need PSU advice, keep or buy new (upgrading PC)

Here's my situation,

About a week ago my Motherboard "fried" itself (Asus A8N-E, pops and smoke - smells like from small chipset fan in lower right [photobucket.com]), I built the PC in Dec. '05. I didn't know if any other parts were zapped with the Mobo but I decided to buy a new CPU and RAM along with a Mobo.

Need advice on if I should get a new PSU or not. This PC will be used primarily for gaming.

Here's my setup-to-be once I get the new parts in:


Antec SmartPower 2.0 400W

Core2Duo E8400 3.0ghz (65W)
Asus P5Q Pro Mobo
nvidia 8600 GTS
2x SATA HDD's
2gb ddr2 800
Audigy2 ZS Audio Card


If you do suggest a new PSU, my goal budget is below $60 because after the new parts I'm low on cash and would rather not have to buy this unless it's a must. I heard the Antec EarthWatts line was good?

I appreciate any advice greatly! What do you guys think?

**EDIT: Also please read this reply I posted below, it has a lot of additional info.
http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1033031431&postcount=5 [hardforum.com]

Thanks for the replies thus far!

I recommend you get a new PSU. A Corsair VX450 would be excellent if you could stretch your budget (typical price ranges from ~$60-70 AR), but otherwise, the Antec Earthwatts EA380 (make sure it doesn't have a "D" suffix as that model is made by a different manufacturer) would be good if you can find one within your budget, and the Seasonic SS-400ET or SS-350ET would be great as well.

Edit: VX450 is now $40 AR at Buy.com. Perfect for you. Link: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1345491

would have really liked to order that $40 deal but can't place the order till monday and it's over by then. Thankyou for the response!

The Antec Earthwatts PSUs are good but if you find a Corsair thats about the same price or within $10 of it, get the Corsair PSU instead.

How old is your Smartpower PSU? Do you hear a squealing noise from it?

The Antec SmartPower 2.0 SP-400 400W [newegg.com] I have was purchased in Dec. 2005, it came along with a case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129163 so no PSU packaging). As far as I know it was running fine. No squeeling or abnormal noises. I guess I should have included the original computer specs it was running with.

The originals for the parts being replaced:
Athlon X2 3800+ (2.0 GHz)
Asus A8N-E Mobo (is what 'fried')
2GB DDR 400

The new parts I ordered:
Intel Core2Duo E8400 (3.0 GHz)
Asus P5Q Pro Mobo
2GB DDR2 800

The GPU I'll be using for now with both of these has been/will be an EVGA 8600 GTS.

Originally had an EVGA 7800 GT and got the 8600 GTS less than a year ago and have seen no indication of a problem, PC ran great until upon moving it to my new Apt. and turning it on .. "Pops" and black smoke from the inside..

So I should have also asked if this is an increase in power demand by these parts. (It sounds dumb but I was reading and it sounds like the E8400 is pretty power efficient)

Now my main concern is frying all the new parts when turning it on for the first time, if it was somehow related to my SmartPower PSU. I smelt the PC parts to see what smelled like the horrible black smoke and the only place seems to be coming from is the little fan in the lower right area of the Motherboard, so I'm hopeful that that was the only affected part. I got the other new parts cause I figured I'd just upgrade while I was at it instead of buying another older Mobo to fit with my possibly fried Processor.

Lemme know what you think. I'm doing more PSU research, there's just so many different one's out there and I don't know much about them at all so it's hard for me to make a decision. Though I'm leaning on picking up a Corsiar or Earthwatts like you two have suggested (I haven't heard anything bad about them yet). If I do order one it will probably be in the next half weeks time.

See if there's a bad smell coming from the PSU.

I took out the PSU from the case and sprayed compressed air to clear out any dust from the PSU, CPU heatsink, and small fan on lower right of Mobo.

Smelled each part and the PSU looks in good condition and smells like nothing at all, while the small chip fan on mobo smells burnt-like (burnt dust maybe?).

Nothing else smells at all like the small fan on the Mobo.

*picture! http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y111/ch1lly/asus-a8n-e-big.jpg