Is it plausible to upgrade a PC power supply to deliver more current?

[JMFahey]

tl;dr: I have a small form factor PC, and the biggest power supply it will accept only puts out 500W, while my video card needs 600W.

I thought to myself: What if I upgraded the transformer and uprated the filter capacitors? Could I get more out of the supply? Or would it become an endless series of upgrading each component to a higher rated value?

No, you can NOT.
Next?

It's a Shuttle PC, with a non-standard PSU format that only they make. And the biggest one they make is 500W. Hence my problem.

Then wrong PC or wrong video card choice or both.
Use the video card supplied with the Shuttle or get a new computer.

If that would solve this problem, I wouldn't be asking.

You love to ask about your self created "impossible" problems, or pose fringe Technical questions for which you do not accept answers; not sure yet you are not trolling us.

Lack of space for a second supply.

Then you don´t have space for a more powerful supply either.
There must be a reason manufacturers offer only up to 500W supplies.
I am quite certain they do NOT recommend a 600W video card, you are creating a problem where there was none before.

Read THIS carefully, as many times as needed until it "clicks":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_density

Power density

is the amount of power (time rate of energy transfer) per unit volume.[1]

In energy transformers including batteries, fuel cells, motors, power supply units etc., power density refers to a volume, where it is often called volume power density, expressed as W/m3.

In simple terms: higher power requires higher volume .... which you do not have.

 

[NareshBrd]

I think I posted about this issue to same OP some time back in a similar thread.

He seems to be a little, shall we say, fixated, about some simple concepts, and tries to do difficult things.
Last time I told him not to bother, the price difference was only about $10.
It has not been appreciated, put him on your ignore list.

 

[SoaDMTGguy]

I sometimes post questions where I want to know if something is theoretically possible, even if it’s not practical, or cost effective. I’m not trolling, I just want to know why, or why not. It’s educational, not practical. For those that are frustrated, let me remind you that I did not ask you to solve a general problem, but a specific question. When you did not answer my question, but instead offer solutions to a problem I did not state, of course I ignored you. I would say this is your fault for not reading and understanding the question 😉

In this case, the answer seems to be that it would require parts that are not commonly available, and it would require modifying so much of the PSU that it would essentially become a new part.

I had hoped that, perhaps, with an off-the-shelf transformer and some bigger caps, I could get another 50W-100W.

You are correct that the video card alone does not need 600W, that is the recommended power supply size for the current system.

Overall, I now have my answers. I already knew every better solution people have suggested, of course. There was a reason I was asking the question I asked. Thank you all.