Yes, 400 watts is sufficient depending on your needs.
Yes, 400 watts is sufficient depending on your needs.
I'm purchasing a new computer with two RAM sticks (8GB each, 3200 MHz), a Ryzen 5 5600G, GTX 1650, 256GB SSD, and a 700GB HDD. The power supply is 400W, which should be sufficient since I won't be using it for gaming.
Generating a part list will provide an initial idea of the power requirements you should consider.
using a 100w gpu and a 65w cpu, along with drives and ram staying under 400w, is feasible. based on rough estimates, your max came out to around 265w. you can test it on the site or try the calculator there for more accuracy. note that the 5600g was listed as 76w but technically exceeds, so double-check your setup.
The key point is that contemporary computers require a certain wattage from the 12v output of their power supply. Power supplies typically provide 3.3v, 5v, and 12v outputs, but often allocate portions of the total wattage to lower voltages (3.3v and 5v) and a smaller share to the higher voltage (12v). For instance, a 450-watt power supply might only deliver 300 watts at 12v, and 150 watts at 3.3v and 5v. When purchasing from a reputable brand, check the label or specifications—there you'll find a current rating followed by an 'A' at the end, which indicates the total wattage available on the 12v output. A Ryzen 5600 can handle up to 50-60 watts, while the GTX 1650 should stay under 100 watts (especially with no extra power connectors, it uses less than 75w during gaming and around 10-20w when using Windows or watching YouTube). Mechanical drives draw 6-10 watts, SSDs use about 2-3 watts, RAM sticks consume 1-3 watts, fans use 1-2 watts. The motherboard will typically need 10-15 watts to run the chipset, network, audio cards, and other components.