What graphics card, specifically, do you have now? There are calculators out there to tell you how much juice you really need.
http://educations.newegg.com/tool/psucalc/index.html
That's just one of them, but it's fast and easy and doesn't require you to jot down the specific model numbers of every part in the case.
Here's the thing about power: the PSU will *try* to supply however much juice the rest of the system wants. If there's enough draw to pop the circuit protectors, you're fine -- you're out a PSU, but, you're fine. So a box that requires 750w with a 500w PSU is going to die almost immediately. But, if you're only over your requirements by a little -- say, 550w on a 500w PSU -- then it'll slowly but inevitably cause damage to the rest of the system.
I've got a machine in my closet that I should take pictures of, to show you. But basically, there are scorch marks along the connectors between the PSU and the motherboard, all due to a slightly-too-hefty graphics card that I 'upgraded' to. The system ran fine for at least 8 months, though. My PSU was rated to 400w; my calculated draw with that card in there was 460w.
--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs
http://educations.newegg.com/tool/psucalc/index.html
That's just one of them, but it's fast and easy and doesn't require you to jot down the specific model numbers of every part in the case.
Here's the thing about power: the PSU will *try* to supply however much juice the rest of the system wants. If there's enough draw to pop the circuit protectors, you're fine -- you're out a PSU, but, you're fine. So a box that requires 750w with a 500w PSU is going to die almost immediately. But, if you're only over your requirements by a little -- say, 550w on a 500w PSU -- then it'll slowly but inevitably cause damage to the rest of the system.
I've got a machine in my closet that I should take pictures of, to show you. But basically, there are scorch marks along the connectors between the PSU and the motherboard, all due to a slightly-too-hefty graphics card that I 'upgraded' to. The system ran fine for at least 8 months, though. My PSU was rated to 400w; my calculated draw with that card in there was 460w.
--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs