Cheap Power Supply

[jacktesterson]

Hello,

I'm putting together a cheap build with left over parts. I have one of these bad boys laying around...brand new

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16817162024

Its a Broadway Com 500 Watt with two 12v rails at 13 amps each. Its a $20 PSU.

I bought this puppy about a year ago as a backup or emergency PSU for testing, etc.

Now I never skimp on PSU's...and I hate that I'm even asking this, but would this work ok in a very basic setup? With the latest upgrades to my HTPC, I have enough parts around the house and a monitor to put together:

AMD XP 5000+ 65watt Version
Gigabyte 780G ATX Motherboard, onboard sound, video ATI 3200
Cheap Case
4 hard drives (ranging from 80gb to 1500gb each all not in use and could use for the storage)
16x Benq DVD Drive
Wireless N network card

I am a little short on cash right now.... and just recently built my HTPC below... but It just hit me today I have enough stuff to build a PC as a 2nd browsing computer but am cash strapped.

Would this PSU do for a while?

 

[theAnimal]

Wrong forum.

I wouldn't do it. With cheap PSUs you're usually pushing it to expect them to deliver 50% of their rated power at normal operating temps, and they usually have very bad noise & ripple at that level.

 

[lxskllr]

Don't take this as a recommendation, but I'd use it. It's a bit of a gamble, but I'm a gambling man :^D If you really want to get this second rig going, I'd use this PSU, but start saving money for something decent.

 

[Blain]

I bought this puppy about a year ago as a backup or emergency PSU for testing, etc.

And that's exactly how I'd leave it.
If you're short on cash, just let those components sit on the shelf until you can save up a few bucks for a halfway decent PS.
I see no reason to put those parts at risk by the cheap Broadway Com.

But I assume you're an adult and will do what adults tend to do... Whatever they want.
That PS isn't a gamble I'd take. :thumbsdown:

 

[VirtualLarry]

I don't know what you guys are afraid of. Even if it's not truely a 500W PSU, the rig he's describing is probably going to take 100-120W MAX. 65W TDP CPU, efficient 780G chipset, onboard video, there's nothing there that's going to take a lot of power.

I know that they are much maligned, but I ran my overclocked C2D rigs, with X1950 GPUs, on those ThermalTake TR-430 PSUs just fine for over a year or more.

 

[WT]

That actually looks better than the pair of HEC/Orion 400w units I just bought at Directron for $40 shipped. I didn't find anything better on the Egg, so I now wish I had bought these instead.

Nothing wrong with the HEC 400w units either, but their weak 12v rail (14a) doesn't give me much to work with if a customer wants to drop a mid range PCIe card into one of my builds.

 

[darkewaffle]

rip cx400

 

[Blain]

I don't know what you guys are afraid of. Even if it's not truely a 500W PSU, the rig he's describing is probably going to take 100-120W MAX. 65W TDP CPU, efficient 780G chipset, onboard video, there's nothing there that's going to take a lot of power.

It's not about the total power output, it's more about the PS build quality.

 

[jacktesterson]

Well guys I had a chance to pick up a 700watt modxstream ocz modular powersupply. I know it's not the greatest but it's a lot better than I had. Paid 50 bucks plus got a 25 mail in rebate.

I'm going to use in my main rig and use my seasonic 400 watt in this build

 

[jacktesterson]

I hate stores. Bought a 23 inch monitor and the power supply and am using the old parts for htpc they run fine and used new parts for new dedicated pc

 

[Googer]

$34 after rebate. I'm not one for a cheap PSU but in a pinch this one would not bother me much.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371029

 

[mmntech]

PSU is the one place I would never skimp. That will do for now but it's not exactly ideal. Depends how much you'd be using the rig.

You could probably go with a cheaper 400-450w PSU with that system.

 

[Davidh373]

Good practice is to find a place in the budget for a good PSU

This is what I figure

<500W = 80+ or Bronze, reliable brand for around $50

500W-850W = 80+ Bronze and up, reliable brand for around $100

(never bought a PSU over 850W before)

 

[mfenn]

$34 after rebate. I'm not one for a cheap PSU but in a pinch this one would not bother me much.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371029

:thumbsup: Actually $30 AR Apromo right now. Could this be the new 400CX? :wub:

 

[bryanl]

That actually looks better than the pair of HEC/Orion 400w units I just bought at Directron for $40 shipped.

Almost nothing looks worse than an HEC's worst product line, the Orion.

 

[VirtualLarry]

:thumbsup: Actually $30 AR Apromo right now. Could this be the new 400CX? :wub:

is the promo code showing up for you still? because it's not showing up for me on my netbook.

 

[jacktesterson]

I think the OCZ will be fine since I will not be coming close to using more than 350 watts

I have a 400 watt seasonic with 34a on +12v rail in my htpc... Was my primary.

 

[mfenn]

is the promo code showing up for you still? because it's not showing up for me on my netbook.

Yep, still showing

 

[VirtualLarry]

then newegg is unforunately discriminating against netbook and mobile users on their site. Because when I use the netbook, I get their mobile version of their site, which doesn't list the promo code.

 

[Blain]

Mobile users are used to being treated as 2nd class citizens.
After all, it's not like they're going to revolt or do something radical. :'(