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AMD Approval -- Worth the Extra Cash?

A

AndyJay

Senior member
Hey all, I've just ordered a new Tbird CPU, motherboard, and some Crucial DDR memory and I'm now in need of a case. However I've got a question: Is AMD Approval of the case/power supply *really* worth the extra money? Do many un-approved power supplies actually have problems running Athlon systems? If so, what kind of problems?

I ask because I've pretty much narrowed my choices down to two cases: one which I really like the cosmetics of (little known brand Aspire, comes with a 320w (unusual # I know) power supply which isn't marked as AMD approved), and an Antec SX-1030B (which I also like the cosmetics of, but not quite as much) that comes with an AMD approved 300w power supply. The first, however, is over $45 cheaper after shipping. Something else worth mentioning is that I've seen several full Athlon systems being sold in that first case. Oh, also worth mentioning is that the case is marked "P4 approved" which I would guess means it isn't total crap.

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Andy
 
Probably 95% of the systems in the world are running just fine in non-AMD approved cases powered by non AMD approved PSus.

It comes down largely to percentages. If you go with an approved case and power supply (or optionally some that may not be approved but are well recognised at sites like this) then you know that the case has sufficient cooling and that the PSU gives ample and consistant output (things can, of course, always go wrong even with top quality gear but you are maximising your odds for a good result).

The Antec 1030b and accompanying PSu is well recognised as a good combo and i wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. As for the other case it will probably be just fine if you don't plan to overclock it (even then it may be just fine). Bear in mind that AMD approval requires a case to be sent to AMD and for them to allocate time to checking it out. The Enermax 350W PSu only just became AMD approved to 1.4GHz even though people have known they were excellent for ages

I would try and find out the brand of the PSu. I'm very keen on brand name power supplies for peace of mind. If you can get the model number have a look around - some excellent power supplies are rebranded under different names. As for the case- if you like it, aren't going to O/clock heaviliy and are able to add a couple of fans to cool it, it is almost certainly fine. Post some links and we can probably make some comments

Hope my midnight ramble makes sense 🙂
 
Dunno about the psu except to say that my sister's Intel box has a 250w aspire psu that seems to do just fine, keep in mind it's just a basic box that isn't run very hard. Looking thru the air slots, it has several Channelwell tech parts, so I suspect it's one of theirs, as are Antecs.

The case might be a different matter. Airflow is easy in a sx-antec, maybe not so easy in an aspire, hard to tell w/o a link to pics.

 
AndyJay,

I have that case w/ the 300 PSU that came with it & my AMD T-Bird 1.33 works just fine with it. The case itself is very nicely made. You'll find that all of your devices will organize quite nicely in it. There's plenty of room for adding additional fans. One of the coolest things about the case is the way that U would install devices like a CDROM, DVD, etc... it has sliders that attach to the device & U just pop it right on in, it's as simple as that. No need to unscrew everything just to get something out, U just slide it right out. I would definitely recommend this case. I hope this helps you.

Xcalibyr
 
I have an antec 300 watt psu which isn't amd approved and its been crashing on me about once or twice a day for no particular reason so I bought an 340 watt amd approved one on the HOT DEALS forum and it hasn't crashed on me. So this leads me to believe that if you don't mind rebooting every so often stick with what you have. But since it was bothering me so much I had to buy one. That's it.
 
Well guys, thanks for all the help. I went ahead and got the Antec, as I found it a little cheaper somewhere else. It's got two case fans that come with it, I know for sure it will work well, and the case itself is a lot sturdier and better built.

Anyway, thanks guys.
 
You can find the Aspire here for $68. The same case, and I'm guessing the same power supply because it also has the unusual 320w rating, but not under the brand name Aspire can be found here for $39. I'm not sure if they're basically the same case and power supply under different brands or what though. I've seen it other places online listed as generic and other brands as well.

My guess would be that they're all the same case and power supply though. They all are definitely the same case and all have the unusual 320w-rated power supply. The first time I saw one was at First Saturday in downtown Dallas (a flea market kind of thing in some parking lots, where people set up booths). Several different people had the case for sale, and a few different booths had full Athlon systems using the case. I almost bought one but decided to wait, and then looked for it online.
 
I could take a dump in box and mark it guaranteed, but would it be worth the extra money...
no.

Some people just don't get it 🙂

Trust me, you will like the Antec
 
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