[RandomTiger]

Currently I have a 230W power supply.
Apparently Im using 335W!

[Taristin]

How do you find out how much you're using?

That site says I need ~245, mine is 250.  Will that cause performance drops?

Edited for correctness.

[RandomTiger]

Like it says thats the maximum, if everything was used all at once.
Clearly thats not the case with my system but Far Cry is literally pushing my PC to its power limits and crashing out.

I dont know if it effects performance.

[J3Vr6]

SO at a minimum you need it to be within 30 to 70 percent.  So whatever # you get there, add another 30% to the number and you'll be in the range.

Also, keep in mind if you're planning on upgrading soon anything in your computer.

I have just a lowly 2500 AMD and when I calculated it for when I get my ATI 9800, it said I needed about 450 watts, so that's what I got.

[RandomTiger]

Yer, Im planning to get a new powerful graphics card, Im clearing going to need a new powerful PSU.

Thanks for the link, very useful stuff.
I've never really payed attension to this kind of stuff before.
Well I know now dont I?

Do you think I may have damaged any of my components?

[Odyssey]

Originally posted by J3Vr6
SO at a minimum you need it to be within 30 to 70 percent.  So whatever # you get there, add another 30% to the number and you'll be in the range.

[color=cc9900]Actually, if you want the system to be running at 70% of maximum, you multiply expected output by 1.429 or so.

Felt like being pedantic. Carry on! [/color]

[J3Vr6]

I doubt it, but I'm not anything near a computer expert.  I guess the heat coming from the under powered powersupply doing his impression of "The Little Train That Could" could have given the processor a nice sun tan, but I really don't think you have anything to freak out about.

I never really paid attention to that either til I was getting problems with my computer.  It's funny, it turned out that it wasn't my powersupply that went bad but a cooked processor, but only found that out when the new powersupply didn't do anything to help.  But I'm glad I got the power supply anyway as now I know I'm not under powered and can upgrade as much as I pee-loving want.

[Odyssey]

[color=cc9900]An overdraw is likely to kill the power supply first, the components attached to it ought to be fine unless it spikes while it's busy melting to slag metal.[/color]