ebuyer.co.uk PSU

PSUs: The source of DC power for all components in the PC & often a big noise source.

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Oz
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun Aug 11, 2002 3:26 pm

Post by Oz » Mon Aug 12, 2002 2:32 pm

Hey there,
<br>
<br>Just noticed on the ebuyer.co.uk website that they are selling a 550W PSU (ebuyer brand) for £25.22 inc. VAT. It seems to have 2 fans and grill openings. Has anyone tried this? Might it be worth getting one of these and replacing the fans (with a Papst or Panaflo as seems to be the general consensus) rather than buying an expensive Zalman, Q-Tech or Enermax PSU?
<br>
<br>Cheers,
<br>Oz
<br>
<br>Here's the link:
<br><!-- BBCode Start --><A HREF="http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products ... _uid=34825" TARGET="_blank">ebuyer.co.uk 550W PSU</A><!-- BBCode End -->

Oz
Posts: 32
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Post by Oz » Mon Aug 12, 2002 2:32 pm

I suppose it depends on the heatsinks of the PSU really, and how efficient it is. <IMG SRC="modules/phpBB_14/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif">
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MikeC
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Post by MikeC » Mon Aug 12, 2002 2:32 pm

Generally, PSUs in a line of say 300~500W differ primarily in the current ratings of its components -- caps, coils, regulators. The higher rated models use components rated for higher current, and usually, this means high tolerance to heat. Sometimes, they have higher airflow fans and/or larger heatsinks to get rid of the greater heat that can be generated, but not always. Higher power is delivered only if demanded by the system. So if your system actually draws no more than 200W, that's what the PSU will deliver whether it's rated for 300W or 500W. The *general* conclusion is that modifying a higher rated PSU with a low noise (and airflow) fan is probably safer than modding a lower powered PSU. In my experience, a *standard* system with almost any CPU will rarely draw more than 125~150W.
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Oz
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun Aug 11, 2002 3:26 pm

Post by Oz » Mon Aug 12, 2002 2:32 pm

Ah I see Mike! Well then it sounds like it might be a good idea getting one of these and replacing the fans! I'll have a go at this once I get back from my holiday. Thanks for the reply
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HighlandeR
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Post by HighlandeR » Mon Aug 26, 2002 12:45 pm

With P4 2.8ghz cpus im sure that 120-150 watts will go up...

Gonna have to wait till 9micron cpus next year before it goes back down, maybe even 9micron cpus will be passive capable :lol:

MikeC
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Post by MikeC » Wed Aug 28, 2002 1:55 pm

Well, I was wrong about 125-150W. That's the AC power draw, but the PSU is actually delivering only 65-70% of this in DC -- so call it 90-105W. Actually with the SPCR test systems, I've never got beyond 130W AC power draw, which means the PSU was only operating at ~91W. The 2.8 P4 typical power is 68W, which is probably LOWER than the 1.6A oc'd to 2.1, because the former runs at 1.35V while the latter is at least 1.5V.

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