Posted by
Hemos
on from the lets'-get-'em-together dept.
CainX writes "A comparison of five power supply units was posted recently. Anandtech has done a more complete review and examined 18 of the newest models in the plus 300 watt range." Power supplies tend to be one of those forgotten, but ever so important parts of machine construction.
The results of the memory tests are amasing. The MTBF is about an hour on some of the power supplys. I'm not sure If I understand the setup but that is appauling. I expect a MTBF of about 100+ years not an hour.
Not quite as amusing as dansdata.com, but...
by
Junior+J.+Junior+III
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
I really liked Anandtech's article. It actually had a lot of information and was fairly thorough -- measuring performance in a variety of ways, including not just output wattages but also noise levels, heat buildup, and cost.
A bit more explaining the basics of what each different voltage rail is for and why x-level of performance is important would have been helpful. Along with some more basic stats, such as how long the power cables actually are -- surely people still build full-tower PCs, don't they?
-- You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
Where's the EE beef?
by
AragornCG
·
· Score: 5, Interesting
Great, there are more power supplies, but where are the oscilloscopes? Where is the detailed methodology for testing the cleanliness of the resultant power? They used some "stuff we found in our local university basement" to satisfy "you EE types". Oh, great. LIKE WHAT?
I'll take a smaller review with decent scientific methodologies, thank you very much. There's more to stability of a power supply than "interference testing" which reports an integer number of errors that could be caused by anything... What about the thermal testing... where was it measured? by what, the onboard mainboard thermistor, which is notably unreliable? Which "industry standard Chenming case" was it?
I really, really, really wish that these hardware sites would hire people with a decent understanding of the discipline of science - let alone engineering! - to write reviews. I could make MUCH more informed decisions.
-Ben
When we remember about power supplies...
by
xyvimur
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
"Power supplies tend to be one of those forgotten, but ever so important parts of machine construction..."
Here you can see why you should pay more attention when buying supply...
Card power requirements? Warning lights?
by
dpbsmith
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
For as long as there have been micros, we have played the game of "by guess and by gosh."
Why doesn't every card and component in a system have a clearly marked indication of its power requirement?
And why don't power supplies issue unmistakable warnings when the system draws more power than the supply can reliably provide?
Every fuse and circuit breaker in a house has the amperage clearly marked on it, and so does every appliance.
Why can't the insides of our computers come up to the same standards as our toasters and washing machines? This isn't rocket science, this is simple arithmetic.
Re:Altogether now...
by
Zathrus
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
On my machine the CPU fan drowns out the noise of any PSU
I'm sorry... maybe you should look into quieter CPU fans in the future? Personally, the Zalman flower fans look very attractive to me... not in a visual sense, but an auditory one.
They make no difference to performance
They certainly do. Inadequate power supplies can cause system lockups and shorten lifespan of components due to improper voltage regulation... sure, that card can run with the 3.3V line at 3.6V, but you think that's not going to have some effects down the line?
Put enough components in a system and you'll find out fast how much PSUs matter. Stick in 4 or 5 HDs and your system may not even power up -- even with a 400W PSU. Why? Because that "400W" PSU only has a 10A 12V line, which is utterly inadequate to spin up more than one drive along with a modern P4 or Athlon. Realistically it shouldn't even be used then, because you're well over 80% draw -- at which point voltage irregularities and noise concerns become a bigger problem. That system lockup? Yeah... it was caused by your CPU going wacky. Which was caused by the power supply introducing so much noise that the motherboard voltage regulators couldn't filter it out and fed the CPU bad power.
You're talking about another $30 to get a decent PSU... it's not going to break the bank.
Quality power can not be stressed enough...
by
Awptimus+Prime
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
I used to buy whatever 450 watt CompUsa model I could get for $19.00. That was a big mistake.
After about 6 months use, I had one make a popping sound, then erupt in smoke. All I had in the box was dual 700 cpus, 6 scsi drives, 2 ide drives, cdrw, GF3, and a bunch of neon lights. During that time, the system would freeze up a lot, usually while compiling.
Basically 450 watts doesn't mean as much as the quality of components and how cloesly the manufacturer was willing to run them to the point of breakage.
I swapped out my burnt 450 watt for a Antec cool blue running at around 400 watts and my system is quieter and never locks up anymore.
When reading wattages of cheap PSU's remind yourself of audio equipment. Like when a brand like Sparkomatic or Jensen promises 1000 watts out of an amp only for it to sound like shiat and blow speakers. Meanwhile, a Bose amp of 75 watts would be generating more power overall and not be tearing your speakers up. The same game is played with PSU promises. They, the generic cheapies, never planned on anyone using all 450 watts of their equipment. These big number, low performance parts are meant for a consumer with a very basic system seeking comfort big specs.
I guess it reinforces 'You get what you pay for'.
Re:Forgotten Power Supplies...
by
wukie
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
When I built my PC, the power supply was the first thing I considered.
I was looking at building a Dual Athlon system on a Tyan motherboard with a few hard drives.
Essentially to cut a long story short, this combination requires a VERY HIGH power rating on the 5 volt rail. Some 550W power supply don't cut it, Enermax units below 400W were uncertain, while Antec's 350W or better are fine.
I went for an Antec 430W and their server case. 8 fans all attached to the "special" fan rail which adjusts their speed according to conditions keeps the computer humming.
