can computer do the 220v??

[#2]

My 300w power supply has that 220v switch on the back of it. Assuming I go to say, umm... SouthEast Asia or Europe were outlets there put out 220v. Will I be able to use my computer over there without FRYING the mobo, cd-rom drives, or CPU? (who would want to trust a $10-$40 transformer to step the voltage up to 220v for a $1500 system anyways)

[drn]

Yes that is why that switch is there

[NDC]

Yep, My computer was brought to Asia which uses 220V from California which uses 110V, and I just switched the voltage switch on the PSU to 220V and the system works fine. I've been using my system here for over a year now this way. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[#2]

sweet.
thanks for the info. I appreciate it.

[kljucd1]

Hi,
I live in australia where we have, depending on where you live anywhere from 220v - 250v and i have been buying some of my stuff from different countries including america, plugging them in and no problems.

[NDC]

Beware:

There are hardware devices that don't support other than 110V when purchased in the United States. As a matter of fact, that's the situation I ran into with my Zip Drive and Scanner. I ended buying Voltage Convertor Box that would convert 110V to 220V for my Zip Drive and Scanner.

[Richard_Cranium72]

WRONG, except for the last one.

In lots of Europe the power supply grid is not on 60 cycle(60hz) but instead it's 50hz.

You'll need a power supply for European usage or perhaps an expensive adaptor to change the frequency to 50 cycles per second.

I'm not a overseas traveller, but am in the electrical field,, so this is pretty much established RUMOR http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

wHERE'S Jad or Pickel when ya need em ?

[NDC]

WRONG, except for the last one

What I said? If so, which part? Maybe there's something I'm missing. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by NDC (edited 11-24-2000).]

[Missing the point]

NDC, he said WRONG, EXCEPT for the last one, which was yours.

He is sayin that yours is RIGHT http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[Richard_Cranium72]

At HOme DEpot today I saw a European Voltage doo-hickey.

It was only 50 watts and cost $39.95,,

Just FYI, prolly a unit large enough to power a pewter would be rather expensive..

A power supply for the European theatre would be the cheapest route, a bit of hassle though..

[NDC]

Ohhhhh, I was missing the point, Missing The Point. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/biggrin.gif

[Mabus]

Uh, almost all of you are wrong, actually.
You can't use the vast majority of North American power supplies on the 220 volt setting because it's not even wired up on the inside. That's just the "idiot switch" so if you go to another country and flip it to 220, you won't fry anything because it effectively turns the power supply off. Don't believe me? Open up your power supply and check out the little swtich doo-dad. There'll only be 2 leads coming off of it where as if it was actually connected, it would have at LEAST 3.

[jak]

i aggree w/ mabus. i made the mistake of leaving my power supply on 250 when it was first shipped and whenever someone else in the house turned on a vacuum for example my whole computer would just shut down till i finally figured out what the prob was and simply switched it over to 115 and nothing fried at all.

[randy48]

#2 if you're in the military or a government employee and you go overseas, you can pickup the 220 to 110 transformers pretty cheap at the local (on base) thrift store or from someone getting ready to leave. I did about 13 years out of 20 in Germany, I guess I have a little experience http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/wink.gif

[Rat]

Mabus,
I think you are mistaken.... the switch merely makes or breaks contact to route the voltage properly. When it is set to 110V, it makes the circuit, but when you have 220V, the wiring changes from having one hot leg to having two hot legs (the ground leg becomes the nuetral as well). I believ you wind up using only one leg of the 220.... will have to tear a PS aprt further to verify this.
P.S.:
NDC is using a US machine on 220 in Asia right now, so I guess that switch isn't a dummy switch after all.


Rat...

[This message has been edited by Rat (edited 11-25-2000).]

[#2]

So...I should:
1. buy a PSU from over there or,
2. get a StepUp Transformer
I'm leaning towards #2 (hehe), but I'm REALLY Concerned about the Quality of transformers (been there, done that kinda thing).
Buying a PSU from over there won't be a problem for me. I just want to make sure my computer WILL be in healthy, working order over there.

[NDC]

NDC is using a US machine on 220 in Asia right now, so I guess that switch isn't a dummy switch after all.


Trust me, it isn't a dummy switch. I know for a fact that it isn't because there has been a time on my earlier visits to Asia with my systems and forgot to switch that over to 220V and......Zap! http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/frown.gif Some of the systems that I have use "free-volt" PSU's where I don't have to switch anything to use 110V to 220V or vise-versa. All I have to do is change the adapter which they sell here to plug into the wall outlet. The wall outlets here have two round prongs rather than 2 flat prongs like the states.



[This message has been edited by NDC (edited 11-26-2000).]