Choosing The Right Psu Dell System

[Mr_Blonde]

***Very inexperienced with PC internals and upgrading please bear with me***

I have just purchased a new graphics card, Radeon 2900xt. Noob that I am, I didnt think to find out whether my current PSU would be able to handle the new beast. Turns out it wont as these cards are very power hungry and idealy need 750watts.
I thought ok, it will be a simple case of upgrading the PSU aswell, well perhaps not seing as I am using a dell rig. I wasnt going to make the same mistake and rush into this purchase. So after lots of searching the net I found out that dell doesnt always use industry standard PSU's and have different voltages to the regular ATX.
I need to know what PSU I can use with my dell system. And as mentioned before it needs to be at least 750w and also PCI express capable.
Here are the specs I think will be most relevant, please let me know if more details are needed.

Dell Dimension XPS Gen 3
Motherboard - 0K3464 (Dell)

This is how it describes the power supply in the manual, word for word. I've looked and looked to find more info but have come up short.

DC power supply:
Wattage/ 460w
Heat dissipation/ 931.2 BTU/hr
Voltage/ fixed voltage power supply - 1 10 V at 50/60 Hz
manual selection and auto sensing power supplies - 90 to 135 V at
50/60Hz; 180 to 265 V at 50/60 Hz; 100 V at 50/60 Hz for Japanese
computers.

Would really appreciate some help with this.
Thanks and Regards,

[Paul Komski]

Some can use a standard ATX unmodified and some cannot. Those that cannot have an additional pin-out header. The non-standard two headers, when they exist, can be connected to a standard ATX PSU with the use of a Dell to ATX converter (http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-bin/e/std/sku=dellconverter).

[jlreich]

Unfortunately you are not going to be able to use a standard PSU in that system. The PSU in that system is the entire bottom of the case and not a standard form factor PSU.

The connector is/should be standard but there would be nowhere to put a regular PSU in that case.

The only choice you have to replace it is to call Dell and what options they have for a larger PSU which will be very expensive I am sure.

Or, the best bet would be to get a dedicated graphics PSU that fits in a free optical drive bay just to power the video card. Here is an example (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153037).

[Ajmukon]

Unfortunately you are not going to be able to use a standard PSU in that system. The PSU in that system is the entire bottom of the case and not a standard form factor PSU.

The connector is/should be standard but there would be nowhere to put a regular PSU in that case.

The only choice you have to replace it is to call Dell and what options they have for a larger PSU which will be very expensive I am sure.

Or, the best bet would be to get a dedicated graphics PSU that fits in a free optical drive bay just to power the video card. Here is an example (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153037).
ohh.. pretty....

[Paul Komski]

I didn't realise just how non-standard that Dell was. I suppose one other possible way round would be to buy a whole case and transfer everything except for the original PSU into the new case. Maybe?

Using a spare bay for an accessory PSU is such a good idea that one wonders if it might not be a way to provide a complete PSU for a system.

[saphalline]

Using a spare bay for an accessory PSU is such a good idea that one wonders if it might not be a way to provide a complete PSU for a system.Well, there are drawer-based PSU's for the tiny PC/microcontroller market. It's just that heat & airflow become major issues for anything even close to modern hardware.

[jlreich]

I suppose one other possible way round would be to buy a whole case and transfer everything except for the original PSU into the new case. Maybe?
That was going to be one of my suggestions as well. But in my experience with Dell motherboards the screw holes are not standard and will not properly fit into a standard ATX case. Actually I think the screws for the motherboard may line up, but the way they fasten their CPU HSF will not. Then there is their proprietary power button and front panel connectors that you can't connect standard connectors to.

[Paul Komski]

It's just that heat & airflow become major issues for anything even close to modern hardware.
I wonder. A standard PSU is only 50% larger in cubic capacity than a standard optical drive - and there is a lot of wasted space inside a PSU. Even if such space was really needed for air-flow there is always liquid-based cooling that could be applied should that be the limiting factor.

I think the fact is that standard ATX form factors are just that - standard - and that there is little demand for using such space in a different manner. There is no necessity and thus no invention but it cant be technologically impossible.

[rond36]

The PSU requirement for a single X2900XT is 550W, not 750W. The 750W requirement is for two X2950XT cards in CrossFire. I agree with jlreich, the dedicated graphics PSU would be your best option for adding enough power to run that card.
$5.50 cheaper here
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/5139/psu-217/Thermaltake_525_Mini_ITX_Drive_Bay_270W_Power_Supp ly_A2422.html?tl=g11c26s89

Paul, there is a variation of that PSU that is for an ITX PC.
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/5139/psu-217/Thermaltake_525_Mini_ITX_Drive_Bay_270W_Power_Supp ly_A2422.html?tl=g11c26s89

[Paul Komski]

... it lets you easily add a second computer into your case. Thaks Rond. He he. I like it; two birds in the hand are worth one in the bush maybe ;) Who needs a dual boot with two PCs in one!

[mjc]

This is Dell we are talking about...the same company that held on to a different wiring layout for many years after everyone else went 'standard'.

[classicsoftware]

Welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif forums....


Right now your best bet with your system is to send a PM to DELLCA (http://www.pcguide.com/vb/member.php?u=29174) He is a tell tech support analyst and he will be able to guide you as to what is in your particular system. Once you have that information, you can choose from the above suggestions.

[Mr_Blonde]

Hi again, thanks for your responses you've been most helpful. I thought it looked strange when I opened the case and was trying to figure out how I would remove the Dell PSU. Thanks for clearing that part up jlreich. I wonder why in the documentation from them, from original purchase there is no mention of this strange setup.
I tell you, I will never buy through Dell again, the cheap tricks they use :mad: So won't be ringing them for upgrades for it.

The suggestion of a dedicated gfx card PSU sounds like a great idea! This is the last upgrade I intend to make with this PC and that seems like minimal hastle. As I live in England I wont be able to purchase the particular one you linked too but I found this on a site closer to home, seems very similar. Would this be just as good?
http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Power+Supplies/+Thermaltake+250w+Power+Express+VGA?productId=2540 5
I assume in the hooking up process its just a case of swapping out the wires from the dell psu which plug into the pci express slot and plugging in the ones from the new psu. I wonder does it then take care of itself once you flip the switch or is there more involved with changing system settings?
Thanks again for all your help guys,

[jlreich]

That one will work. And yes once you hook it all up it should turn on and off with the rest of the system.