my ti4600 states 300 watt minimum. i have a dell with a minimum sized ps too. i did not upgrade ps and all runs fine. i would say you just need to stay away from the nvidias and atis that require additional power to the card itself like the fx stuff and 9800 line. if as fatal exception mentions if you want the latest and greatest, ps's are fairly inexpensive, but if your not the kind of person to install it yourself, there is the additional bench time cost to have someone do it for you to consider. one other thing i would add, if and when you get something like say even a 4600 or the like, make sure there is room on the bottom side of it for decent airflow. i removed my modem that occupied the slot below my card after burning a fan out due to inadequate air flow that caused heat problems with the fan spindle. or, you could always try modifying dells case for additional fans. i have not tried this with mine, its that plastic covered thing with like structrual steel underneath. im going to build another machine myself next time, but thats another story. good luck in your efforts, i think that you will be happy with the upgrade.
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by: Fatal_ExceptionPosted on 2003-12-27 at 05:47:08ID: 10005059
How many watts does your current PS provide? The only conclusive way to do this is to determine what each device in your system pulls as far as power (watts) and add them together, then you will have a good idea of what you can add to your machine.
Personally, if you are willing to spend that kind of money on a high end vid card, an upgraded PS should be of minimal concern. You can pick up a 350-400 watt PS for under $20, a 600 watt for under $50.
http://www.pricewatch.com
FE