Green power supply for a really low draw nas.

LBJ

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Feb 11, 2011
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I'm working on my zacate based nas and I'm powersupply shopping. Ideally I'd like to find something that's at least 80 plus but my load numbers are really low:

Asrock E350M + 4gb single dimm: 35ish w at load according to Tom's testing
2x segate 7200.12 drives: idle 5w operating 6.7w
1x 5200rpm notebook drive: idle 0.87w operating 2.3w

There aren't any pci devices everything is on board. Future plans include 2 more storage disks and another stick of ram.

Right now operating I'm at about 50 watts; at idle it could be under 30w and if I spin down the storage disks less than 20w. At idle I'm less than 20% load on even a 250w. I'm kind of wondering if I should be looking at pico supplies or just buy a cheap ($30) seasonic 350w 80+bronze model that's on sale locally. There's also a SPI/Sparkle Power 250w 80+standard for the same price but I'm unsure of the quality.

With a pico supply is it possible to split the included sata/molex connector enough times to power 5 drives?

Any other options I should consider? I'm looking for the greenest I can go within reason.
 
Yes, you can use a splitter without any problems as long as the power supply itself can handle the load.

I would say you don't need to worry about efficiency since your power requirements are so low, and any improvements in efficiency will net you a 10 watt improvement at best. Which is equivalent to turning off a fluorescent light-bulb. Result: going green would probably cost you more than you would save on electric bills, and any impact you might have is minimal at best, and most likely negligible. If anything, set your hard drives to shut down after a certain amount of time of not being used.

If you're in a regular case, I would just go with the Corsair CX430 V2 for $20 after rebate on Newegg. Or, if you don't want to bother with rebates, get that seasonic you mentioned.
 
I'd get the 350W Seasonic or look for a 300W version. The Sparkle would probably be alright as well, but it's a very low-end FSP build so I'd rather go the safe route and get a Seasonic.
 
Thanks for the suggestions! I decided to go with the 300w seasonic, it seemed like the most reasonable choice from a decent brand.

I just wish some of the 350w 80+gold supplies were available in the us.
 
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