Did ANTEC F up THEIR OWN power supply?

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imported_stev

Senior member
Oct 27, 2005
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I've been using the Antec SmartPower 400-watt power supply that came with my Antec Performance TX640B MiniTower Case for eight months with the following components:

MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Venice Socket 939 Processor
OCZ 2x1GB Platinum Dual Channel RAM
eVGA Geforce 6600GT PCIe x16 Video Card
Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 250GB Serial ATA 1.5 Gb/s Hard Drive
Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 120GB IDE Hard Drive
NEC ND-3540A IDE DVD Burner

One month ago, I added an NVIDIA DualTV MCE (dual analog TV tuner). Just last week, I turned the computer off one day and the lights on the front kept blinking a little and I heard a light "chirping" sound. It wouldn't turn on after that. In retrospect, I think there was a little different higher pitched sound coming from the computer a couple days leading up to this.

Anyway, I'm wondering if my components were too much for this power supply? Also, could the added power needed by the TV tuner (actually, two tuners on the card) have pushed it over the edge? The power supply is on its way back to Antec for repair, but there's no point in putting it back in if there's a good chance it's going to fail again.:(
 
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maluckey

Platinum Member
Jan 31, 2003
2,933
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You should consider selling that PSU when you get it back. Antecs quality has been questionalble for some time. It's not a matter of IF, rather WHEN it will fail again.

A quick check of Bad Caps Forums, and a search of AT forums will show you how many people have had Antec PSU failures. Failures are because Antec used junk capacitors in their manufacture. I've been preaching this for over two years now, but nobody seems to listen.

Good luck...

 
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imported_stev

Senior member
Oct 27, 2005
368
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I will listen to anyone presenting a thoughtful opinion, which you certainly are.

What power supply or power supply brand would you recommend and why? Anyone else out there, feel free to chime in as well. Keep in mind that this machine isn't really a powerhouse and while I will pay more for quality, I only pay more for significant improvements in quality. I can't envision paying $200 for a power supply.

Does anyone have some links to some power supply comparisons, or other such resources to get a newbie up on what makes a power supply a good one?

If I can buy a power supply that won't break the bank, gives me many years of dependable service, and is reasonably quiet, I'll go for it.
 
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Operandi

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,508
0
0
You are defiantly not drawing too much power, a good 300-350 watt PSU would run your system no problem.

Antec has been using cheap caps for quite a while now; bad for relablity and longevity; they are otherwise fairly well designed units.

I like Seaosnic; extremely efficient, rock solid voltages, APFC, low noise, and high quality caps throughout. Other good choices are Forton-Source, Sparkle, Zalman, PCP&C, and Enhance.
 
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imported_stev

Senior member
Oct 27, 2005
368
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I'll need to do some more indepth shopping when I get home, but anyone have anything to say about this?

Fortron 400-watt

I think it has all I need and I do really like the price. I wonder if there's a reason it's so inexpensive...

I definitely don't care about sleeving or removable wiring, I just need a reliable and reasonably quiet psu.

 
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Ike0069

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2003
4,276
2
76
I too think Antec PSU's are no longer a good choice. I have a TP 380 that I'm still using, but it never has given me a real warm feeling about its reliability. It's on my kids PC, so I'm not out too much if dies and decides to take some things with it.

I have read about the Enhance PSU that jonnyguru reviewed and have yet to see anything negative about it. For the price, I would say it's about the best PSU deal going. Although I do think Fortron makes very solid PSU's also are always a good choice.
 
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imported_stev

Senior member
Oct 27, 2005
368
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Ike, if your TP 380 goes and takes things with it, then what will happen to your kids' work? WON'T ANYONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!?! :)

Anyway, I've been looking at Enhance and I'm liking what I see. The price is certainly reasonable too. Geez, I should be working, though...I'm SO easily distracted.
 
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GalvanizedYankee

Diamond Member
Oct 27, 2003
6,986
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You haunt me Ike ;)

Read the OCZ review very carefully at jonnyGURU.com.
Then note: The guys at badcaps.net were suprised that the Epsilons used OST caps on
the output side. OST rates with GSC,ie, not very good indeed.

Read reviews of the Silverstone Element PSUs, those are Enhance built.

Note that Mushkin called thier Topower built PSU "Mushkin Enhanced", this unit has been
reviewed poorly :p I did email enhance.tw about this name usage and no answer...Yet.


...Galvanized
 
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PascalT

Golden Member
Nov 20, 2004
1,515
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I love my OCZ psu and i'd recommend it to anyone. It's worth the money and OCZ's great customer service makes it an even better buy. </advertisement>
 
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Ike0069

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2003
4,276
2
76
Actually I had not read that the Epsilons used caps that were considered poor. I haven't really ever read anything but positives about them.

But that would definitely make me reasearch it a bit more before i upgraded to an EPS series PSU.

That's good info Galvanized, thanks.

As for my kids.... they would lose their Sims saved games and that might actually be quite traumatic. So you're right, maybe I should replace that PSU ASAP. :)
 
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maluckey

Platinum Member
Jan 31, 2003
2,933
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Green PSU

Zalman (made by FSP) and the "Green" FSP units are most always a safe bet for PSU's. Enhance is not much better than Antec, and the "AX" series FSP units are mediocre as well (I had one fail due to bad caps).

