I have a Dell 4700, 3Gb Pentium processor, 1.5GHb memory.

The machine has a 350 watt power supply.

I currently have 2 x 160Gb sata drives, DVD writer and Hauppauge PCI TV-card internal, and USB connections for printer (external power supply), scanner (external power supply), skype phone, skype headphones, activesync cable, router (external power supply), and joystick.

I'd like to add a 120Gb IDE drive, and a USB Toshiba 320Gb external drive.

Will there be an overload.

Regards,

Rannoch

Try this:

http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp

Jephree,

Thanks for the link.

Seems to be around the 285 watt mark.

Regards,

Rannoch

Hello Rannoch,

I should think you'll be OK but a 350w PSU is a minimum spec' I note that most of what you have has their own external power supply.

A word of caution the 4700 like most Dells is a proprietary system, bullet proof for the most part I agree but upgrading/repairing can be a swine-------that's why there such good value----in a lot of returns they have to go back to Dell for repair, in other words replacing your existing PSU with an upgrade off the shelf one won't work----won't fit.
Johanus

I have a 120Gb Western Digital IDE drive, and added that to the Dell.

In case anyone has the same idea. I had used the two SATA slots so had to use space where a second DVD writer would go (5.25" bay). I bought HD converter brackets (5.25 down to 3.5 - cost £1.50 for four). Then put the drive in the 5.25 bay - fitted OK.
But because Dell only has one side of the PC you can open, I couldn't secure that side of the drive and it was flapping around. It was only after I took out the DVD writer I saw that Dell have screw slots (not holes) for the other side. You put a screw into the HD bracket leaving a 2mm gap and slide the drive into place, the screw head goes into the open slot and when you secure the side you can see it fits very securely. I hope that makes sense.

Anyway, after all that I found that the IDE drive seemed to slow down the general speed of the PC (just a perception - may be wrong), it was a wee bit more noisy than the SATA drives, and the three drives were generating a lot of heat - maybe that's normal.
But, I've taken it out.

I'm still looking for an external drive with 320gb - Toshiba 320Gb (£109.99) or Western Digital 320Gb Essential (£112.74) or Western Digital 320Gb "My Book" Essential (£117.23) are the ones I have looked at.
Any recommendations.

Regards,

Rannoch

Hello Rannoch,

IMHO an IDE drive is noiser and slower then SATA although not as reliable but that's my exsperiance.

An internal HD is one of the few things you can upgrade on a Dell, bazar design that hinged access of Dell's.

One of the points I forgot to add in my thread to you is that that amount of extra hardware is going to create stack load of extra heat and you might want to consider adding extra cooling and exstraction but as you have removed or are going for external
HDs it's not as important altho' a PC case can always do with an extra fan.

For my money the Western Digital is the better option.
Johanus

Hello Johanus,

Thanks for your advice.

Regards,

Rannoch