need help for power supply challenged

[bpimmerman]

Using MBM my voltages are:

i'm assuming that these are very bad....should i be getting a new power supply? right now i have a generic 350w. Thanks.

specs:

epox mobo
mobile 2400
original aiw radeon(intending to upgrade soon)

also:
cd-r
dvd
2 120mm fans
4 80mm fans
firewire
soublaster live! value

 

[xonik]

Motherboard Monitor is not a good indication of your power supply's health. Nonetheless, a generic 350 watt power supply is not going to keep your components safe. You should look at the Aurora series of power supplies from Fortron or Sparkle. They are inexpensive but will ensure that your components receive clean and adequate power.

 

[SJetski71]

Motherboard Monitor is not a good indication of your power supply's health. Nonetheless, a generic 350 watt power supply is not going to keep your components safe. You should look at the Aurora series of power supplies from Fortron or Sparkle. They are inexpensive but will ensure that your components receive clean and adequate power.

Agreed, i'll even go as far as to say any Fortron or Sparkle labeled "FSP" would work great in any system.

 

[Ice Czar]

Motherboard Monitor is not a good indication of your power supply's health. Nonetheless, a generic 350 watt power supply is not going to keep your components safe. You should look at the Aurora series of power supplies from Fortron or Sparkle. They are inexpensive but will ensure that your components receive clean and adequate power.

as a caveate, MBM pulls its info off the System Management Bus and it "should" be reasonably accurate if the implementation is correct (if the mobo manufacturer supplied a monitoring utility a comparision is useful between the two) and while it might not be accurate to within X decimal places, a big varience underload like that +3.3V is a bad sign
(especially if it was reasonably OK before)

the widely held idea that the SMBus is less accurate than a direct multimeter reading
ignores the fact that voltage measurement onboard are often taken after the Voltage Regulation Modual (VRM) supplying the power to the mobo, so while the PSU may not be accurately measured for its output, its possible that the power on the board itself is more accurate than a direct measurement

however, the software interface enters into it and the quirks of the SMBus implementation\sensors\and sometimes BIOS

 

[bpimmerman]

so ice, do you recommend as well that i get a new ps?

 

[Ice Czar]

my personal opinion is that no one should use a cheap generic PSU if the value their computer

some considerations in buying a PSU
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=779582

that isnt a particularly demanding config of components
but upgrades might suprise you in their power requirements
future proofing is not all that simple right now
as connectors are changing, the specs have changed
new mobos might assume you have a compliant and not just compatible power supply
(meaning that the +12V is split into dual isolated rails for added stability)
basically you cant continue to blindly use generics and then dynamically configure upgrades and hope to have stability
investing in a good future proof power supply will pay for itself if you have any intention to use it past this mobo, Id recommend an Antec Neopower, as a supply that would fill that role for a few years, if budget is a concern (when isnt it) and the role the power supply is to fulfill much shorter, then as mentioned above the Fortrons are nice, but refigure the components requirements with every upgrade (see link)

 

[bpimmerman]

thanks a lot, that information helps. i'll look into different psu's and choose the right combination of $$$ and versatility.

 

[Ice Czar]

better PSUs are basically able to deal with more varience in the AC load
and more changes in the internal load drawn, yet maintain stable power
you pay for that extra range, but it can under some circumstances be a very wise investment

generics on the other hand often lack functioning protection mechanisms to protect components, and can fry stuff
(or a good PSU can be overloaded with nearly the same effects)

the difference between a $20 generic, a $65 workhorse and a top end unit at $150 > +$200
is that range and the safety it provides

I just bought a Fortron 530 at $75 for my brothers rig, which is all that it required
but I have a $200 PSU in my workstation and I consider that money welll spent too

once you have the basics you can make actual informed decisions

Good Luck

some "real" reviews of PSUs
http://www.silentpcreview.com/section4.html