Corsair ECC memory, HD's with 3 year warranty help with stability aswell.
Bottom line: Win2k - never had a BSOD (Blue Screen).Linux is obviously rock steady aswell.
I would have considered an Asus or Gigabyte motherboard. Kingston, Micron or Infineon RAM. Chieftec or Thermaltake case. BUT the power supply had to a very good one... i.e. ANTEC!
Slashdot Mirror
The results of the memory tests are amasing. The MTBF is about an hour on some of the power supplys. I'm not sure If I understand the setup but that is appauling. I expect a MTBF of about 100+ years not an hour.
Mouse powered Chips, Open source Processors and Lego
I really liked Anandtech's article. It actually had a lot of information and was fairly thorough -- measuring performance in a variety of ways, including not just output wattages but also noise levels, heat buildup, and cost.
A bit more explaining the basics of what each different voltage rail is for and why x-level of performance is important would have been helpful. Along with some more basic stats, such as how long the power cables actually are -- surely people still build full-tower PCs, don't they?
You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
Great, there are more power supplies, but where are the oscilloscopes? Where is the detailed methodology for testing the cleanliness of the resultant power? They used some "stuff we found in our local university basement" to satisfy "you EE types". Oh, great. LIKE WHAT?
I'll take a smaller review with decent scientific methodologies, thank you very much. There's more to stability of a power supply than "interference testing" which reports an integer number of errors that could be caused by anything... What about the thermal testing... where was it measured? by what, the onboard mainboard thermistor, which is notably unreliable? Which "industry standard Chenming case" was it?
I really, really, really wish that these hardware sites would hire people with a decent understanding of the discipline of science - let alone engineering! - to write reviews. I could make MUCH more informed decisions.
-Ben
"Power supplies tend to be one of those forgotten, but ever so important parts of machine construction..."
Here you can see why you should pay more attention when buying supply...
For as long as there have been micros, we have played the game of "by guess and by gosh."
Why doesn't every card and component in a system have a clearly marked indication of its power requirement?
And why don't power supplies issue unmistakable warnings when the system draws more power than the supply can reliably provide?
Every fuse and circuit breaker in a house has the amperage clearly marked on it, and so does every appliance.
Why can't the insides of our computers come up to the same standards as our toasters and washing machines? This isn't rocket science, this is simple arithmetic.
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
On my machine the CPU fan drowns out the noise of any PSU
I'm sorry... maybe you should look into quieter CPU fans in the future? Personally, the Zalman flower fans look very attractive to me... not in a visual sense, but an auditory one.
They make no difference to performance
They certainly do. Inadequate power supplies can cause system lockups and shorten lifespan of components due to improper voltage regulation... sure, that card can run with the 3.3V line at 3.6V, but you think that's not going to have some effects down the line?
Put enough components in a system and you'll find out fast how much PSUs matter. Stick in 4 or 5 HDs and your system may not even power up -- even with a 400W PSU. Why? Because that "400W" PSU only has a 10A 12V line, which is utterly inadequate to spin up more than one drive along with a modern P4 or Athlon. Realistically it shouldn't even be used then, because you're well over 80% draw -- at which point voltage irregularities and noise concerns become a bigger problem. That system lockup? Yeah... it was caused by your CPU going wacky. Which was caused by the power supply introducing so much noise that the motherboard voltage regulators couldn't filter it out and fed the CPU bad power.
You're talking about another $30 to get a decent PSU... it's not going to break the bank.
I used to buy whatever 450 watt CompUsa model I could get for $19.00. That was a big mistake.
After about 6 months use, I had one make a popping sound, then erupt in smoke. All I had in the box was dual 700 cpus, 6 scsi drives, 2 ide drives, cdrw, GF3, and a bunch of neon lights. During that time, the system would freeze up a lot, usually while compiling.
Basically 450 watts doesn't mean as much as the quality of components and how cloesly the manufacturer was willing to run them to the point of breakage.
I swapped out my burnt 450 watt for a Antec cool blue running at around 400 watts and my system is quieter and never locks up anymore.
When reading wattages of cheap PSU's remind yourself of audio equipment. Like when a brand like Sparkomatic or Jensen promises 1000 watts out of an amp only for it to sound like shiat and blow speakers. Meanwhile, a Bose amp of 75 watts would be generating more power overall and not be tearing your speakers up. The same game is played with PSU promises. They, the generic cheapies, never planned on anyone using all 450 watts of their equipment. These big number, low performance parts are meant for a consumer with a very basic system seeking comfort big specs.
I guess it reinforces 'You get what you pay for'.
When I built my PC, the power supply was the first thing I considered.
... i.e. ANTEC!
I was looking at building a Dual Athlon system on a Tyan motherboard with a few hard drives.
Essentially to cut a long story short, this combination requires a VERY HIGH power rating on the 5 volt rail. Some 550W power supply don't cut it, Enermax units below 400W were uncertain, while Antec's 350W or better are fine.
I went for an Antec 430W and their server case. 8 fans all attached to the "special" fan rail which adjusts their speed according to conditions keeps the computer humming.
Corsair ECC memory, HD's with 3 year warranty help with stability aswell.
Bottom line: Win2k - never had a BSOD (Blue Screen).Linux is obviously rock steady aswell.
I would have considered an Asus or Gigabyte motherboard. Kingston, Micron or Infineon RAM. Chieftec or Thermaltake case. BUT the power supply had to a very good one