Power Supply...

[rsfnatik]

I'm building a new system for a friend of a friend and had a quick question regarding power requirements.

I'll start by saying that this system will be used primarily for Internet and word processing... maybe Quickbooks and some other software. There will be no gaming/graphics/video and the system will not be overclocked. One hard drive and optical drive are fine and there will be plenty of free PCI slots as only an AGP card and modem are required.

I'm thinking of going with an Athlon XP 1800 ($75CDN) + A7N8X-X ($112CDN) - fast enough and the cost is low. I'm looking at using an AOpen QF50 series case and standard 300W power supply (~$60CDN). Any complaints or opinions?

[BipolarBill]

You don't buy power supplies for present needs - you buy for future needs. Standard 300W PSUs often don't meet spec. If you insist on getting just a 300W PSU, consider a Fortron unit:

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduct.asp?DEPA=0&submit=Go&description=N82E16817104979

It exceeds 300W and is dead quiet.

Use this tool to determine your needs:

http://www.pcpowerandcooling.com/products/power_supplies/selector/index.htm

[dcman]

A friend of mine has the same case and i guess its a good case. But it often makes certain noises sometimes. But its not too bad so theres no real complains here. But where are u getting these parts from? I like the prices. Can u give me the link to a website (if they got one).

[rsfnatik]

dcman: Take a look at www.canadacomputers.com (http://www.canadacomputers.com). They have several locations in the GTA and usually keep pretty good stock on hand.

I used an AOpen case when I built my K62-450 system a while back and it was rock solid. Never had a problem.

Bill: In a perfect world we'd all like to plan ahead. I'm looking at assembling a fairly basic/modest system with few power hungry peripherals. This person went from a 286 to a P166... which they've been using for the past two years without a complaint. He's looking for a stable home computer - upgrades will be far and few between. I'm also forced to operate within a budget, but I will take a look at pricing a bare ATX mid-tower and a "better" PSU.

BTW, your calculator recommended a 275W PSU. :)

[BipolarBill]

Originally posted by rsfnatik
BTW, your calculator recommended a 275W PSU. :) It's not my calculator. I wish...

275W? Add a stick of RAM and a backup drive and you're over the limit, right?

Hey - it's your dime.

[RamonGTP]

BPB is right as far as future upgradability is concerned... But if the primary goal is a low price, i'm sure that PSU will work fine for you. The system you described doesn't seem all that power hungry, and the uses seem to be pretty light. One of my systems is running off a generic 300 watter with no problems, it's pushing a 1900+ 512MB PC2100, 2 optical drives, HDD, GF2, and a wireless NIC... Power requirements for that system should be right around the same as the system you're putting together.

[Magua]

If you are still going to go with a 300 watt I wouldnt touch a generic PSU.

[rsfnatik]

Thanks for the input.

Bill: I realize that you didn't create the calculator you recommended. No finger pointing, just letting you know what it suggested.

Unfortunately, it's not my call when it comes to the $$ as it's not my dime. I did look into another solution tho and I can get a decent looking mid-tower for ~$45CDN and an Enermax 350W/Thermaltake 420W for ~$65. The added cost shouldn't be enough to worry about.

If I were building this sytem for myself I wouldn't second guess installing a quality (silent :)) power supply.

[BipolarBill]

The customer is rarely happy. The same guy who insists that you keep the price down blames you when something goes wrong.

I always try to sell a good power supply and 2 hard drives along with 512MB RAM. If a single hard drive goes sour, the average customer is left with nothing. He won't think kindly of you unless you at least tried to sell a second drive. Then he will blame himself. I can Ghost the initial setup to a second partition or a second drive. A drive is a much better choice. I store the images there and I store My Documents, Favorites and the Outlook Express store there. This way, they are always saved and current.

This only adds about $100 to the cost. It's cheap insurance.

[Magua]

I did look into another solution tho and I can get a decent looking mid-tower for ~$45CDN and an Enermax 350W/Thermaltake 420W for ~$65

Good choice, both those companies should be fine.

[rsfnatik]

That's definitely sound advice Bill.

I had used an AOpen case/psu in a previous system of mine and was pleased (of course that was at least 3 years ago). What i'm getting from this thread is that it's probably not up to the job for the system in question... which is the kind of feedback I was looking for.

Thanks again.

[Giblet Plus!]

Originally posted by rsfnatik

I'm thinking of going with an Athlon XP 1800 ($75CDN) + A7N8X-X ($112CDN) - fast enough and the cost is low. I'm looking at using an AOpen QF50 series case and standard 300W power supply (~$60CDN). Any complaints or opinions?

Aopen PSUs are made by Fortron. It will work fine.

180W power supplies can power P4 and Radeon 9800 systems in those Shuttle shoeboxes. It's the quality that counts.

[rsfnatik]

AOpen is built by Fortron!?! Can you provide more info on this?