What to do with old power supplies?

What is the difference between the two power supplies?

• I recently purchased a new video card a ati radeon hd 6770 and saw it needed a 400W min power supply. This was done after my previous new video card was shutting off my computer after a few minutes of gameplay.The one currently in my computer is a 600w but every time i get about 2 minutes into gameplay my computer would shut off. Just like what the other card did so i figured it couldnt be the card. After searching around and doing tests it looks like the card was not overheating and the problem is my power supply. It is an arrow brand 600W. i looked at the 12v section on the supply like i was told and it said 1.0A underneith it, but i am not sure as to what i am looking at. My question is if i bought another power supply which one would be sufficient? Or does anyone know what else i could perhaps do to make this work because if its rated for 600W shouldnt it work? Here is one card i found on best buy but it is also 600W so wouldnt i have the same problem? http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Corsair+-+Gaming+Series+600-Watt+ATX+CPU+Power+Supply/1073679.p?id=1218217268656&skuId=1073679&st=power%20supply&cp=1&lp=2

• Answer:

  The company that actually makes those power supplies for Corsair (SeaSonic) is known for very good quality power supplies. Personally I have owned a SeaSonic 550W in the past and it was always rock-solid. You should be fine if you were to purchase that Corsair unit. I wouldn't get it at Best Buy, though. Similar units to the one you linked cost $30-$40 less online. Check out NewEgg.com or TigerDirect.com instead. After a quick check, NewEgg has a more high-end Corsair Enthusiast 650W for $89.99 for example. EDIT: To answer your other question, your current problem is likely that your PSU can't supply enough amperage to the video card. Cheaper power supplies skimp on this to save cost. Higher-end power supplies such as that Corsair unit do not. I had similar issues (shutdowns, random freezing) to you back in the day with my Radeon 9700 Pro. Switching to a higher-quality PSU solved them. EDIT 2: If you are willing to shop around online, you may also wish to consider units made by OCZ (also SeaSonic built), PC Power & Cooling, or SilverStone. All of them cost a little more than a cheapo model but the quality is top notch.