DFI mobo and my psu

[Medea]

I have a new rig (about 5 months old) and didn't build this one for personal reasons.

Anyway, for the past 5 months I've been having problems with reboots. It reboots all the time even if I'm just running it with a minimum load, and forget trying to play games on it. Temps run around 52C. Any problems with RAM have been eliminated, so I asked the guy which psu he put in. He kept telling me it was a coolermaster but couldn't remember the specs and he'd get back to me.

Well, it's in the shop again. He *finally* told me that the coolermaster's specs which are at Newegg and at Coolermaster's website.

I explained that I can't even get support from DFI because DFI requires a psu with at least 480 watts. He told me that his partner has the same setup that I have with the Coolermaster and it's running fine. He also told me that DFI is just saying that to cover its a$$ - like a car manufacturer requiring high-octane when regular will work fine.

That's when I really got mad. I don't care if Moses has a rig that's working with this setup - mine isn't, and I paid good money to have this built! :|

It seems this guy either won't admit a mistake or truly feels that this psu is fine for my rig. After going through dfi-street, I've settled on a Forttron - specs here at newegg.

My rig:

OS: WinXP SP2
Mobo: DFI LanParty UT nF4 Ultra-D
CPU: AMD FX53
RAM: 1 gig Geil Black PC 3200 (2x512)
1st hd: WD raptor 10,000 rpm, 70 gigs
2nd hd: Hitachi, sata, 160 gigs
vid card: Asus AX800XL Nvidia
DVD/CD RW: NEC NEC dual-layer
DVD/CD ROM: Toshiba
Case: lian-li v1000

What do you guys think? One last thing: I'm getting really pissed that I have to pay additional $ for a new psu because he's fixated on the coolermaster when he should have gotten one with the correct specs in the first place. :|

 

[o1die]

Fortron makes good power supplies if you're not overclocking. Thg did an extensive test of several brands recently, and only recommended one fortron and one seasonic which passed all their tests. But if rebooting is your problem, I would check the memory sticks using memtest, a free download. My p4 board was rebooting randomly until I changed the timings. Cpuz is another free download that will list the recommended memory timings. The memory section will list your current settings, and the spd section will list the recommended settings for your brand.

 

[evilharp]

Originally posted by: Medea

OS: WinXP SP2
Mobo: DFI LanParty UT nF4 Ultra-D
CPU: AMD FX53
RAM: 1 gig Geil Black PC 3200 (2x512)
1st hd: WD raptor 10,000 rpm, 70 gigs
2nd hd: Hitachi, sata, 160 gigs
vid card: Asus AX800XL Nvidia
DVD/CD RW: NEC NEC dual-layer
DVD/CD ROM: Toshiba
Case: lian-li v1000

What do you guys think? One last thing: I'm getting really pissed that I have to pay additional $ for a new psu because he's fixated on the coolermaster when he should have gotten one with the correct specs in the first place. :|

You have every reason to be angry, if the specs you list were sold as a "complete" system by the vendor. I am amazed at how cheap some builders, whitebox or major oem (Dell, HP, etc) are when it comes to power supplies. If Newegg lists that PSU for $31, it probably cost your "builder" $10 to 20 (or less).

If you have ruled out every problem (Ram <== make sure this isn't the cause by trying relaxed timings and bumping the voltage, Vid, etc.) then it is probably the PSU. You have a high load setup, and that Coolermaster PSU is cutting it close. I assume you have argued with the builder about the PSU, and the builder has not offered to replace/upgrade it. So what do you do?

First, raise hell with the builder, if he/she won't budge complain to the Better Business Bureau (or your local equivalent). Tell the builder you will never buy there again, and that you will share your experience with your friends/family and the BBB. Emphasise the point that the builder failed to spec a system that satisified the power requirements of all of the components -and- that the builder failed to support the system that they spec'd, sold and built.
Second, leave the store and never go back.
Third, get a good PSU. In my experience, you get what you pay for. You will see numerous recommendations on the web for PSUs, so read the reviews carefully. Make sure you get a good PSU and not the "flavour of the month". With your rig you should be running at least 500watts, if you go SLI you will need more. DFi Street is a good place to go for recommendations.

As for PSU brands, it tends to be a hot topic. Good brands include PC Power and Cooling ($$$$), Fortron, Seasonic, Antec, Aopen (built by FSP Fortron). Go for power delivery and stability over features (ie. LED fans, modular cables, etc.).

Hexus just finished a 34 psu roundup that you may find interesting: http://www.hexus.net/content/reviews/review.php?dXJsX3Jldmlld19JRD0xMzU5 . They used FSP/Fortron lab equipment to abuse a selection of PSU's.