Recommended PSU's?

[LostBok]

I currently have a 350W Enermax, but it is about 4 years old now and starting to make a bit of noise, which of these makes would be the recommended replacement?

Another Enermax or a CWT / HiperPower / ThermalTake?

Once I finish this upgrade, I'll be running an ASUS A7V333, XP1900+ (but will upgrade later), Hercules Radeon9700PRO, 5 x IBM 80Gb GXP120's, DVD, CDRW, DVDRW.

Not too bothered about squeezing 500W out of a 320W PSU or anything silly like that, I'm willing to buy whatever is required. I just want it to be VERY quiet and have very stable, steady power supply. The following are on special at my "local" retailer, so would prefer one of these:

450W CWT Quiet Dual Fan Version AMD/P4 Approved Active Fan Control Active PFC
550W CWT Quiet Dual Fan Version AMD/P4 Approved Active Fan Control Active PFC
350W Enermax EG365AX-G-FMA PSU with Manual Fan Control/Temp Control 2Yr
431W Enermax EG465AXVE-G-FMA PSU with Manual Fan Control/Temp Control 2Yr
433W Enermax EG465AXVE-W-FCA PSU with Manual Fan Control/Temp Control 2Yr
550W Enermax EG651P-VE Whisper Quiet Dual Fan PSU - AMD Approved / P4 2Yr
350W HiperPower PSU Quiet Single Fan Active PFC
420W HiperPower Dual Xeon/MP (EPS 12volt) (Active Fan Control) Quiet Dual Fan Active PFC
420W HiperPower Quiet Dual Fan (Active Fan Control) Active PFC
520W HiperPower PSU Quiet Triple Fan (Active Fan Control) Active PFC
360W ThermalTake Dual Fan PSU PFC W0006R
420W ThermalTake Dual Fan PSU PFC W0008R

Are particularly godd / especially worth avoiding? Are there any really good PSU's not listed?

rgds,
LostBok

[Giblet Plus!]

I would go with a Sparkle/Fortron or an Antec. A 350W from them would be more than enough for your system.

[cdroman]

I would go for any of the dual fan models as it may reduce the need for extra chasis fans and help quiet down the system even further.

[bushmaster]

Any of the Antec true power series. Anything I've ever built in the past few years have used Antec PSU's. None have failed to date.

[BipolarBill]

The Enermax is definitely worth repairing if it has served you well. Fans are cheap.

In Europe, Fortron is Verax. Those are affordable and solid. While Enermax and Thermaltake are good, Antec PSUs are the top consumer-grade units. In short, if you want to keep to budget, get Verax. If you like the best of the best, buy Antec.

[G]

Try Ebuyer.com for the best Antec PSU's at the cheapest prices.

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd2JyYW5k&mfr_uid=195

G

Hi Bill :t

[BipolarBill]

Howdy, Podnah! :D

[G]

:t

Antec TrueBlue series from Ebuyer.com are the best and cheapest about. I should know as I'm getting one from them soon. A nice big 550W puppy.

Thanks to Bill for the heads up again. What a guy :-@ :D

[Bigjakkstaffa]

Ive read a couple of good reviews of the Hiper PSU's.. i think theyre attached to coolermaster somewhere alogn the line.

My auld COdegen is still plugging away, must admit it dont liek cold days though :(

--jakk:t

[Eric Legge]

Comparison of 21 Power Supplies - Full Load and Overload - Power Supply Units Pushed to the Limits -

http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/02q4/021021/index.html



Eric,

http://www.legge40.freeserve.co.uk/BuyerBeware.htm

[Bigjakkstaffa]

As i was saying about hiper:

http://www.ukgamer.com/article.php4?id=161&PHPSESSID=5e668c9764b481e9276ecec0f67e971c

I intend to get hold of one when i get my next box

--Jakk:t

[BipolarBill]

Looks good. You ought to import them here, Jakk. :cool:

[ATI RADEON 8500]

How much is that hiper 420 PSU in USD? Jakk any chance of you buying it from the company up at uk and we buy it from u using PAYPAL or those sorts?

[paul0660]

Bill has the best idea, get a fan, probably 25mmx80mm, and repair the enermax. Just don't touch anything shocky while you have the case open.

