Member Avatar for aVar++

Hello,

I have a spare DVD reader/writer lying round, i was wondering if i could add it to my PC but the power supply is only 400w. Will it overload the PSU?

PC Specs:

2 x Standard case fans
Quiet Xigmatek 400w PCI-E PSU
AMD FX 6100 black edition
8GB ram
Asus M5A78L-M/USB3
500GB SATA II
250GB SSD
ATI HD7770
22x dual layer DVD +/- Rew writer
Network card

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by rubberman

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Short answer for : adding a single internal 22x DVD±RW to that build is very likely fine — an optical drive is a relatively small additional load compared with the CPU, GPU and drives. That said, the safe answer depends on the health and design of your 400W Xigmatek unit (quality matters more than label watts).

Practical checklist before fitting the drive:

  1. Read the PSU sticker and note the combined +12V amperage. Multiply amps × 12 to get the +12V wattage — most of the drive motor power comes from +12V, so this is the important figure.
  2. Use an online PSU calculator (choose exact parts: AMD FX‑6100, your HD7770, 2 drives, SSD, HDD, fans, etc.) to estimate peak load and aim for ~20–30% headroom above that estimate.
  3. Confirm you have a spare SATA power connector (avoid fragile splitters/adapters if possible) and that the PSU cables are in good condition.
  4. If the PSU is old, noisy, or from a very cheap brand, its real-world output can be much lower than rated — consider replacement rather than pushing an aging unit.

How to test safely after install:

  • Power down, connect the drive, then boot and run a real disk operation (reading/burning or a large file copy) while monitoring voltages in BIOS or with software like HWMonitor. The +12V rail should stay within ATX tolerance (about ±5%, roughly 11.4–12.6V). Watch for system instability, reboots, or strange noises.

Notes tied to earlier replies: is correct that CPU/GPU/HDD are the big draws; ’s suggestion to estimate load is sensible; ’s 600W idea gives extra headroom but isn’t strictly necessary if your 400W unit is a good, healthy supply. If you plan to run two optical drives simultaneously for disc‑to‑disc copies or if the PSU is old/low‑quality, consider a PSU upgrade or an external powered USB DVD drive.

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Member Avatar for kenjutsuka

Try using this tool for questions such as this:

And by the way, I'm pretty sure with that setup you can run the dvd player. If anything just plug it in and try it out. The only two things that could happen is your PC won't power on with the DVD player plugged in, or your system won't run stable. If either of those things occur then just leave the DVD player out until you get a new PSU.

Member Avatar for aVar++

Ok, thank you.

Member Avatar for kenjutsuka

No problem. Also make sure to check your manufacturer's website for updated firmware for the drive! You can extend the life and increase the performance of the drive depending on the firmware updates to be had.

Member Avatar for aVar++

I try to keep all of my firmware up to date. But thank you for telling me.

Member Avatar for benmar

600watts is better for your cpu....

Member Avatar for rubberman

Your CPU, HD, and video card are likely the biggest current draws on your PSU. See what the load is (you can find out from the manufacturer's documentation). FWIW, if you are only running one of the DVD drives at once, then you will not likely have a problem. Running both may be an issue, if you were to use one to copy to the other, for example.

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