It's difficult to find a solid PSU at a resonable price nowadays. People want flash and gee whiz features, but don't want a 200 dollar PSU without looks and lights.
 
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AlgaeEater

Senior member
May 9, 2006
960
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I made a thread back in May about my SmartPower dieing on me as well. Used it basically about a year and then died on me. My first power supply to fully die on me.

Reading around it seems the smart power series is really the black sheep of the Antec family. I think what makes it attractive is that it's modular and usually reasonably priced, but that's what gets most people in the end, me included.
 
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imported_stev

Senior member
Oct 27, 2005
368
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0
So, maluckey says Enhance PSUs aren't that great, while the link provided by GalvanizedYankee says otherwise. I guess the tough thing about choosing power supplies is that while reviews will tell you about efficiency rates and other performance stats, they can't tell you much about longevity since the reviewer probably didn't have the unit on hand for a very long time. That, and I imagine all brands of power supplies, no matter how fancy, have instances of failure. One person may say, "I had X brand PSU and it failed. X PSUs suck!" but that doesn't really tell you much about the overall quality of the brand.

Any more links to reviews? I've only heard people talk about bad caps, so is there any resource out there that discusses which are good and which are bad and which are in which PSUs?
 
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GalvanizedYankee

Diamond Member
Oct 27, 2003
6,986
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The PSU section at http://www.badcaps.net/ You have to register to view attachments.

maluckey doesn't know what he's talking about, at this time. :D

I just traded + cash, an old new stock Fortron that a guy needs for a Socket A and he will
ship me an Enhance ENP-5140GH he bought by mistake, for my sister's AMD Athlon 3200 rig.

stev, PSU threads generally turn into long drawn out pissing contests. This is a sad fact.

...Galvanized
 
Rubycon

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee
PSU threads generally turn into long drawn out pissing contests. This is a sad fact.

...Galvanized
Click to expand...

What if we subject the pissers to the high voltage tester? Both their (you know) and their crummy power supplies? :laugh:

 
jonnyGURU

jonnyGURU

Moderator <BR> Power Supplies
Moderator
Oct 30, 1999
11,815
104
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Originally posted by: GalvanizedYankee

maluckey doesn't know what he's talking about, at this time. :D
Click to expand...

At least maluckey admitted to the AX series FSP's being crap. I get tired of everyone recommending them just because FSP's higher end units are good. Hello? Chevy makes the Corvette AND the Cavalier?!?!

Originally posted by: rise
stupidest ****** thread of the year.

the winner.
Click to expand...

Really, I have to agree to some extent. Antec isn't such a bad brand. But one shouldn't have high expectations of the SmartPower. It's the "Value Series" of an already mediocre line up.

But I can only imagine what the Basiq product line has in store for the unexpecting consumer. :confused:
 
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Operandi

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,508
0
0
Originally posted by: stev
So, maluckey says Enhance PSUs aren't that great, while the link provided by GalvanizedYankee says otherwise. I guess the tough thing about choosing power supplies is that while reviews will tell you about efficiency rates and other performance stats, they can't tell you much about longevity since the reviewer probably didn't have the unit on hand for a very long time. That, and I imagine all brands of power supplies, no matter how fancy, have instances of failure. One person may say, "I had X brand PSU and it failed. X PSUs suck!" but that doesn't really tell you much about the overall quality of the brand.

Any more links to reviews? I've only heard people talk about bad caps, so is there any resource out there that discusses which are good and which are bad and which are in which PSUs?
Click to expand...

Enhance makes good PSUs, that shouldn't be disputed.

As far as reliability is concerned the best you can really do is look at the reputation the company has established, and take a look at what?s inside the actual unit.

Looking at the internal components should give you a good indication of how much thought was payed to reliability and longevity. Quality ball bearing fans (Adda, Nidec, Sanyo Denki, Delta) vs. cheap sleeve bearing fans is one indication. The capacitors used also tells alot about what you can expect from a PSU and it's manufacture, bad caps.net is great resource for this.

When it comes to actual brand names the only ones that really hold any meaning are actual PSU manufactures (generally speaking) since marketing companies such as Antec and OCZ can and often do switch sources. Seasonic, Forton-Source, and Enhance on the other hand are all manufactures and tend to build quality units since they have a lot invested in their reputation.

Good PSU reviews are very few and far between since they require a load tester and someone smart enough to interpret the data. Two good sites I stick with are PC Perspective and SPCR, you can ignore the silent aspect if you want.
 
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Unkno

Golden Member
Jun 16, 2005
1,659
0
0
wow....with all these talks about how antec has poor psu, it's really tempting me to trash my less than a year old antec smartpower2.0 450W that came with my sonata2 and get a seasonic. I'm worried that the antec might actually take some components with it when it dies
 
DrMrLordX

DrMrLordX

Lifer
Apr 27, 2000
23,076
13,174
136
I'm surprised nobody here has mentioned Enermax. They make good PSUs as well (or at least the Liberty series is pretty good).
 
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