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OK, RodneyYouPlonker will give me a good laugh at my expense even if it is to laugh at a joke from one of his imaginary friends, but I'm starting to waver: I think I should give up on building a system for all the butthurt I gave myself from the last three months. I have wave the flag in defeat, agreeing with him, for once.
Before I do, I have just one question: would you rather build a system, or buy a pre-built system? I'm leaning towards buying because a franchise computer store in my area sells them for less; they're refurbished.
Talk about it, discuss, debate, but don't throw eggs at me or put this in the Void.
Thanks!
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It depends... I've done both, and recommended both.
It is not possible to build a system as solid or polished as something like an iMac, and you can't get support for something you build yourself.
On the other hand, when you have a specific task in mind, building it yourself is the only way to get it right. It is also a fun hobby.
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Tell me about it. 
Before I knew anything about getting better supplies, I just bought a 300W one for $40 Canadian and found out I squandered that $40. Now I have to hunt for cheaper 500W ones the next time I go parts shopping. Still learning though.
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Cheap power supplies become expensive mistakes later.
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Point well-taken.
Which wattage would you recommend?
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There is no single number that is right. It all depends on what components you are going to drive.
A single low powered processor with integrated video and an SSD requires a lot less power than a dual processor rig with a dedicated video card and 4 10K HDs.
You can get a good 750 watt supply for around $100 that will last through multiple builds and handle all but the most extreme projects.
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Well, my conceived machine is going to be all-purpose, burning videos, watching videos, playing 2010 games and before,browsing the Internet, scanning, listening to MP3s, those kinds of stuff.
Can 300W do that?
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Probably. After you have your processor, video card, and storage selected, add up their power usage and see.
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Probably? You don't seem sure.
Regardless, I'll use 300W until I can find a 500W one in a local store.
Thanks for everything, Moe. I will now make my decision.
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I don't think he is unsure as much as he's making a general statement based on the specifics you provided... If you had the exact info on what you were getting it would be easier to provide advice.
For example, when I had a desktop, I had an Nvidia something or other that tells you it requires a specific Power supply. I ended up buying a 700w PS.
I built a computer and thought it was cool as a learning experience, but now I can't be bothered with it. When this POS finally falls apart I'll just look for something in my realm. Another good thing about building is you can save a little more $$ if you do some savvy shopping.
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