Hi, i am buying the parts for a new PC System and i am wondering about it’s electric power consumption, for example the processor is rated with 95 watts, the Videocard with 50 watts, i have not been able to find the rating for the Motherboard
Asus M4A78 AM2 AMD770 ATX and also not for the Dimm RAM 2Gb. Hyper X/ 2GB 1066MHz DDR2 Non-ECC CL5 5-5-5-15 DIMM Kit of 2, both items have Heatsinks and i am assuming they consume a fair bit of power as well.
I guess that 95+50 watts are peak values but on the Asus website i found that they recommend a 350 watts Powersupply for the Videocard,
So the question is what average consumption i will have to expect with everyday use like I-net, a little gaming with undemanding Games, Images processing from Digital Camera pictures and the like?
Thanks
Don’t forget about the hard drive, cd/dvd drives, etc.
Without knowing the specs of everything in the system, I’d figure on the power under a typical light load like that to be somewhere in the 100 to 150 watt range.
A 350 watt power supply is probably a good size.
Make sure that is a high quality power supply. There is a huge difference between a 350 watt Antec or Seasonic, and a generic powersupply. That difference is that a good branded PS will actually be able to provide the rated power without dying or catching on fire. Brands I would reccomend would be the above two, Cooler Master, Thermaltake, OCZ, and Corsair. And if you have the cash, PC Power and Cooling.
Not to mention that like all computer parts, measured performance in generic parts is a “burst” statistic. That is, at one point during testing, the generic power supply provided 350 watts. Perhaps for a nano second, then dropped back down to its normal (but not mentioned) output.
Also realize that generic power supplies don’t always provide power in the right places. There may be overvoltage spikes and undervoltage’d rails going to different parts of your system, causing havoc, or at the very least, making your system that much more susceptible to a catastrophic failure down the line.
All in all, don’t skimp 
When pricing out your parts, take a look at the 400-500watt power supplies. There is probably a $10 difference between a 350 and a 450 watt. I’ve even seen cases where a 500w is cheaper then the 350 by the same company.
With computers using more and more power, the sub-400 sizes are being discontinued or not stocked.
Thanks for the info’s i am planing to buy a Gigabyte 550 watt, for about 80$, any good?
This is a pretty specific power supply calculator that will give you a good idea of your requirements.
People often overestimate their need for pure wattage - and quality is generally more important than the rated watts. You want to know that the power is on the right rails, stable, etc.
This is what I use, and it’s an excellent supply if you’re shopping in the 500 range. It’s the same price if you’re okay with rebates ($110-30).