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I think there's a pretty good chance that the problem I presented in my other thread is due to my PSU not being able to supply enough power, meaning I need to get a new one. So, as I have absolutely no idea what I'm looking for here, any ideas? My current one seems to be a Suntek 300W if that's any help.

I've got a Nexus NX-5000 and I've been very happy with it. Not much bigger than a regular 350W PSU either and gives out 500W. Quiet too.

Edi

Last time I checked, the consensus over at the Ars Technica forums was that Fortron Source and Sparkle Power were good PSU's for the price.
If money's not an issue and you want quiet, Seasonics are a popular choice.
I've used Fortron Source/Sparkle PSU's in several builds for other people and never had one come back with a problem.

In my own machine I've got an Antec Smartpower 400 watt PSU because it's what came with the case.
If it'd croak, I'd order a Fortron or Sparkle to replace it.

not a naked link

Absolutely free 500 watt power supply after rebate. I have one works fine, much better than any other budget PSU I've had,a nd you can't beat the price.

Seasonic S-12 380W/430W or M12 500W

Or, if you never want power problems again:

PC Power and Cooling 1KW PSU

Should I be looking for a specific type of PSU to fit my computer? The rebate one suggested above seems to have a fan pointed upwards, where in my comp there is the top of the case. The PSU's also seem to specify certain types of motherboard that they'll work with, so here's mine:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/mainbo ... eluxe.html

Lazarus wrote:Should I be looking for a specific type of PSU to fit my computer? The rebate one suggested above seems to have a fan pointed upwards, where in my comp there is the top of the case. The PSU's also seem to specify certain types of motherboard that they'll work with, so here's mine:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/mainbo ... eluxe.html

The rebate one is upside down in the picture, as the fan points downward when mounted.
What you're looking for is either a 20 pin ATX or 20+4 (a 24 pin connector where 4 pins detach so it'll work with 20 pin sockets) ATX unit.

A rule of thumb when looking at PSU's is the heavier the unit, the higher the quality, as better units use thick heatsinks for increased cooling.

I'd get this Sparkle 300w PSU for your system.
It's cheap and its from a maker with a good rep.
Or if you want 400 watts, this Fortron Source unit would be a good choice.



Edited to fix link.

Lazarus wrote:I think there's a pretty good chance that the problem I presented in my other thread is due to my PSU not being able to supply enough power, meaning I need to get a new one. So, as I have absolutely no idea what I'm looking for here, any ideas? My current one seems to be a Suntek 300W if that's any help.

When considering what power supply to buy, consider:

Wattage is not as important as some PSU manufacturers wish you thought it was.

The two most important things to look for in a power supply:

1) Reputable brand name.

Enermax, Seasonic, Fortron, Tagan, PC Power and Cooling... these are all highly reputable PSU brands. Theirs are usually among the most reliable you can get. Antec also to some extent, although they seem to have been slipping on their quality control as of late.

2) Sufficient 12v amperage

Determine how much amperage your system will require at 12 volts and make sure any PSU you get is able to meet this demand.

We can typically assume about 1A for fans and motherboard.
1A per optical drive.
2A per hard drive.

xbitlabs.com is usually a good resource for finding specs on power draw for processors and vid cards. Sometimes they go into detail on how much power is being drawn at the various voltages, and sometimes they just throw up "this component draws 60 watts at peak load"... in the latter case you can divide wattage by 12 (volts) to get a rough, yet safe reckoning of how many amps you'll need to budget for.

Using how many amps at 12V your system is likely to draw (plus a 10% safety margin), you can then use this figure to determine how big a power supply you need.

ThatGuyFromThatPlace wrote:not a naked link

Absolutely free 500 watt power supply after rebate. I have one works fine, much better than any other budget PSU I've had,a nd you can't beat the price.

500W for $40, not a recognized brand name, no specs listed...

That power supply is probably a piece of shit.

It's budget for sure, but every review I've seen said that its one of the few budget brands that wnet for quality over good looks. It's not as good as a Fortron or Nexus of course, but It's been getting the jon doen in my computer.

Hell in stress testing before I put it in my good machine, it sustained its rated 500w, quite a few less expensive brand name PSUs won't even do that. and for the price it was hard to justify to my poor college student self not getting it.

Get a 400 or 450 Watt Fortron. I haven't seen that kind of quality for the price anywhere else ($42 to $50 on Newegg).

Definately get a silent power supply. The first time you boot up your computer, you won't believe your ears. And just because it's quiet doesn't mean it can't cool well. Realize that silent isn't truely silent, but usualy 40dB, but that's a hell of a lot quieter than a standard (60-70dB) PS. One of my case fans is louder than my power supply, an my computer is still quiet enough to sleep three feet away from.

How about this one? I don't think I can use newegg as I'm in the UK.
http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/107613/ ... power.html

That one won't work, as it uses a 24 pin ATX connector and you need either a 20 pin connector or a 20+4 pin connector (the 4 pins detach from a 24 pin connector for backwards compatibility).

Glocksman wrote:That one won't work, as it uses a 24 pin ATX connector and you need either a 20 pin connector or a 20+4 pin connector (the 4 pins detach from a 24 pin connector for backwards compatibility).

It is possible to get adapters. That's one of the things my older brother had to do. Hell, if you were daring enough, you could make your own.


I wouldn't recommend it though.

Braedley wrote:

Glocksman wrote:That one won't work, as it uses a 24 pin ATX connector and you need either a 20 pin connector or a 20+4 pin connector (the 4 pins detach from a 24 pin connector for backwards compatibility).

It is possible to get adapters. That's one of the things my older brother had to do. Hell, if you were daring enough, you could make your own.


I wouldn't recommend it though.

Making your own, or using an adapter at all? I'm pretty sure manufactured adapters are alright.

Uraniun235 wrote:

Braedley wrote:

Glocksman wrote:That one won't work, as it uses a 24 pin ATX connector and you need either a 20 pin connector or a 20+4 pin connector (the 4 pins detach from a 24 pin connector for backwards compatibility).

It is possible to get adapters. That's one of the things my older brother had to do. Hell, if you were daring enough, you could make your own.


I wouldn't recommend it though.

Making your own, or using an adapter at all? I'm pretty sure manufactured adapters are alright.

Yes, I did leave that rather ambiguous, didn't I. No to both the power supply mentioned and the make your own adapter. I would only buy a power supply that needed an adapter if I knew that in the future, I wouldn't need said adapter due to a mobo upgrade or some such.

Glocksman wrote:A rule of thumb when looking at PSU's is the heavier the unit, the higher the quality, as better units use thick heatsinks for increased cooling.

That's a dangerous assumption as some cheaper PSUs simply put dead weight inside.

phongn wrote:

Glocksman wrote:A rule of thumb when looking at PSU's is the heavier the unit, the higher the quality, as better units use thick heatsinks for increased cooling.

That's a dangerous assumption as some cheaper PSUs simply put dead weight inside.

That's why it's a rule of thumb.
Are you sure about the weights, though?
I was under the impression that the rumors about added weight weren't true because the increased material and shipping costs would eat up additional profits out of the already thin margins the manufacturers make.

But I could be wrong.