smps rating in o/p volts & amps needed for gf8400gs 512mb

hi,
my name is rishi. i want to use a 512mb nvidia gf8400gs graphics card through the pci-e x16 slot on the motherboard i have in my pc. my system specs are as follows- core2quad q8200 processor , gigabyte ga-g31m-es2l rev1.1 mobo, seagate barracuda 7200.12 7200rpm 320 gb, 3.5'' sata hdd, 19'' lcd display, 250w no pfc smps- +12v, 15A, 245W max, bios- f9c. please tell me if i can use a 512mb card with this system or if i need to change other things in order to make the system go with the card just fine.

 

I googled a bit and it seems the 8400gs requires a 300 watt PSU at a minnimum for stable system operation. Seeing as how you have a quad core processor I'd go with at least 400 or 450 watts for your machine, just to be on the safe side, having a good PSU is always a plus. Make sure you buy a quality PSU, though, there are a lot of good PSU reviews on Guru3d.com for instance.

 

I can only second the previous post. The PSU should be something that one saves on. It is never good to go with a PSU that meets the minimum wattage requirements. It is a lot better to go with a PSU that is rated at least 100W - 150W more than you'll need. This is especially true if the amps on the + rails are midrange. Another thing to be on the lookout for is the "80+" mark, which indicates that that PSU will use 80< percent of the power it sucks from the network and not blow it into figuratively hot air.

My example: I bought a 700W OCZ modxstream for my system (although my cpu uses 45nm and the hd5770 is a low-consumer as well) even despite the fact that I could've gone with a 550w easy. All for the sake of stability and keeping the need off myself to buy another PSU when I want to upgrade the video card.