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Sparkles Dead! Need new PSU

T

ToddW2

2[H]4U
Joined
Nov 8, 2004
Messages
4,017
This is my 2nd PSU i`ve gone through in 3 years.. The first was whatever came wtih my case, and the second was a Sparkle 300 (nothing high powered).

I run an XP 1800+ GF3 (soon ati 9800), DVD Burner, CD Burner, and 2 ATA HDs.

My laptop is arriving today so this PC will mainly be used for burning/backing up my work.

I`ve always run my pc 24/7 for the last 3 years. I need something under $80, and as silent as possible, however I would much rather have function over NO SOUND.. So silent is not a big deal to me but if it's possible i`d like silent.. I can get another Sparkle if I want local for cheap but not sure I want to get another since it went out on me.. (or should I say going, PC randomly shuts off an wont turn back on)

Let me know what you guys suggest.
 
ToddW2 said:
This is my 2nd PSU i`ve gone through in 3 years.. The first was whatever came wtih my case, and the second was a Sparkle 300 (nothing high powered).

I run an XP 1800+ GF3 (soon ati 9800), DVD Burner, CD Burner, and 2 ATA HDs.

My laptop is arriving today so this PC will mainly be used for burning/backing up my work.

I`ve always run my pc 24/7 for the last 3 years. I need something under $80, and as silent as possible, however I would much rather have function over NO SOUND.. So silent is not a big deal to me but if it's possible i`d like silent.. I can get another Sparkle if I want local for cheap but not sure I want to get another since it went out on me.. (or should I say going, PC randomly shuts off an wont turn back on)

Let me know what you guys suggest.
Click to expand...

I am selling my Antec True Control 550w for $80 shipped if you're interested.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=832589
 
ToddW2 said:
This is my 2nd PSU i`ve gone through in 3 years..
Click to expand...



power supplies are all about the worse case senerio
too high a load for too long at too high a temperature when all of a sudden it has to deal with a sag or surge

there is a reason to run a supply with a greater safety margin and at a lower temperature....longevity

even a top shelf supply like the PCP&C 510 Turbo Cool
will die a premature death from the above causes
one of the reasons Ive modded my rackmount to give it a dedicated air supply of its own
with just a HDD and optical "upstream" of it, and force fed AC air like the rest of the case

like most mechanical and electronic devices PSU benefit from the Arrhenius Equation
roughly translating to the rule of thumb that for Each 10°C (18°F) temperature rise reduces component life by 50%.
Conversely, each 10°C (18°F) temperature reduction increases component life by 100%.

1. get a UPS
2. run with a healthy overcapacity (like 1\3rd to 1\2)
meaning you need to know the amp distribution to rails your config has
3. exhaust the CPU Heatsink(s) \ case exhaust some other way if possible
it will both increase the supply's capacity and its longevity

workup the amps and Id be happy to recommend a few supplies
 
AMD XP1800+
ATI 9800 PRO
Plextor DVD-RW/CD-RW
?Name? CD-RW
WD 40gb
WD 160gb
Epox 8kha+ MOBO

How do I find specs on amp draw for each?

Will the mentioned above PSU work and good value for waht I need
 
ToddW2 said:
How do I find specs on amp draw for each?
Click to expand...
short answer

http://takaman.jp/D/index.html?english

long answer

and use the values listed here for newer graphics cards (you can manually add them into the calculator above) make sure to use the additive result of the power supplied from the AGP slot and the auxillary power to the card, the total isnt given on the charts
Power Consumption of Contemporary Graphics Accelerators. Part I: Graphics Cards on ATI Chips
Power Consumption of Contemporary Graphics Accelerators. Part II: NVIDIA vs. ATI

and double check the processor value against this database
http://users.erols.com/chare/elec.htm
if there is an auxillary +12V power connector on the mobo, add it to the +12V rail
if not add it to the +5V rail

and follow the instructions here for other considerations (like temperature)
Whats dont mean Jack
I generally deduct 1\3rd off the amps a PSU is rated
to reflect the difference between the temperature it was tested at 25C
and the normal operating temperature in the enclosure 40C,
because its typically exhausting the HeatSink

as the title suggests, it aint the watts that is important
its the proper distribution of amps to the various rails

forgot to mention inputting a value for a CPU is a little different, since the database is simply listed in consumption in watts (max) what you have to do is add in a guess as to the Amps in either the +5V or +12V box (select other CPU not listed from the drop down menu)
that will give you the watts to the right, so, by trial and error adjust the amps to the watts to match the database figure

or just convert the watts to amps with a calculator first
AMPS = Watts / Voltage

so an Athlon 64-3200+ with a Thermal Design Power figure of 89W being powered off the +12V rail...

89 divided by 12 = 7.41Amp
which is really close to waht is listed in that calculator
(88.8 watts and 7.4A)

also note the utilization box at the top, that simply applies to the search returns whan you look for compliant PSU, not the figures listed
since many manufacturers lie like dogs regarding their specs
its best to post a thread regarding what supplies your considering
also that is a Japanese site, and some of those brands wouldnt be readily available here
and some we have arent listed

that would give you the theoretical maximum
that reflects the nature of any calculator
its additive of all the maximum draws for each component
but all components rarely if ever need their maximum draw at the same time

for instance a HDD may require 2A on the +12V line at spinup to overcome inertia
but only .05A while spinning, same for fans high amp draw at spinup
(not using the opticals, then you just have a very low standby draw)
the opposite applies to an IC (CPU/GPU) from Idle to load
for example figures for an X800XT (one of the most power hungry GPUs and cards)

525/1150
............................IDLE...........................LOAD
+3.3V.......1.05Amps 3.48Watts................2.71Amps 8.74Watts
+5V..........1.42Amps 4.05Watts...............3.33Amps 16.75watts
+12V........0.85Amps 10.09Watts..............3.25Amps 37.73Watts
Total W.....17.62Watts Idle.......................63.23Watts load
which jumps even more with an overclock
550/1250...18.43Watts Idle.......................65.88Watts load
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

there are alot of older monster watt PSUs out there that nevertheless are anemic on the +12V rail, adapting one to try to power a higher load could be terminal
you need those watts on the right rails, but your config isnt especially needy on the +12V rail
so the question becomes do you buy for a soluition applicable to just this config or one that will work in your next mobo as well, are you overclocking, or plan on some other serious upgrades

answer those and the basic amp figures and I'll walk you through the rest
but it will have to be in the morning as Im going to sleep right now ;)
 
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