Gateway Parts

Does a higher power supply effects other parts of my computer?

I would like to upgrade my graphics card, but for doing that, I must also upgrade my power supply from a 300 Watts to a 500 Watts power supply. Will this increased power supply have any negative effect on any other part of my PC?

Public Comments

1. No, you'll be fine. If 500W is the minimum though for the card you want, go higher. They don't always run at their rated wattage.
2. A stronger power supply doesn't change the voltages supplied, it just has more current to keep up with higher demands.
3. nope. the psu will only give out the power your cpu needs. it adjusts itself. to estimate your power needs, try this: http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp
4. It shouldn't. It might create a bit more heat, but newer and bigger PS also usually have multiple fans on them. A bigger concern might be the heat that your new graphics card generates. Make sure you have enough cooling to cover that, so that you don't burn anything out.
5. The system will only draw the power it needs from the PSU. Just like a car engine-may have 300 horsepower but it only uses around 50 horsepower going 30 mph then more hp the faster you go.