hello,
newbie here!!

when looking for a PSU what do you have to look for? i was reading something about needing a 12v connector or something?

how can you tell if its compatible with your motherboard. this is because with the Gigabyte GA-P35C-DS3R it has a 4pin motherboard connector and apperently 8 pin is better? (dont know if this has anything to do with it )

please advise

thanks

This is a fairly new board--
You need a 24-pin main power connector-- the older designs were 20-pins.
the 4-pin connector is auxiliary power-- if your board does not have 8-- you don't really need it, anyway.
You have plenty of power on that board.

The main thing when buying a power-supply is to go with a high enough watts-rating.... and here is the heart of it-- a good-quality, well-respected, long-established maker is critical. Power Supply Unit's are essentially an un-regulated industry-- and there is a lot of junk out there.
Go here:

eXtreme Power Supply Calculator v2.5

Enter all of your hardware -- all of it-- include even printers etc. USB devices draw power too.
the calc will give you a wattage-rating. This is the very least it could use.
Add at least 75 watts(perhaps 100) to that number-- and this is what you will need.
You are in the US --this is fortunate... Newegg.com is a great place to buy such stuff... they have a large selecttion/great service/user reviews.

If you need brand recommendations post back here

thanks for the help so far Ih8bills! unfortunately i live in the UK.....didnt even realise it was set to the USA until you told me!!

the equivalent to newegg.com in the UK is ebuyer.com

i was looking at this case that comes with a 500W power supply
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/122779/show_product_reviews
the drawback is that you cant buy this case without the PSU.....i guess 2 in1 is a good idea.

the PSU is:
RAIDMAX ATX 500W PSU With 12CM FAN, 20+4pin, SATA, PCI-E Connector

i tried searching for it but found no hits.
please advise with this PSU