Upgrading PC need advice please

[Pete]

I think some new construction (in the USA, at least) has 20A breakers and wiring but 15A receptacles (cheaper to swap a receptacle than rip out undersized wiring if the future holds 20A hair dryers). That's fine, as the wiring can handle a lot more load than anything you should be able to plug into it. The breaker should trip only if the wiring can't handle the load.

Having a 20A receptacle and 15A breaker--even ignoring the wiring--sounds like a huge PITA. Unless you like flippin' breakers and lyin' receptacles.

AFAIK, I'm not an electrician, etc.

 

[Grall]

Having a 20A receptacle and 15A breaker--even ignoring the wiring--sounds like a huge PITA. Unless you like flippin' breakers and lyin' receptacles.

Oh, so plugging a 20A device into that 15A outlet would be better then? Maybe the breaker might actually trip when stuff starts smoking and melting? One can at least hope so...

Way I see it, the breaker should be the weakest link in the chain, so it can actually fill its function. It's no good if you can overload your house's wiring, and then the breaker won't trip. 'Round here where I live there's just one spec of outlet, and the size of fuse decides how much load you can pull out of it. The fuses are dimensioned according to the gauge of the wiring installed into the building.

Then again, with 230V grid voltage it's much harder to overload an outlet. Only time I've had a fuse blow on me was when my stove died. The grounded socket I use for my computer gear is fused at 16A, so I'd have to work pretty danged hard to blow it...

 

[sham63]

Oh, so plugging a 20A device into that 15A outlet would be better then? Maybe the breaker might actually trip when stuff starts smoking and melting? One can at least hope so... ..

I do not think you can do this, a 20 amp plug will not fit into a 15 amp outlet.

 

[linthat22]

Yeah, I ran new 12 gauge wiring from the breaker to the outlet. In fact, I plan on re-wiring the house (little at a time mind you, this is a late 1930's house) with 12 gauge 3 wire.

From what I've been told is that if you go with 12 gauge wire, a 20 amp breaker, and a 15amp outlet, you're basically going what the NEC rules set forth. Plus I wanted to reduce any further futzing down the road)

I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't overload it with the computer.

 

[linthat22]

I wanted to thank everyone for their input in this thread.

I regretfully hate to inform everyone that I decided on a new guitar versus computer hardware. Told the wife I'd replay the Half Life series and THEN The Witcher 2 (hopefully another patch will be released), so that was the compromise.

*edit* this is in regards to the extra video card and psu