Cheap PSUs that come with cases suck

[VirtualLarry]

I guess it is true that cheap PSUs that come with cases are not only underpowered, but lacking in quality as well.

I built a P4 rig out of used parts for someone, and put it into a shiny new Dynex-branded mid-tower ATX case that I got from BestBuy some year back on sale for like $23 or $25 shipped, which I thought was a pretty good deal for a case AND a PSU.

It's only a 350W, but I figured that would have been good enough for a P4 single-core with integrated video.

It's been in service for a bit over a year now, and just today, apparently, according to the woman that I sold it to, it blew up.

Like, "smells like plastic".

I figure that a cap blew or something in the PSU. I get to look at it in a couple of days.

Normally, my warranty is a year on computers I build, so I shouldn't give her anything, but in the interest of customer satisfaction, I'm going to give her a replacement that has the same specs (already built, and slightly used), but it has a much better PSU. (Enhance ENP-5150, the one new OEM from Computer Geeks, IIRC.)

I'm going to double-check if the PSU in the Dynex case was UL-listed or not. I was under the impression that UL-listed PSUs are basically tested and guaranteed not to literally blow up if something goes wrong. Which could be a mistaken assumption on my part.

 

[TemjinGold]

Actually, you'd be surprised: UL-listed really don't mean much of anything as far as quality goes.

 

[Throckmorton]

It sounds like there needs to be some kind of organization that tests PSUs and certifies their ratings.

 

[Zap]

(Enhance ENP-5150, the one new OEM from Computer Geeks, IIRC.)

Ahhh, now that was one smokin' hot deal. I still have one left out of the bunch that I bought. I think I got Bing cashback on it too, along with 1% from my credit card.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I should have gotten more of those Enhance units, I only bought one, but I was tight on cash at the time

 

[VirtualLarry]

I should have gotten more of those Enhance units, I only bought one, but I was tight on cash at the time

I bought 10, but I'm down to my last three, I think.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Good news. Even though the PSU blew (burned something inside, stuff was rattling around inside too), it didn't toast the rest of the computer. I threw in a new PSU (TR2-430), and everything was running alright.

Edit: The old PSU that died was an "Allied" 350W, and yes, it was UL-listed.

 

[Rifter]

Yeah im well aware that cheap PSU's that come with cases suck.

I used to work at a wholesaler that imported whole containers of cases from china, they sold for $20-25 wholesale and had L&C PSU's. They came to us with no warranty as the company did not want to bother with overseas shipping of replacement parts so they would just ship us 100-200 extra PSU's for every container that had 500-600 cases in it. You know its a bad sign when they ship you 33% more PSU's than cases. WE offered only a 3 month warranty of the PSU's in the case and would see 20-30% come back in that 3 months, so the 33% that the factory sent us was pretty much bang on, and thats horrible if you have a 33% failure rate.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Yeah im well aware that cheap PSU's that come with cases suck.

I used to work at a wholesaler that imported whole containers of cases from china, they sold for $20-25 wholesale and had L&C PSU's. They came to us with no warranty as the company did not want to bother with overseas shipping of replacement parts so they would just ship us 100-200 extra PSU's for every container that had 500-600 cases in it. You know its a bad sign when they ship you 33% more PSU's than cases. WE offered only a 3 month warranty of the PSU's in the case and would see 20-30% come back in that 3 months, so the 33% that the factory sent us was pretty much bang on, and thats horrible if you have a 33% failure rate.

LOL! That's pretty bad.

 

[Zap]

They came to us with no warranty as the company did not want to bother with overseas shipping of replacement parts so they would just ship us 100-200 extra PSU's for every container that had 500-600 cases in it. You know its a bad sign when they ship you 33% more PSU's than cases.

Wow, that is indeed pretty bad. It isn't unusual for companies to issue overage instead of warranty, especially on low value items that would be costly to ship back/forth, but 33% is a pretty bad admission. I know of one company who, even with a less-than-stellar reputation among enthusiasts, only issues a 1-2% overage, and they are nearly spot-on.

 

[Rifter]

Wow, that is indeed pretty bad. It isn't unusual for companies to issue overage instead of warranty, especially on low value items that would be costly to ship back/forth, but 33% is a pretty bad admission. I know of one company who, even with a less-than-stellar reputation among enthusiasts, only issues a 1-2% overage, and they are nearly spot-on.

I know, they switched to Allied PSU's not long after, which were still bad but down to 10-15%.

I would consider a good quality PSU to be in the .5-1.5% range of failure.

 

[jaiello]

Wait are you saying that a PS that comes with a case and costs $50 is not as good as a stand alone PS that costs $100? Who would have figured that?

 

[nyker96]

but not the EW500 that came w/ my Antec Sonata. It's nice!

 

[BladeVenom]

I saw one review of Best Buy PSUs, a while back. They were crap. It was so bad it damaged the test equipment. http://www.hardocp.com/article/2008/05/13/getting_best_buy_on_power_supply/1

 

[Arg Clin]

I guess it is true that cheap PSUs that come with cases are not only underpowered, but lacking in quality as well.

