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PC hardware: What defines a good PSU?
What defines a good PSU?
by dawn_swe - 6/20/08 12:02 PMWhat defines a good PSU?
Is this a good PSU:
CFT-560A-12S 560W ATX/DualX EPS-12V 120mm Fan 20/24-pin (AMD&P4 OK)
How can I tell?
looks good to me
by squirtlewa - 6/20/08 12:15 PM In reply to: What defines a good PSU? by dawn_sweA lot of people like to shop by brand-name, especially on forums like these you get Antec or Thermaltake (or newegg) fanbois.
I live in a country where trade is heavily regulated and litigious enough that if a product says it's a 560W, I tend to believe it's gonna do the job of at least approx that amount. A power supply is very old technology. I haven't used that brand, but it looks fine.
Unless you're doing something wacky that takes a lot more juice, I'd put that one to use.
testing or brand
by ramarc - 6/20/08 1:18 PM In reply to: What defines a good PSU? by dawn_swei can't find any test results for that power supply but "CFT" probably stands for ChiefTec which is not known as a quality brand. i don't know where you're from but i'll guess that a $25USD power supply... in other words a cheapo unit.
you can find a good 500W power supply from brands like Cooler Master, Thermaltake, and Antec for $50USD or less. if that's over your budget, look for a 430W-450W from these brands... they'll be in the $35-$40USD range and are the cheapest power supplies i would recommend.
Look at specs closely
by mjd420nova - 6/20/08 3:42 PM In reply to: What defines a good PSU? by dawn_sweLook at the specs and search for the terms average and peak rating. You want a power supply that will provide the current you need as an average and not peak. My own experience is to buy a unit that is at least one quarter more wattage average than I need. This is to insure that under extreme conditions it will provide the current I need and not get hot. I like to run the units as cool as possible and if the power supply can run at 75% all the time, then it will run cool and not heat up the rest of the unit.
Take a look at the link below
by VAPCMD - 6/20/08 6:03 PM In reply to: What defines a good PSU? by dawn_swehttp://www.jonnyguru.com
Lots of great info about PSUs.
Another place to look...Newegg.com .... they allow buyers and product owners to post comments about the products they buy including PSUs.
VAPCMD
Good power supplies
by Dango517 - 6/20/08 11:49 PM In reply to: What defines a good PSU? by dawn_sweFirst how much wattage do you need?
To determine this, take this path on the link provided... eXtreme Power Supply Calculator, too> Lite version (the free one)
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/
How about up grades? Any up grades in your future? Add them to the calculator.
Lets look at the specifications on a good one. Click the specifications tab:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004
ATX12V V2.2, fits an ATX form factor tower/case; the PC standard
20+4Pin, this means it will fit in a 20 power slot on the mother board (some M.B.s come with 24 pin connections) and has a 4 pin CPU power connection as well, some boards come with separate plugs for the CPU, this one has it.
+12V Rails, Single, this means it has one main cable with many attachments for various power uses. PS also come with two rails. Two main wire bundles instead of one. If your expecting many up grades choose two.
PCI-E Connectors 1 x 6Pin, 1 x 6+2Pin, for separate power to PCI-E devices that require supplemental power sources. Graphics cards for instance. This is a high end feature.
NVIDIA SLI Support, Yes; ATI CrossFire Support, Yes: This is high end because it can run "both" SLI and ATI supported Graphics cards.
Modular Cabling Support No; Wiki this one. It's for individual wired connections for each component. They plug in so they can be added and removed at will.
Efficiency Up to 85%, Some PS comes with 80 Plus certification, meaning that the PS is at least 80% efficient. This will safe you some $$$ and perhaps the Planet. This one is 85% so this is good.
Over Voltage Protection Yes: this is a special feature that you will keep from frying your system. Wiki. this one.
Connectors
1 x Main connector (20+4Pin)
1 x 12V(4+4Pin)
6 x peripheral
6 x SATA
2 x Floppy
2 x PCI-E
These are the connections available on the unit make sure they match your system and that there are enough connections. Note: PCI-E slots come in several versions, this information should be clearer. Call them about this.
Other information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_power_supply#Small_facts_to_consider
Not a bad PSU but I'd look for a better price a smart shopper might get nearly the same PS for $50.00-$75.00.
Depends on your machine
by Ozzie - 6/21/08 9:57 PM In reply to: What defines a good PSU? by dawn_sweIf you want to install dual graphics cards, a quad core processor, a few hard drives, some form of water cooling, or any combo of the above, it is likely too little power and definatly does not plan for the future. I personally get modular power supplies, as the new graphics cards have one to two plugs, sometime not even the same size like a few AMD's which have both a six pin and an eight pin(i.e., AMD 3870 X2 etc).
First one simple warning I pass along for a peronal reason I do not wish to share, never open a power supply as you cannot fix anything and capacitors can kill after a PSU is unplugged.
Now, a good power supply will have a +12V rail (18A or higher), or dual +12V rails. Watch out for imposters on the market. Beware chaep deals. Someone selling a $50 500watt PSU should raise red flags as a real 500 watt PSU will cost between $90 and $140.
