Your Power Supply Is Important

Getting tired of that old video card that can't handle the newest games very well? Ready to invest in a new video card(s) and boost your computer performance? Not so fast. If you built your computer a year or more ago, you may have purchased a power supply with 500 watts or less of power. And if you didn't spend a whole lot, you may have a power supply with less than 35 amps, too. So, OK what's the problem, I thought 500 watts is plenty. Wrong. Unfortunately if you're looking to upgrade to a high-end video card, your going to need a power supply with at least 500 watts and 36 amps, at least. And even if your power supply meets those standards, you still may not be golden quite yet. A 500 watt/36 amp power supply is just enough to run a computer with a EVGA nVidia GeForce GTX 260. However, during continuous peak usage, this may lower the life expectancy of your power supply, and maybe even your other components. Additionally, a power supply running at peak outputs may not maintain stable power, and may reduce performance significantly. So, before you pull out your credit card and buy the next greatest video card, check your power supply specs and make sure you exceed GPU manufacturer's required power, that way you do not run the risk of damaging other components.