True.. although you can find a hidden gem from time to time. Brought a fairly cheap Chieftec case once, and found a Seasonic inside.

 

[VirtualLarry]

The PSU in question may have suffered static-discharge damage. After I put in the ThermalTake PSU, I walked across the room with the case side-panel, and when I was holding it and touched it to the chassis (powered on), I heard and felt a "ZAP", and the machine powered down. I turned off the PSU, turned it back on, and powered the machine back on. Luckily it seemed to have survived. That's when the owner told me that it happened all the time, and not to worry, it didn't hurt it. That's when I attempted to inform the owner that static discharge was dangerous to computers.

Anyways, if the case/PSU was sufficiently grounded through the outlet, then why would discharging static through the chassis shut down the computer? Wouldn't that indicate a problem with the ground wire on the outlet, causing the static to be discharged through some part inside the PSU instead, causing an overvoltage and shutting it down?

 

[JEDIYoda]

I know I bought a refurbished case from NewEgg and it had a PC Power & Cooling Turbo 510 in it...totally cool at the time...

 

[Duwelon]

Someone needs to sue the pants off of Best Buy for peddling their crap with high failure rates. Any kind of power/electrical device i've ever seen that had the Dynex, ie Best Buy brand, was total and utter crap. Even their Geek Squad items are total and utter crap. I know someone who spent a ton of money on a geek squad UPS. One day it quit working and he had me look at it, I couldn't believe how cheaply that thing was made. To add, it was still under warranty but I had him cut his losses and just buy an APC or cyber power. Without the battery in the thing it weighed about as much as a grain of rice and unbelievably cheaply constructed.

Whatever the hell you peopel do, do not, ever, buy anything with the Dynex or Geek squad name on it. It's utter trash and you will more than likely regret it. At best, you'll be lucky you don't end up with your whole computer toasted.

If a major retailer can have such crap policies, what makes you think noname companies on the internet will do better? I never buy cases with PSU's unless I know exactly what brand the PSU and if it's any good.

 

[frostedflakes]

I've had fairly good luck with those PSUs that come with cheap cases. A system I built for a relative has probably been running five years or so on a cheap 300W Allied (I think) PSU. Of course it's nothing fancy, AthlonXP, integrated video, single HDD, etc.

Definitely wouldn't trust anything too fancy with one of them, but for low-end, budget systems they seem to do OK.

 

[Jakeman97]

I have posted this before and am working on it still to bring it up to date. :biggrin:

Who is the manufacturer of your PSU?

