PC Power Supply Torture Test
01-01-2005, 06:38 AM
#1
PC Power Supply Torture Test
One of my favorite PC mags is Maximum PC.
In the January issue for 2005 is an article on them torture testing 7 power supplies to see which to get, and which to avoid.
I read this with great interest as this year I will be getting a new tower case to transfer my current setup over to it.
The new case does not come with a power supply, and I have been scouring the 'Net for reviews.
One site that has lots of videos and a very sexy wife who shoots them (Corey, thou shall not covet they fellow gamers wife) runs the X-Connect 500W ATX power supply which Maximum PC gave a very bad rating to.
Here is the one to avoid.
X-Connect 500W ATX PS
Very cool looking is it not?
Member Drew bought this same power supply for his new gaming rig he put together.
It would not fit his nice case correctly (I was there helping with the assembly), so he could not use it.
I am glad now that it did not fit, as he got a better one.
Those cool cables that can be plugged/unplugged to fill your needs are huge and interfered with his case and would not let it slide in all the way.
Maximum PC says the voltage on this unit is not consistent, ands could possibly damage cheap or poorly designed hardware over time.
So what power supply did they recommend after vigorous testing?
The NeoPower 480 made by Antec.
It too has removable cables to clear the clutter in your case if you do not need all the plugs.
Plus it has all the latest plugs for SATA hard drives, and the new PCI Express motherboards.
Maximum PC gave it their "Kick Ass" product award in the mag as well as seen on Antec's site.
This will be the PS I probably end up getting after reading the article in this months magazine.
TO find out how much wattage you need for your current PC, here is a cool site with drop down menus to select what you have in your PC now to see if your current PS is up to the job.
After using it, it said I need 291 watts, and my current PS is a 300 watt unit, barely capable.
This is why I will be upgrading to a newer and higher wattage PS unit when I get the new case.
Running an underpowered PS in your case can contribute to your PC acting strange at times such as rebooting for no reason.
Hope this helps someone building a new PC or upgrading your current one.
In the January issue for 2005 is an article on them torture testing 7 power supplies to see which to get, and which to avoid.
Seven big-rig power supplies go through a gauntlet of non-UN approved “interrogations.” We sweat them, deprive them of stable power, and stress them to their limits. Wait until you see which manufacturer’s PSU comes out on top.
The new case does not come with a power supply, and I have been scouring the 'Net for reviews.
One site that has lots of videos and a very sexy wife who shoots them (Corey, thou shall not covet they fellow gamers wife) runs the X-Connect 500W ATX power supply which Maximum PC gave a very bad rating to.
Here is the one to avoid.
X-Connect 500W ATX PS
Very cool looking is it not?
Member Drew bought this same power supply for his new gaming rig he put together.
It would not fit his nice case correctly (I was there helping with the assembly), so he could not use it.
I am glad now that it did not fit, as he got a better one.
Those cool cables that can be plugged/unplugged to fill your needs are huge and interfered with his case and would not let it slide in all the way.
Maximum PC says the voltage on this unit is not consistent, ands could possibly damage cheap or poorly designed hardware over time.
So what power supply did they recommend after vigorous testing?
The NeoPower 480 made by Antec.
It too has removable cables to clear the clutter in your case if you do not need all the plugs.
Plus it has all the latest plugs for SATA hard drives, and the new PCI Express motherboards.
Maximum PC gave it their "Kick Ass" product award in the mag as well as seen on Antec's site.
This will be the PS I probably end up getting after reading the article in this months magazine.
TO find out how much wattage you need for your current PC, here is a cool site with drop down menus to select what you have in your PC now to see if your current PS is up to the job.
After using it, it said I need 291 watts, and my current PS is a 300 watt unit, barely capable.
This is why I will be upgrading to a newer and higher wattage PS unit when I get the new case.
Running an underpowered PS in your case can contribute to your PC acting strange at times such as rebooting for no reason.
Hope this helps someone building a new PC or upgrading your current one.
01-01-2005, 06:46 AM
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Great Corey, thanks for the heads up.
The power supply is often overlooked. I didn't even worry about the kind I got when I built my system. I actually don't even know what kind it is
The power supply is often overlooked. I didn't even worry about the kind I got when I built my system. I actually don't even know what kind it is
01-01-2005, 11:50 AM
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I just replaced the generic on that came with my case with an antec truepower 430 yesterday. It's been working great so far.
Last edited by pinnacle; 01-01-2005 at 11:51 AM.
07-27-2006, 07:57 PM
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hmmm i have that same x connect and its been a great ps im running 4 hds 1 dvdrw pcie1800xl 3gb and 3 120mm fans with a fx53 without problems. that site says i need a ps around 405 watts. 500 watts sould be just about right after i get another video card for crossfire
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07-27-2006, 09:43 PM
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DudeBud,
well designed hardware will compensate for a less then perfect powersupply and vise versa. That's why often times you won't really know until you add something which is more sensitive. Or you might just have a good one of the bunch, who knows.
Flakey psus can be headache to deal with though. Hard to pinpoint sometimes.
well designed hardware will compensate for a less then perfect powersupply and vise versa. That's why often times you won't really know until you add something which is more sensitive. Or you might just have a good one of the bunch, who knows.
Flakey psus can be headache to deal with though. Hard to pinpoint sometimes.
07-28-2006, 03:47 AM
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When I was a PC Tech, often times the first component we would swap out during diagnostics was a power supply. A faulty power supply will often mislead you to believe that your HDD ro MBD is going bad when it is not. It usually helps if you have a multi-meter handy, also. 
07-29-2006, 04:58 PM
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I got a cheap PSU tester on ebay
Like this one:
http://www.compusa.com/products/prod..._Supply_Tester
and it's worth it's weight in gold. A lot easier to use or carry around than my huge fluke multi-tester.
http://www.compusa.com/products/prod..._Supply_Tester
and it's worth it's weight in gold. A lot easier to use or carry around than my huge fluke multi-tester.
07-29-2006, 06:49 PM
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Originally Posted by arjan
DudeBud,
well designed hardware will compensate for a less then perfect powersupply and vise versa. That's why often times you won't really know until you add something which is more sensitive. Or you might just have a good one of the bunch, who knows.
Flakey psus can be headache to deal with though. Hard to pinpoint sometimes.
well designed hardware will compensate for a less then perfect powersupply and vise versa. That's why often times you won't really know until you add something which is more sensitive. Or you might just have a good one of the bunch, who knows.
Flakey psus can be headache to deal with though. Hard to pinpoint sometimes.
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