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Power Supply Torture Test

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the coulda-saved-our-mail-server-last-week dept.

An anonymous reader writes "With the latest batch of power hungry graphics cards, the PSU in your computer is more important than ever. If you're looking for a new power supply, check out this group test. They've tested 19 PSUs - some good, some bad and some downright explosive!"

4 of 245 comments (clear)

  1. 350W Power Supply by JohnHegarty · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you ask me (and i think you did) the power rating on power supplys useless. I have seen 300W power supplies (good ones) with better power output then cheap 400W.

    Its the same scam the PMPO ratings on speakers.

    --
    Cruise TT
    1. Re:350W Power Supply by gweihir · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Its the same scam the PMPO ratings on speakers.

      Not quite: PMPO is honest. People just don't bother to find out what it means (almost nothing).

      Writinng 400W on a PSU that fails at 380W is a lie.

      --
      Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  2. Pity they didn't include... by hcdejong · · Score: 5, Insightful

    noise measurements. A l33t PSU is no good if it sets up a howling gale in my room.

  3. Be Careful by serith · · Score: 4, Insightful

    To tie a cheap oem 300watt power supply to a whopper of a PC that you just blew a few thousand dollars on is the biggest mistake most people make, and overlook. Dirty unreliable power supplies that feed your PC are like heart attacks waiting to happen. If you're going to invest heavily into building a new computer, do not over look your PSU. If you do a little research (other than compare maximum power to price) regarding Max power @ watt operating temperature, you'll see that most cheap PSU's are rated say 300watts, but for a nice 30 degree Celsius operating temp. Now let's think about that. How many PC's operate that cool? Also, your better built PSU's will typically weigh a lot more, because they're simply better built. Nice and heavy means beefier power supplies, larger capacitors (to give your board that extra oomph it requires when you boot, or when you load it up), and it might even mean you have PFC included--a Power filter controller. These PSU Companies aren't always out to get the consumer by the jugular.