5 Volt Current Supply for XP 2700+

[Pederv]

Does anybody remember what the 5 Volt rail current raiting needed to be to power an XP2700+ on an Epox 8k3a+?

The old Antec 350W fluctuates between 4.6 and 4.9. A new Antec EarthWatts 500 goes between 4.6 and 4.75.

EDIT: The old Antec supply is rated at 35A on the 5 Volts. I've been searching Newegg for supplies that deliver 35+ Amps and came up with some Foxconn, Coolmax, Athena, Epower, and Topower possibilities.

 

[eplebnista]

My recommendation.

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: Pederv
The old Antec 350W fluctuates between 4.6 and 4.9. A new Antec EarthWatts 500 goes between 4.6 and 4.75.

How did you measure those?
Did you use a Volt meter?

You are not talking about figures shown by a software utility, are you?

 

[myocardia]

Actually, Navid, he seems to be referring to the voltage on the 5v rail, measured with software, I'm sure.

 

[Pederv]

Originally posted by: Navid
How did you measure those?
Did you use a Volt meter?

You are not talking about figures shown by a software utility, are you?

The BIOS, with only the video card (Radeon 7000) and memory installed - no drives. I'm making sure it can handle the upgrades that I have in mind.

It's my sister's old system. One of the hard drives crashed so she got a new system.

I'm repairing and upgrading the the old system and returning it so my nephew has his own system. By the time I'm done with it the computer should be able to play most games that are over 2 or 3 years old and cost less than $20.

I've already increased the memory from 512M to 2.5G, next is total overkill with an AGP 3850. Hopefully the larger of the two hard drives is still good.

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: Pederv

Originally posted by: Navid
How did you measure those?
Did you use a Volt meter?

You are not talking about figures shown by a software utility, are you?

The BIOS, with only the video card (Radeon 7000) and memory installed - no drives. I'm making sure it can handle the upgrades that I have in mind.

It's my sister's old system. One of the hard drives crashed so she got a new system.

I'm repairing and upgrading the the old system and returning it so my nephew has his own system. By the time I'm done with it the computer should be able to play most games that are over 2 or 3 years old and cost less than $20.

I've already increased the memory from 512M to 2.5G, next is total overkill with an AGP 3850. Hopefully the larger of the two hard drives is still good.

It looks like only the first two words in your post are in response to my question. If that is correct and you are saying that you are looking at what is reported in the BIOS, you are relying on an inaccurate voltage measurement.

So, your statement "fluctuates between 4.6 and 4.9." in the original post is an incorrect conclusion.
It may in fact be fluctuating even worse than that. But, it could also be quite stable.
You will never know unless you make a proper measurement.

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: myocardia
Actually, Navid, he seems to be referring to the voltage on the 5v rail

Which is what I understood from his post.
So, I am not sure what your point is.

, measured with software, I'm sure.

I asked since I was not sure. I don't know him.

 

[Pederv]

Originally posted by: Navid
It looks like only the first two words in your post are in response to my question. If that is correct and you are saying that you are looking at what is reported in the BIOS, you are relying on an inaccurate voltage measurement.

So, your statement "fluctuates between 4.6 and 4.9." in the original post is an incorrect conclusion.
It may in fact be fluctuating even worse than that. But, it could also be quite stable.
You will never know unless you make a proper measurement.

Yes Navid, the first two words were in response to your question. The remainder of the sentence was to show the load on the system.

Now for a little more info. The 3.3V, 12V and 5V standby on both the original supply and the 500W EarthWatts are pretty much solid at the desired voltage and fluctuate less than 5%. It?s only the 5V that isn?t hitting the desired voltage and bounces around greater than 5%.

Even if the BIOS isn?t the best way to measure the system voltage, I?m still using the same means to measure the voltage supplied by two different supplies. Since the 350W supply can give the 5V more current than the 500W Earthwatts can and it comes closer to providing the desired voltage, this would lead me to believe that the 5V still needs more current.
.

 

[Navid]

The sensors on the motherboard are not meant to measure voltage. They are there just to signal a catastrophe.
Buy a $20 Volt meter and stop wasting your time.

Good luck

 

[Pederv]

Thanks for your replies Navid.

Originally posted by: Navid
I asked since I was not sure. I don't know him.

10+ years IT
15+ years electronics

Even a lowly engineer knows that an LED doesn't make a good voltmeter, but if it's flickering or dim then the supplied voltage isn't properly regulated.

 

[Pederv]

Just in case somebody searches the forums for simular information an Antec SL400 would deliver the required currents.

+3.3V - 28A
+5V - 38A
+12V - 23A

I ended up going with a Coolmax CT-450 because the SL400 no longer exsists.

Thank you all for being so helpful.