Building first new machine in a while - PSU still OK?

[Jman13]

Well, my Athlon 64 rig finally bit the dust. I apparently shorted out the motherboard somehow while doing a simple RAM upgrade a few weeks ago. I was able to resuscitate the computer for a few weeks, but it kept on flaking out (first video issues, then the onboard LAN died, then the video issues cropped up again, before the whole thing just refused to turn on again.) The video issues were a flashing screen, followed by corruption, followed by locking up. I am fairly sure it is the motherboard and not the PSU, as I didn't get the usual PSU specific symptoms like random reboots or anything. Still, I suppose there's a chance the PSU was damaged as well.

Anyway, the new components will be here on Wednesday. I'm keeping my HDDs and DVD from the old machine and putting them in the new computer, and I'll obviously be keeping my peripherals. Other that, the new system will have all new other stuff. I'm getting a Core2Duo (Conroe) E6420 with an MSI P35 Neo2 FR motherboard, 2 GB of 1066 RAM and a GeForce 8600 GT. Add the DVD and the 3 HDDs and there's a good amount of load.

My PSU is a 3 year old Antec TruePower 550W unit. Is 550W still enough to run the Conroe chips and newer GPUs? I'd prefer not to shell out for a new PSU if I don't have to, but obviously, if it's going to be an issue, I'll do what needs to be done. I haven't built a new system in 2.5 years, and I haven't been following hardware recently, since I wasn't planning on building a new system for another 6 months or so.

Thanks!

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

The newer CWT provided low end Antecs are not being seen populated with Fuhjyyu caps. But your 3yo TP is filled with them. Google Fuhjyyu and read...Please note what the urban dictionary has to offer, "Chinese word for feces."

Open your unit and inspect the caps for leaking, bulging or swelling. http://www.badcaps.net/ will offer pics of caps going bad. If all looks well. Blow out the dust, replace the fan with one of the same spec(be sure it's ball bearing). Then use the unit.
NOTE: The secondary caps are hidden under the output wiring and the are the ones that fail.

Do remember that there is no filtering (capacitors) protection between the PSU's output and the HDDs and failing TPs have been know to kill HDDs with voltage spikes on the 5V rail. You have been warned.

Many would use your unit w/o worry or possibly issue. But not me. I would most certainly replace it...even if the caps looked good.

Several on this board like the Antec Earthwatts and I would opt for an Enhance ENP-5150GH. It is all your call.

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: Jman13
Well, my Athlon 64 rig finally bit the dust. I apparently shorted out the motherboard somehow while doing a simple RAM upgrade a few weeks ago. I was able to resuscitate the computer for a few weeks, but it kept on flaking out (first video issues, then the onboard LAN died, then the video issues cropped up again, before the whole thing just refused to turn on again.) The video issues were a flashing screen, followed by corruption, followed by locking up. I am fairly sure it is the motherboard and not the PSU, as I didn't get the usual PSU specific symptoms like random reboots or anything. Still, I suppose there's a chance the PSU was damaged as well.

Anyway, the new components will be here on Wednesday. I'm keeping my HDDs and DVD from the old machine and putting them in the new computer, and I'll obviously be keeping my peripherals. Other that, the new system will have all new other stuff. I'm getting a Core2Duo (Conroe) E6420 with an MSI P35 Neo2 FR motherboard, 2 GB of 1066 RAM and a GeForce 8600 GT. Add the DVD and the 3 HDDs and there's a good amount of load.

My PSU is a 3 year old Antec TruePower 550W unit. Is 550W still enough to run the Conroe chips and newer GPUs? I'd prefer not to shell out for a new PSU if I don't have to, but obviously, if it's going to be an issue, I'll do what needs to be done. I haven't built a new system in 2.5 years, and I haven't been following hardware recently, since I wasn't planning on building a new system for another 6 months or so.

Thanks!

550W is more than enough - you'll literally have 300W or so sitting around doing nothing.

 

[maluckey]

I personally had a few Antec units let go and kill several HDD, a mobo and a vid card. Do a forum search of PSU failures of Antecs back two years ago.

Wattage ratings are only a third of the picture. The wattage rating is more useful as marketing to impress people into buying a unit, than actually telling you anything of value about the PSU.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: maluckey
I personally had a few Antec units let go and kill several HDD, a mobo and a vid card. Do a forum search of PSU failures of Antecs back two years ago.

Wattage ratings are only a third of the picture. The wattage rating is more useful as marketing to impress people into buying a unit, than actually telling you anything of value about the PSU.

true enough and there are other who have documented Antec`s midfortunes before they switched to Seasonic as their OEM!!

yet it sems that Antec as a whole on their most recent units have recovered and turned the corner so to speak!!

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: maluckey
I personally had a few Antec units let go and kill several HDD, a mobo and a vid card. Do a forum search of PSU failures of Antecs back two years ago.

Wattage ratings are only a third of the picture. The wattage rating is more useful as marketing to impress people into buying a unit, than actually telling you anything of value about the PSU.

true enough and there are other who have documented Antec`s midfortunes before they switched to Seasonic as their OEM!!

yet it sems that Antec as a whole on their most recent units have recovered and turned the corner so to speak!!

Not all Antec PSUs are provided by Seasonic and those that are? Are not even close to the build quality of the Seasonic provided Corsair or PCP&C Silencer units.

CWT still builds the lower end Antec PSUs and as of late have stopped demanding that CWT use cheap, failure prone Fuhjyyu capacitors inorder to make an extra buck.

Turning a cornor has nothing to do with anything, it just got to be a pain to have to deal with all the RMAed SmartPower and TruePower units. Or so I believe.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: maluckey
I personally had a few Antec units let go and kill several HDD, a mobo and a vid card. Do a forum search of PSU failures of Antecs back two years ago.

Wattage ratings are only a third of the picture. The wattage rating is more useful as marketing to impress people into buying a unit, than actually telling you anything of value about the PSU.

true enough and there are other who have documented Antec`s midfortunes before they switched to Seasonic as their OEM!!

yet it sems that Antec as a whole on their most recent units have recovered and turned the corner so to speak!!

Not all Antec PSUs are provided by Seasonic and those that are? Are not even close to the build quality of the Seasonic provided Corsair or PCP&C Silencer units.

CWT still builds the lower end Antec PSUs and as of late have stopped demanding that CWT use cheap, failure prone Fuhjyyu capacitors inorder to make an extra buck.

Turning a corner has nothing to do with anything, it just got to be a pain to have to deal with all the RMAed SmartPower and TruePower units. Or so I believe.

If you take the Antec PSU`s that are built by Seasonic then as a company as far as the newest Antec PSU`s it would appear that they have turned the corner.
Then again appearances are in the eyes of the beholder!!

We don`t see alot of complaint`s about the newer Antec PSU`s on very many forums- do we?
I am sure there could be a few but at the very least it would appear as if the newer Antec PSU`s are built better!!

On a lighter note I would still recommend a different PSU other than th Antec brand!!
Yet if somebody is to ask and have there heart set on one of th newer Antec Brands I am not going to say absolutely "NO".

I might ask if they have shopped around for a different brand!

Peace!!