[aperkins1989]

Hi there,

I recently obtained some old computers from a charity shop.. I want the PSU from one, and the graphics card from the other. They were left outside overnight as the shop had considered them scrap (simply for having no cables), there was no rain that night, but it was cold..

I have left the computers to dry for over a week next to a radiator.

How safe will it be to use the parts in my gaming pc?

Also, how do i work out Wattage needed? Is it just better than the most demanding component (the G card most likely) or is it cumulative of all parts in the machine?



Sorry for my ignorance, I'm new to this side of computers.. Any help is much appreciated.

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aperkins1989

How safe will it be to use the parts in my gaming pc?

We cannot give you a definitive answer for the following reasons;
1: You have not told us the specifications for your own present hardware, the GPU or the PSU you that found outside the charity shop so we can`t say if they are compatible + in the case of the PSU whether it has the required output or if it is a reputable brand and not a cheap imported one waiting to go pop.
2: We have no way of knowing whether the components are working and if they are defective one or both of them could hose your present hardware.

Also, how do i work out Wattage needed?

Use a PSU calculator such as This for an idea of what output you will need from a PSU.

NOTE:
The PSU Wattage we recommend only gives you a general idea on what to consider while selecting a power supply. PCI cards, External devices, USB and Firewire devices, Cooling fans and other components may need more power.

[phillpower2]

aperkins1989

How safe will it be to use the parts in my gaming pc?

We cannot give you a definitive answer for the following reasons;
1: You have not told us the specifications for your own present hardware, the GPU or the PSU you that found outside the charity shop so we can`t say if they are compatible + in the case of the PSU whether it has the required output or if it is a reputable brand and not a cheap imported one waiting to go pop.
2: We have no way of knowing whether the components are working and if they are defective one or both of them could hose your present hardware.

Also, how do i work out Wattage needed?

Use a PSU calculator such as This for an idea of what output you will need from a PSU.

NOTE:
The PSU Wattage we recommend only gives you a general idea on what to consider while selecting a power supply. PCI cards, External devices, USB and Firewire devices, Cooling fans and other components may need more power.

[JohnSheen]

Phill, has a great point about compatibility and brands, and yes you can use an online PSU calculator.

However, I would rather not use any of these components in my system. You said you needed to leave them to dry... Well, my friend these components are not supposed to be left exposed to sun and water. And god knows what happened to them till you found them, "OUTSİDE" of the shop. They might damage your present system.

Phill is a pro, and can give you further asistance on the subject.

But, what you wrote above did not sound safe and right to me.

So, take care of your system.

Also, I want you to read this, and make sure at least your components have none of these signs stated.

WET electronics

And you said you dried near a radiator... Don't know man, sounds pretty risky to me to include them in a working system. I hope you didnt spend much on these trash pc's.

Hope this helps,
Peace

[aperkins1989]

I should clarify, I left them by the radiator for a week to get rid of an residual moisture that might have built up overnight.. There was no pool of water in either pc, not even condensation.. I just wanted to be 100% sure they were bone dry before attempting anything.. I got them free so I'm not bothered if I can't get anything out of them.. I have thoroughly checked both computers I found, and I cannot find any evidence of water damage that was given in that link (no white/white-green powder or anything else out of the ordinary- I did computer technology in school but this is my first time trying to fix anything valuable)

Let me explain my situation..

My current system (A) is a shop standard hp pavilion i-core i3, which I upgraded to 12gb RAM (windows 8). It has a very basic Intel HD graphics system (not even a proper graphics card), which plays dvds and youtube wonderfully, but is not up to gaming standard (about 7fps in a wow raid).. It only has a 300w PSU, so it's not enough to power a decent g-card.

My old computer (B) is a Dell Dimension 9200 with 4gb RAM (XP) and an nVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX graphics card. I've been told by an expert that this g-card can be used in my new computer, but I still want my old computer to work as it will become my kids' homework computer. It has a 375w PSU so it's better than my new system but I want to be able to upgrade further in the future.


I have found a tower (1) with a 400w PSU, that should fit into my tower, if i measured it right...
And a flat desktop (2) with a Sapphire Radeon 9000 128M DDR V/D/VO PCN 1024-9192-05-SA.. (I know no more about it)


So:

Graphics card from (B) into (A), with the PSU (400w) from spare computer (1).
Graphics card from spare computer (2) into (B) so that it still works.

[JohnSheen]

Hello again aperkins,

I understand your situation, but I myself never done such drying etc. So, my advice to you will be more of a common sense. These components are very very old. Especially the graphics card. It is older than at least 10-12 years.

First of all, never include components in your system that you did not see working. Talking especially about ones that are very very old and kept in unknown conditions to you. They might already be damaged or defected, and I don't want you risk your present hardware, trying them out, especially the PSU.

A non-quality brand PSU can damage your components, even if works on the first try.

What I would suggest is, go online and check for graphics cards suitable for your budget, they don't have to be very great cards, just some cheap card that will allow your children to play some videos and do their homework without any problem. There are many cards around in the market that are well below 50 dollars or so.

As for psu, please make a one time investment and buy one from a trusted brand. Such as, Corsair, Seasonic or Thermaltake.

There are many pros in the forum like Phillpower2, if you still need assistance on determining whether the components are still working, they might provide further assistance.


That's all I can say,
Take care
Peace