I would also recommend buying an FCC approved PSU (if it says ATX-300 it is not approved) and staying away from brands with high return rates. Go with good name brands, someof which are:
Antec
AOpen
Channel Well Technology (OEM for Antec, Foxconn, some Enermax, Xclio, and Thermaltake ToughPower series)
Coolermaster
Enermax
Fortron Source / FSP (OEM for AOpen, PC Power and Cooling, OCZ GameXStream series, Sparkle, Zippy, Zalman)
OCZ
SilverStone
Tagan
Thermaltake (high end ToughPower units only)
Ultra (ONLY THE NEW XP PRO LINE)
XClio (USA mainly)
Zalman
Some brands to avoid are:
Aspire
Auriga - AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
Clipper pro
Codegen -
Coolmax
Generic
Hairong
Honli
Logisys
Mad Dog
MGE / XGbox
Omni
Powmax
RexPower
Ritmo
SHAW
TT
YoungYear (OEM for MGE / XGbox and Aspire)
I URGE PEOPLE TO ADD TO EITHER LIST OR CORRECT ERRORS BASED ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE - PLEASE INCLUDE MODEL NUMBERS IF ENDORSING NEW MODELS OR NOT GIVING A THUMBS UP. THANKS
The final question is how much power you are going to need. In my mind, you can never have too much as I for one get the urge to build a new computer every now and then based on some new technolgy and I it nice to have a PSU that can follow you. Also newer graphics cards, especially if you decide to run them in SLI or Crossfire, are going to need likely at least 600watts and possibly 750 depending on what else you are running.
However, no one can tell you how much wattage you need. Hell I do not even know if you are building an ATX, Micro ATX, Minin ATX or Flex ATX system. I assume for the same of the above that you are talking a full size ATX with a Core 2 Duo or comparable AMD. A good, free wattage calculator, where you simply pick and choose the components you have now or may purchase and install in the future, which then tells you the wattage you need, can be found at http://educations.newegg.com/tool/psucalc/index.html (on the newegg.com website) where they also have good prices on PSU's and most other computer hardware. Good luck to you and I hope some of my ramblings have helped.
My Dasktop:
Themaltake Tsumani Case
Intel Quad Core Extreme QX6850 (overclocked)
Gigabyte MB X38 chipset
Asus Radeon HD 3870 X2 1gb
4gb hyperX overclocked memory
Coolit Koolance Thermoelectric Chilled Water Cooling
CPU Steady 30c; Case Steady 34c
3dMark06 16,780 to 17,000+ depending on overclock
More about Capacitor safety
by Dango517 - 6/21/08 11:09 PM In reply to: Depends on your machine by OzzieCapicitor Safety
by Ozzie - 6/22/08 1:53 AM In reply to: More about Capacitor safety by Dango517Thanks, I never knew that about seemingly innocuous things like disposable cameras.
Tell more about your modular PSU
by Dango517 - 6/21/08 11:22 PM In reply to: Depends on your machine by OzzieBasically you can plug and unplug cables at will isn't this true? Are there other considerations/factors with these that would be helpful information?
I had trouble finding information on PFS. Are you familiar with this PSU feature what is it and what is it used for? I searched this one and found 0, zip, nothing.
Answer
by Ozzie - 6/22/08 1:47 AM In reply to: Tell more about your modular PSU by Dango517With a modular supply you get the power box with a bunch of places top plug cables into it, along with a box of assorted cables. When you puchase one the description will tell you which cables it comes with and you can tell if all you need are there. Typically I find I have a bunch left over. If you are going for quad graphics or some unusual configuration you can always purchase plugs to fit into the standard four pin power leads.
As for PFS, that is odd, first it is an IT term, sort of Java talk for Portal File System (PFS): an open source content repository for.Net. However, do not quote me on this but I think at one time there may have been a company called PFS that made a power supply, although I may not be recalling correctly as so many have come and gone since the early 80's.
Good luck and you do not have to concern yourself with PFS in terms of a power supply unless possibly you are setting up servers. Good luck!!
Another quick thought
by Ozzie - 6/22/08 1:51 AM In reply to: Tell more about your modular PSU by Dango517I just thought of something. Are you sure you are thinking of PFS and not PFC?
PFC does apply to power supplies and has been defined as:
PFC
"Power Factor correction (PFC) is the technique of adjusting the timing and wave shape of the input current in order to maintain the waveform of current and voltage to be in phase or as same shape as possible. An improved power factor will be closer to 1, meaning the real AC power is closer to the apparent power.
A higher power factor correction power supply can cut electricity bill; increase system capacity and reduce the harmonics that benefits the society as a whole."
Just checking
PFC is correct. That's it.
by Dango517 - 6/22/08 2:08 AM In reply to: Another quick thought by OzzieI had read about it several months ago but had forgotten. Thanks for the information.
When you update your PSU Mfg list ....I'd certainly include
by VAPCMD - 6/22/08 7:55 AM In reply to: Depends on your machine by OzzieGo with good name brands, some of which are:
Corsair
Seasonic
VAPCMD
PC Power and Cooling
by Jordon Berkove - 6/22/08 5:41 AM In reply to: What defines a good PSU? by dawn_sweTheir high end power supplies do not fail. I have built over 50 custom machines and they're buy far the best. No DOA's just sweet power.
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