Monitoring System Power Usage

[Marklo]

I have a 300W PSU which seems to be running ok, but I'm a bit concerded that I'm running right at the top end of what the PSU can do.

Are therre any utility programs that can check the power draw in operation and compare it to the PSU's available power output?

 

[LiLithTecH]

There is no utility that will give you a total power usage\draw.
That would have to be figured manually.

Add up the total from here:
(pick the items remembering if you have 2 of one item to double total for that item)
Note: Higher end is for more recent items, lower for older items

Motherboard w/onboard devices = 40W
System (case)Fan = 3W
CPU Fan = 3W
AGP video card = 35-50W
PCI video card = 35W
CD-RW Drive = 28W
DVD-ROM Drive = 20W
SCSI CD-RW Drive = 17W
IDE Hard Drive = 13W-18W
SCSI Hard Drive = 24W
10,000+RPM SCSI Hard Drive = 30W-45W
Floppy Drive = 5W
AMD Athlon = 50W-65W
AMD Athlon XP = 60-90W
AMD Duron = 50W
Intel P3 = 40W-55W
Intel P4 = 60-90W
Intel Celeron = 35W
128MB RAM = 10W
256MB RAM = 20W
Network Card = 4W
PCI Modem = 5W
Audio Card = 5W
PCI SCSI Controller Card = 20W
PCI Firewire/USB 2.0 Controller Card = 40W

Take the total from above, minus the CPU. Multiply that total by .8 (to get 80% total wattage).
Add CPU Total to 80% total above and that is the MINIMUM Power you need to run.

 

[Jeff7]

Not cheap, but very easy to use.

 

[Marklo]

Well it looks as if I'm ok, based on LiLithTecHs' numbers I need between 258 and 231 Watts for my rig. Although If my components are running at the higher end I don't have a lot of margin with my 300W PSU.
I'll probably get something better next year. Need to upgrade it to support a more modern grapics card anyway.

Thanks