[LostBok]

Think I'm going with Bill... now that I've I've actually pulled the case out and had a fiddle, it would seem that it's just the rear fan that's at fault. Gonna try fix it.

350W should be okay for all that kit though, shouldn't it?



ASUS A7V333, XP1900+ (but will upgrade later), Hercules Radeon9700PRO, 5 x IBM 80Gb GXP120's, DVD, CDRW, DVDRW

I'm bailing on the DVDRW idea for now, so it'll actually be:

ASUS A7V333 mobo
XP1900+
1x512Mb Corsair XMS PC3500
Hercules Radeon 9700PRO
5 x IBM 80Gb GXP120's
DVD:Pioneer 16x slot
CDRW:Plextor 12/10/32A
CDRW:Lite-On 52/24/52
Digital PCI 10/100 NIC
Using the onboard CMedia sound (with the digital/optical in/out daughterboard) and onboard RAID/Firewire/USB2.

Not that it makes a difference, but the rest of it is:
EIZO 21" T960 (1600/1200@92Hz, onboard USB hub)
MS Intelli-Optical
MS Natural (original)
Lian-Li PC60
And a fistful of USB toys, but all hanging off the hub, only the mouse and hub are normally plugged into the case.

If that'll all hang on for now on the Enermax 350W, I can always look at a upgrading if the next CPU pushes it closer to the limit.

Should that PSU suffice if I want to try overclocking a CPU a bit? I've got a couple of "old" MP1800+ CPU's that I bought at the same time and aren't being used any more and reckon they'd be easier to OC than the 1900+....

I'm running with the PC60's 2 front case fans set to "low" and the back one replaced with a deep 80mm @<3000rpm. The CPU cooler is a CoolerMaster HHC-L61 Copper heat-pipe, with 7200rpm+ delta fan, but ASUS Qfan throttles that back to 4500rpm as soon as the box has booted.... thankfully!

rgds,
LostBok

[BipolarBill]

Just be sure that you get a low-RPM case fan - 1900-2200RPM if possible.

[LostBok]

Has anybody heard of an "Enhance" PSU?

I've got an "Enhance 460W" floating around here and was wondering if it was worth plugging it in...

[Bigjakkstaffa]

How much is that hiper 420 PSU in USD? Jakk any chance of you buying it from the company up at uk and we buy it from u using PAYPAL or those sorts?


Not likely, for i am just a poor student and decimated my bank account with the last lot of Hardware i bought :eek:

--Jakk:t

[zybch]

I've just got hold of a Thermaltake W0008 (420W, dual fan, PFC) and it rocks.
The fans are both thermally controlled so its nice and quiet unless you are gaming and generating a lot of heat, and it has an extra fan-sensor cable you can plug into your mobo.
According to motherboard monitor, the 3, 5, 12 voltage rails are absolutley spot-on with only tiny variations.
Its Power Factor Correction (PFC) circuitry is supposed to let the PSU deliver a more conistently high output than normal although I don't really have a load under which I could test this.

All I can say is that its a good PSU, nice and quite with lots of connectors (11 of em') so I don't have to run any splitter cables.

I paid $125 Australian for it from anyware.com.au.

[Izdaari]

LostBok,

Enhance is a respectable cheaper brand, comparable to Sparkle. Yeah, it's good enough to use, not trash.

And in general,

PC Power & Cooling are best because of very tight power regulation, but expensive.

Also good: Antec, Enermax, Sparkle aka Verax, Fortron (FSP), Enhance and Heroichi (HEC), Thermaltake. And CWT is ok, some models of which are sold as Antec.

Anything else I'll consider suspect until proven. I'm not familiar with Hiper though that UK review looks good. Pacific Rim generics I consider absolutely worthless, and that includes most anything that comes with a cheap cases.

[LostBok]

I know it wasn't too high on your "recommended" list, but I've decided to go for a CWT PSU.


"550W CWT Quiet Dual Fan Version AMD/P4 Approved Active Fan Control Active PFC"

Looks it should do all the essentials and was only £55 ($85). I was tempted by the 550W Enermax, but I know those aren't quiet and my theory is that with the active fans, it should be able to quieten down a fair bit when not being thrashed with all the drives spinning, etc.

If anybody has heard any particular horro stories about these, then please yell ASAP, I might still be able to change the order!

rgds,
LostBok