lost_soul on 10/12/2010 at 08:58
Hey now, what's wrong with CoolMax? I've had one in my old Athlon 3200+ machine for the past six years and it hasn't given me a bit of trouble. It never even started grinding or anything like that. The machine has an even older Maxtor HDD (which many people also hate). That HDD has also never given me a bit of trouble and has over 46,000 hours of running time on it.
Ladron De La Noche on 10/12/2010 at 13:12
(
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Power-Supplies-With-Fake-80-Plus-Badges/1054) http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Power-Supplies-With-Fake-80-Plus-Badges/1054
This article is one reason not to buy any Coolmax PSUs.
It's never a good idea to buy cheap PSUs. If you're lucky it'll burn itself out when it fails and nothing else. You don't have to spend $100 but at least $30 for a decent one depending on whether its for an old system or new.
Try Sparkle, In Win for lower end PSUs. I bought a lower end 300W Sparkle PSU about 8 yrs ago and it still works. ;)
Enchantermon on 10/12/2010 at 16:02
Okay, so I couldn't find Nu Powers anywhere. I did find a relatively inexpensive Sparkle (
http://www.amazon.com/FSP180-50NIV-B-180W-20-PIN-Power-Supply/dp/B0015TXJYY/ref=dp_return_2?ie=UTF8&n=172282&s=electronics) new on Amazon. However, I need to know a couple of things. First of all, how do you orient the power supply when measuring dimensions? The one I get needs to be relatively close to the one I have now, because Gateway in all its wisdom doesn't have the PSU held in place by screws (and there aren't any holes in the case for them either), but instead by a plastic clip and a few small metal shelves. If the PSU is either too large or too small for the clip, it'll fall out. So I need to know how to measure mine so I can look for one with the right dimensions.
Second, I don't know anything at all about electrical currents. As such, the mess of specs listed in the Amazon product description mean nothing to me, and I don't know how to match it up and see if it's similar to the PSU I have now. Here's the sticker on mine:
Code:
INPUT 100-120V ~ / 4.0A, 50-60Hz
200-240V ~ / 2.0A,
OUTPUT +5V ----- / 8.5A, -12V ----- / 0.8A,
160W MIN, +12V ----- / 8.5A, +3.3V ----- / 14.0A,
+5VSB ----- / 1.7A,
MAX. COMBINED POWER ON +5V, +12V AND +3.3V OUTPUT IS 160W.
The input I'm assuming is related to the switch in the back, as it changes between 115 and 230, and in the US it's to be set at 115. That should be standard I'm assuming, so I should be fine with that. The problem is the output; which of these numbers are the significant ones that I need to match up with the new PSU? Do I just need to make sure that the new one will output at least 160W and that's that? Will a more powerful one endanger my computer at all? Again, PSUs are the component that I'm the least familiar with, so I apologize if these are stupid questions; I just want to be sure.
Al_B on 11/12/2010 at 21:29
Yes, the input is the mains power and the outputs are the various voltage rails (+3.3V / +5V / +12V etc). A more powerful power supply won't be a problem, but there's no point in buying one that's hugely over rated as you'll just be wasting money. The current ratings per rail can be important, particularly the current of the +12V rail when used with modern graphics cards. However, you shouldn't have a problem with this computer with any power supply of 200W or above.
Given the age of the computer, it's worth checking the power connector that goes to the motherboard. Older computers had a single strip of power pins (AT PSU style), modern ATX motherboards have 20 or 24 pins in a 2 x 10 (or 12) arrangement.
In terms of size there are some which are designed for specific cases, but if it's a standard ATX power supply then there's little or no variation that I've noticed. Some have exhaust or intake fans that could potentially interfere but depending on your case it may not be a problem.
Enchantermon on 11/12/2010 at 23:55
Quote Posted by Al_B
Yes, the input is the mains power and the outputs are the various voltage rails (+3.3V / +5V / +12V etc). A more powerful power supply won't be a problem, but there's no point in buying one that's hugely over rated as you'll just be wasting money. The current ratings per rail can be important, particularly the current of the +12V rail when used with modern graphics cards. However, you shouldn't have a problem with this computer with any power supply of 200W or above.
Okay, thanks.
Quote Posted by Al_B
Given the age of the computer, it's worth checking the power connector that goes to the motherboard. Older computers had a single strip of power pins (AT PSU style), modern ATX motherboards have 20 or 24 pins in a 2 x 10 (or 12) arrangement.
Yeah, I already knew it was a standard 20-pin ATX. Not too long ago I was working on another computer for a friend and opened up every desktop in the house looking for a 24-pin PSU to replace his, and discovered that they were all 20-pins (except for the early-90s PC). :P
Quote Posted by Al_B
In terms of size there are some which are designed for specific cases, but if it's a standard ATX power supply then there's little or no variation that I've noticed. Some have exhaust or intake fans that could potentially interfere but depending on your case it may not be a problem.
The one I found on Amazon looks like it'll be a little too small, depending on how accurate the guy who measured it was, which is why I asked. If nothing else though, I could probably drill a couple holes in the back of the case (computer case, not the PSU case :P) if the clip doesn't work and if the PSU doesn't come with screws they're a dime a dozen at a hardware store.
june gloom on 12/12/2010 at 02:07
Quote Posted by lost_soul
Hey now, what's wrong with CoolMax? I've had one in my old Athlon 3200+ machine for the past six years and it hasn't given me a bit of trouble. It never even started grinding or anything like that. The machine has an even older Maxtor HDD (which many people also hate). That HDD has also never given me a bit of trouble and has over 46,000 hours of running time on it.
That's because you don't play anything made after 2000 that would put your cute little Linux system through its paces. Coolmax is cheap, poorly made, and a disaster waiting to happen. I wish yours would fry and take everything with it, maybe then you'll stop posting here for a while.
lost_soul on 12/12/2010 at 03:39
Do the dark mod and penumbra count? TDM doesn't run well on that particular machine though.
june gloom on 12/12/2010 at 04:28
In your case, no.
lost_soul on 12/12/2010 at 21:55
Looks like I may be buying one of those cheap PSUs too. I've got an old P4 Vaio machine here that refuses to turn on as of this afternoon. You know how it is with these pre-builts, they use the smallest PSU (both in terms of physical and performance) that they can get by with. At least if I have to replace the craptastic 200 Watt PSU in there, I can then use a decent video card instead of the Geforce 6200 which it currently holds. I could install my old Radeon X1600 and this P4 might then have a snowball's chance in hell of playing The Dark Mod.
june gloom on 13/12/2010 at 00:01
So the day after I wished your PSU would fry, one of your PSUs fries.
... I think I have superpowers.
