Are Vantec power supplies reliable?

[tranquil1024]

I've pretty much decided that I'm going to get the Vantec VAN-520A power supply because i definitely need a new one. I'm just wondering whether Vantec is considered a reliable company when it comes to power supplies because all i hear mostly is Antec, Enermax, OCZ, PCP+P but on the post in hardforums(http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=792566) that i've seen many ppl in this forum refer to, it recommends vantecs (along with many others, of course) Yes i know that there ar emany posts like this one but i just couldnt' find anything about Vantec in particular

Vantec VAN-520A 520w power supply: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-103-473&depa=0

 

[fstime]

I remember reading a review on them,they wernt that great, for that price, you could get this.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-103-478&depa=0

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-104-934&depa=0

 

[tranquil1024]

hmmm...that came as a shock to me sort of...ive mostly heard good things about it...lots of reviews say that this power supply is good...even tested against antecs and thermaltakes it showed steady rails and with 3 fans it has better cooling...anyway...anyone else wanna comment on it? right now im kind of torn again...i really like it because it has plenty of molex connectors, 28A @ +12V and a 24 pin mobo connector! (something ic ant find in most power supplies under like $150)

 

[Blain]

I would find a better way to spend $100 PS bucks. :laugh:

 

[tranquil1024]

lol i cant even think of pcp&p right now...it's either this vantec van-520 or the Antec True550 but i dont like the idea of fan only molexes on the true550 because my fans are thermally controlled and those arent meant for those plus i need like 8-9 molexes if i dont want to split...i really liked the vantec one and i read good things about it you guys bursted my bubble

 

[tranquil1024]

anyone wanna give me something POSITIVE about it?

 

[Jotho]

While not specifically helpful for this PSU, a friend of mine has a 3200 Winchester and eVGA 6800 on a Vantec 400w and has had no problems thus far. I don't see any reason why you should have problems with Vantec.

 

[slots]

I like the vantec power supply without the v in front.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: tranquil1024
anyone wanna give me something POSITIVE about it?

I'll give you three! :laugh:
* The chrome fan guards really stand out against the black PS case.
* The plastic cable protector to keep the wires from being rubbed/cut through, is a nice touch.
* The ATX extension adapter is cool.

 

[BGuardian75]

Well, I have that exact PS in my rig and I haven't had a problem with it. Asus probe has my rails at (keep in mind this is stock, I'm not overclocking).

+3.3 @ 3.328
+5 @ 5.058
+12 @ 11.84 (it sometimes dips to 11.776)

Cons: This PS is loud - Trust me, 3 80mm fans just aren't quiet even on low speed. Excessively long cabling. It's hard to get everything out of the way even with all the cable ties that come with it.

Pros: Seems stable. Plenty of molex connections. It looks good in my case (yellow chieftec / side window) the black matches my stuff. It's made of aluminum so it's lighter and three fans keep it cool.

I dunno why my 12v rail is at 11.84 but I hear that's pretty normal considering the A64 (especially on the K8V) sucks up wattage on that rail. If you're really worried about it I'd just get an Antec or Enermax 550 with 30+ amps on +12V.

Hope that helps.

 

[maluckey]

tranquil1024,

The PSU linked to is a decent unit but not a great one. PSU's are funny...just because they work in any particular setup tells you nothing. It cannot show you the reserve, or the MTBF in that configuration. Overloading ANY PSU will shorten it's life to the point that you may as well ante up for a larger (current-wise) and higher quality unit. This is also a problem as the industry seems to use arbitrary methods to rate their PSU's. Some rate at a ridiculously low ambient temp, while others flat out misrepresent by measuring failure as the standard for their max current. Great, let's buy an amp rated at 25 amps on the +12v, that fails at 25.1 amps! It's dificult to rate them without having a little electronic engineering help. Simply said, quality generally weighs, and costs more. It's not a universal rule, but large heatsinks weigh more, and are a GOOD thing. Quality components cost more, and most of the time, have a larger tolerance for overload as well.

For well under a 100 bucks including shipping and handling, you can get an FSP-560 that is superior likely a better choice than the one linked to. For about the same price as the one linked to, PC Power and Cooling has a few good units.

If you check EBay, you can really get some good PSU's because of the above listed confusion. Many people don't know the Zippy, FSP, and SPI names, so sell them as a generic PSU.