I have contacted Compaq/HP to find out if I can get a larger power supply for
my computer than the 250 watt one that I currently have now. They have told
me that they strongly recommend not to get a bigger power supply, because my
computer is not designed for a bigger power supply. They said that if the
video card(FX5200) needs a bigger power supply, then it should not be used in
my computer, and the warranty will not cover any damage if third party
hardware is added. Does this mean that I have come to a dead end with my
computer as far as upgrading to a better video card goes? Is a whole new
computer the only thing I can look at doing now?

confused wrote:

> I have contacted Compaq/HP to find out if I can get a larger power
> supply for my computer than the 250 watt one that I currently have
> now. They have told me that they strongly recommend not to get a
> bigger power supply, because my computer is not designed for a bigger
> power supply. They said that if the video card(FX5200) needs a bigger
> power supply, then it should not be used in my computer, and the
> warranty will not cover any damage if third party hardware is added.
> Does this mean that I have come to a dead end with my computer as far
> as upgrading to a better video card goes? Is a whole new computer the
> only thing I can look at doing now?

Yes and yes. I'm sorry, but you don't have a gaming machine there.
Compaqs are known for not being particularly upgradeable, particularly
the older models.

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows User/Shell
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"

You have a proprietary machine, and the manufacturer will do anything to
make you get any upgrades from them - including voiding the warranty if you
add any 3rd party hardware.

If you want a truly upgradeable computer buy your next one from a custom
builder who uses standard "off the shelf" parts.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"confused" <confused@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:234514C0-545B-49F6-9C0E-D391582C0862@microsoft.com...
>I have contacted Compaq/HP to find out if I can get a larger power supply
>for
> my computer than the 250 watt one that I currently have now. They have
> told
> me that they strongly recommend not to get a bigger power supply, because
> my
> computer is not designed for a bigger power supply. They said that if the
> video card(FX5200) needs a bigger power supply, then it should not be used
> in
> my computer, and the warranty will not cover any damage if third party
> hardware is added. Does this mean that I have come to a dead end with my
> computer as far as upgrading to a better video card goes? Is a whole new
> computer the only thing I can look at doing now?

I had an HP Pavilion and installed a GeForce FX5200 Video card
with the standard 250W power supply. I experienced no problems
whatsoever.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"confused" wrote:

| I have contacted Compaq/HP to find out if I can get a larger power supply for
| my computer than the 250 watt one that I currently have now. They have told
| me that they strongly recommend not to get a bigger power supply, because my
| computer is not designed for a bigger power supply. They said that if the
| video card(FX5200) needs a bigger power supply, then it should not be used in
| my computer, and the warranty will not cover any damage if third party
| hardware is added. Does this mean that I have come to a dead end with my
| computer as far as upgrading to a better video card goes? Is a whole new
| computer the only thing I can look at doing now?

....or build one yourself, from off-the-shelf parts. It's easy.

Low end video adapter like that shouldn't need any power "upgrade". The
FX5200 isn't particularly well suited to anything other than filling an
AGP slot and being compatible with DX9.

confused wrote:

> I have contacted Compaq/HP to find out if I can get a larger power supply for
> my computer than the 250 watt one that I currently have now. They have told
> me that they strongly recommend not to get a bigger power supply, because my
> computer is not designed for a bigger power supply. They said that if the
> video card(FX5200) needs a bigger power supply, then it should not be used in
> my computer, and the warranty will not cover any damage if third party
> hardware is added. Does this mean that I have come to a dead end with my
> computer as far as upgrading to a better video card goes? Is a whole new
> computer the only thing I can look at doing now?

Your power supply will hold up as long as you do not fit a really high
powered processor, two extra hard drives, silly illuminated case fans
powerful enough to double as a wind tunnel, silly strip lighting, commercial
water cooling, 4gb of RAM, a 12 volt cigarette lighter..