Please also see the Power Supply Unit, PSU Wattage and PSU Recommendations wikis.
Still a work-in-progress
Many common branded PSUs are not made by the company that sells them. In fact, most companies that sell PSUs do not actually make them – rather, they are re-branded OEM products from specialised PSU-manufacturing companies. The following is a list of common PSUs and their actual manufacturers.
Antec
CP-850 – Delta
Basiq – FSP (Fortron Source)
Earthwatts EA380 – Seasonic
Earthwatts EA430/500 (Old models) – Seasonic
Earthwatts EA430D/500D (Current models) – Delta
Earthwatts EA650 – Delta
Earthwatts EA750 – Delta
NeoHE – Seasonic
NeoPower 430, 500, 550, 650 – Seasonic
EcoPower 380W – Seasonic
NeoPower 480W – Channel Well (CWT)
Phantom – Channel Well (CWT)
Signature – Delta
Smart Power – Channel Well (CWT)
Smart Power 2 – Channel Well (CWT)
True Power – Channel Well (CWT)
True Power 2 – Channel Well (CWT)
True Power Trio – Seasonic
True Power New – Seasonic
True Power Quattro – Enhance
Antec is a well known PSU company that has had questionable PSUs in the past. Their older CWT-built models were plagued with failure of their Fuhjyyu capacitors. Since changing their main OEM for the mainstream units to Seasonic, Antec PSUs have improved substantially. They now use Delta Electronics for their high end PSU's and are very high quality.
Cooler Master
Extreme Power 380W/430W PMSR/PMSP – HiPro
Extreme Power 380W/430W PCAR/PCAP – Acbel
Extreme Power ≥500W – Seventeam
Extreme Power Plus – Acbel
iGreen – Acbel
GX – Seventeam
Real Power – ?
Real Power Pro/M ≤750W – Acbel
Real Power Pro/M ≥850W – Enhance
Silent Pro 500W-700W – Enhance
Silent Pro M1000 – FSP
Most of the PSU's Coolermaster brand are midrange budget/value models, whilst they will get the job done there are usually better options at the same price levels. The newer Enhance models are quite good.
Corsair
CX-400 – Seasonic
VX-450 – Seasonic
VX-550 – Channel Well (CWT) (PSH platform)
TX-650 – Seasonic
TX-750 – Channel Well (CWT) (PSH(older) platform)
TX-850 – Channel Well (CWT) (PSH(older) platform)
TX-950 – Channel Well (CWT) (DSG platform)
HX-450 – Seasonic
HX-520 – Seasonic
HX-620 – Seasonic
HX-650 – Seasonic
HX-750 – Channel Well (CWT) (DSG platform)
HX-850 – Channel Well (CWT) (DSG platform)
HX-1000 – Channel Well (CWT)
AX-750 – Seasonic
AX-850 – Seasonic
AX-1200 – Flextronics
Corsair (known for its memory products) made a big impact with their initial Seasonic-built HX series. All products since have been top notch and are among the best performing, quietest, and best value PSU's. The Seasonic models are generally quietest, but all models have excellent performance. The AX series is the latest and greatest series.
Fortron Source (FSP)
FSP manufacture their own PSUs.
Been around for a long time, most PSU's they manufacture are average to slightly above average units.
Gigabyte
Superb 460W – FSP (FSP400-60GLN)
Superb Power >460W – Acbel
Odin GT – Channel Well (CWT)
Odin Pro 1200W – Channel Well (CWT)
Hiper
630W, 680W, 780W, 880W – Channel Well (CWT)
Other models – Andyson
Lian-Li
Silent Force – Sirtec
Maxima Force – Acbel
OCZ
GameXstream – Forton Source (FSP) (Epsilon platform)
StealthXstream – Forton Source (FSP) (Epsilon platform)
EliteXstream 1000W – Impervio
OCZ used FSP as its OEM manufacturer for a long time. Their PSUs were of questionable quality, being based on the Epsilon model. However, they have taken a big step forward since acquiring PC Power & Cooling in 2007. The Impervio units are very good.
PC Power & Cooling (owned by OCZ)
Silencer – Seasonic
Turbo Cool – Wintact
The 1kW Turbo Cool is considered one of the highest quality PSUs available; despite being one of the loudest, it is a high-quality server-grade PSU. The Silencer series is good, although their are better Seasonic built units available, that are also quieter and better value. PCP&C units are not sold in Aus.
Seasonic
Seasonic manufacture their own PSUs.
Long time PSU manufacturer, all of their products are very good, one of the few OEM's to still make quality low-mid power units. Seasonic units are generally quiet, high quality and good value.
Seventeam
Seventeam manufacture their own PSUs.
Silverstone
Element ST50EF – Enhance
Element ST50EFP – Enhance
Element ST70EF – FSP
Element ST85EF – Seventeam
Strider ST405 – Enhance
Strider ST50F – FSP
Strider ST85F-P – Enhance
Strider ST1500 – Enhance
Olympia OP650 – Impervio
Olympia OP1000(1000-E) – Seventeam
Olympia OP1000-P – Impervio
Olympia OP1200 – Seventeam
Decathalon DA650 – Impervio
Decathalon DA1000 – Seventeam
Decathalon DA1200 – Seventeam
Zeus(ZF)(<1000W) – Etatis
Zeus ZM 1200 – Impervio
Silverstone have some excellent PSU's, and some average ones. The units built by Etatis and Impervio are excellent, the Enhance built models range from very good to excellent, the Seventeam units range from very good to average, the cheaper FSP models are mainly budget units.
Thermaltake
TR2 430W (XP-550) – HEC
Pure Power – Sirtec (some HEC and CWT models)
PurePower RX – Channel Well (CWT)
TR2 420W, 470W, 500W, 550W – Channel Well (CWT)
TR2 RX – Channel Well (CWT)
Tough Power >850W – Channel Well (CWT) (PSH platform)
Tough Power <1000W – Channel Well (CWT) (PUC platform)
Thermaltake PSUs have a long-standing reputation of being average at best. They switched their OEM to Channel Well (CWT) for the Tough Power and later PurePower RX series, which have some good units. You need to know what you are buying when you get a Thermaltake.
Vantec
ION 350W/460W – Topower
ION2 460W – Topower
ION2+ 450W/500W/550W – Andyson
Xigmatek
<750W – Channel Well (CWT) (PSH platform)
&#8805;1000W – Channel Well (CWT) (PUC platform)
Xigmatek (known for its CPU coolers) are new to selling PSUs. They use well-respected Channel Well (CWT) platforms for their products.
XFX
XFX-650w – Seasonic
Zalman
ZM360B-APS – FSP?
>500W ZM units – FSP
ZM-500 – FSP
ZM-600 – FSP
ZM-750 – FSP
ZM-850 – Enhance
ZM-1000 – Enhance

 

[tyl998]

Good job! Keep this up!

 

[BladeVenom]

Great list.

 

[WT]

I bought 10, but I'm down to my last three, I think.

Still have two here !! Need to either use 'em or sell 'em. Both have less than 3 hours on them as I use them only for testing purposes. They live a sheltered life here in the hardware cave.

 

[RavenSEAL]

Hehe, Seasonic made Antec 500W for the win :awe: