Should I purchase a new PSU?

[Just1nCase]

Hello,

I just found out that my friend is selling his Antec SmartPower 2.0 500-watt PSU for $50, which is a good deal since they are currently on sale for $69.99 + Shipping & Handling + Tax. So, I will be saving more than $20, but I am not in need for a new PSU right now.

Right now, my rig has:

AMD Athlon 64, 3000+ (OC to 2.21 GHz)
ASRock 939Dual-SATA2
Dual Monitor set-up (x1 BenQ 19" LCD Monitor, x1 Mag 17" CRT Monitor)
ATI Radeon 9600 XT
1GB Corsair ValueSelect DDR400 PC3200
Creative SB Live! Value
Seagate Ultra-ATA/100 120GB HDD
Seagate SATA II 300GB HDD
Lite-on DVD-RW Drive
Lite-on CD-RW Drive
Antec SmartPower 350-watt PSU

In my situation, is a new 500-watt PSU necessary? What does a higher voltage PSU really do? Should I upgrade my PSU anyways even though I don't have any problems with my current PSU? Please let me know.

Thanks.

 

[burebista]

Be aware that latest batches of SP 2.0 have some problems with their PFC circuit. Here in Romania we have a lot of returns and it seems that not only here...
For your setup your current PSU is fine.

 

[PWatterson]

Unless you plan a serious upgrade in the near future, I would say you are fine with 350 watts.

 

[Nebulous]

I would stay away from any and all Antec SmartPower series psu's as they are junk. I suggest something along the lines of Sparkle,Fortron or OCZ. If you're insistant on getting an Antec psu, look into the True Power series as they are better made than the "Smart Power".

 

[Just1nCase]

Thanks for the replies. I don't have any plans on seriously upgrading my rig at this moment and it seems like Antec SmartPower isn't realible. From the looks of it, it seems a new Antec PSU isn't necessary. I am going to let him know I am not interested asap. Thanks again.