--
Mike Hall
MVP - Windows Shell/User


"confused" <confused@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:234514C0-545B-49F6-9C0E-D391582C0862@microsoft.com...
>I have contacted Compaq/HP to find out if I can get a larger power supply
>for
> my computer than the 250 watt one that I currently have now. They have
> told
> me that they strongly recommend not to get a bigger power supply, because
> my
> computer is not designed for a bigger power supply. They said that if the
> video card(FX5200) needs a bigger power supply, then it should not be used
> in
> my computer, and the warranty will not cover any damage if third party
> hardware is added. Does this mean that I have come to a dead end with my
> computer as far as upgrading to a better video card goes? Is a whole new
> computer the only thing I can look at doing now?

This will help you to calculate your PSU's wattages and full load
consumptions..
http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_sup....php?cmd=INTEL
j;-j


"confused" wrote:

> I have contacted Compaq/HP to find out if I can get a larger power supply for
> my computer than the 250 watt one that I currently have now. They have told
> me that they strongly recommend not to get a bigger power supply, because my
> computer is not designed for a bigger power supply. They said that if the
> video card(FX5200) needs a bigger power supply, then it should not be used in
> my computer, and the warranty will not cover any damage if third party
> hardware is added. Does this mean that I have come to a dead end with my
> computer as far as upgrading to a better video card goes? Is a whole new
> computer the only thing I can look at doing now?

Using the calculater it worked out 247watts including the FX5200 card which
it says is 40 watts. It says that 1 stick of SDmemory is 12 watts. I only
have 1 stick of 256MB, and I can upgrade the memory with 2 more sticks of
memory I think. 2 sticks of memory would be 24 watts. The calculater says
that GeForce 4 MX series is 30 watts. The card that I currently have is a
64MB 128 bit Ge Force 2 MX 400 (MSI MX 400 Pro), but the calculater does not
say how many watts that is. If the Ge Force 2 card is say 20 watts(guessing),
it would mean that I would be needing 20 more watts for the FX5200, and 10
watts for a Ge Force 4 MX 440 card. It would take more power to put 2 more
sticks of memory (24watts), into the computer than it would be for a FX5200
or a MX440 card. I think that even a GeForce4 MX440 card would be a lot
better than the GeForce2MX400 card that I currently have, and I would need
at most only 10 more watts.The Compaq/HP guy said that my Presario 5630AU
computer only had 235 watts maximum power supply, but I have opened the
computer up and it says on the power supply itself that its maximum output is
250watts.Since it says on the power supply 250 watts maximum output then I am
going with the 250 watts output. What would happen if the power supply was
not really enough for the new card? Would it burn out the power supply or
something damaging like that? I would be prepared to risk loosing some money
on the card if it did not work, but I would not like to try putting a new
card in if it was going to damage the computer.

"Jaymon" wrote:

> This will help you to calculate your PSU's wattages and full load
> consumptions..
> http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_sup....php?cmd=INTEL
> j;-j
>
>
> "confused" wrote:
>
> > I have contacted Compaq/HP to find out if I can get a larger power supply for
> > my computer than the 250 watt one that I currently have now. They have told
> > me that they strongly recommend not to get a bigger power supply, because my
> > computer is not designed for a bigger power supply. They said that if the
> > video card(FX5200) needs a bigger power supply, then it should not be used in
> > my computer, and the warranty will not cover any damage if third party
> > hardware is added. Does this mean that I have come to a dead end with my
> > computer as far as upgrading to a better video card goes? Is a whole new
> > computer the only thing I can look at doing now?

Your system should "start" by shutting down and rebooting when the power
supply is "over tasked".

On 21/11/2005 "confused" <confused@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>.... What would happen if the power supply was
>not really enough for the new card? Would it burn out the power supply or
>something damaging like that? I would be prepared to risk loosing some money
>on the card if it did not work, but I would not like to try putting a new
>card in if it was going to damage the computer.
>
>"Jaymon" wrote:
>

--
---

Y.