, unit. This was the only way I could figure to upgrade while still not taxing the PSU. So far, so good.

[FlyinSolo]

 True, true, true. I have 2 Dells(both given to me, would never buy one). Both have just adequate power supplys and were equiped with, for the time they were built, what I would consider sub-standard but adequate graphic cards.
I have replaced the card in one with a better, though not newer, unit. This was the only way I could figure to upgrade while still not taxing the PSU. So far, so good.

Yeah I got this one from a friend and after using it for the last 6 months I don't think I would buy one either.... but for free it works just fine!

[FlyinSolo]

Dell 4600 PSU issues are not uncommon. i just replaced one today for a friend.

What did you replace it with?

[freedomhays]

Dell Upgrade Power Supplies from PC Power & Cooling

http://www.pcpower.com/products/power_supplies/dell/

[Politically Incorrect]

Dell 4600 PSU issues are not uncommon. i just replaced one today for a friend.

What did you replace it with?

Used a PSU he picked up at BestBuy or someplace, a $49 400W Antec (which looks real similar to the one available at the link posted by freedomhays,  probably the same thing). It worked a charm but if I were buying it myself would have probably got something different.