Enermax 431W + Epox 8K7A....bad choice?

[brett1]

I've heard that there are problems with Epox mobos and enermax PSUs....right now I'm running an enermax 300W PSU with my Epox mobo fine, BUT since I added another hdd it's dying and I need more power. I need power to the following things:

3 7200rpm hdds
1 16x burner
1 16x dvdrom
1 floppy
3 case fans
athlon 1.4
gf3 vid card/fan
and an extra plug for a future hdd

would an enermax 431W be a good choice? (I also want it to be semi-quiet)

 

[J3anyus]

What are your current voltages?

As far as Enermax PSUs and EPoX motherboards go, I would try to avoid mixing them. I run my EPoX 8K7A+ on a 400W Sparkle, and that works great. My current voltages are:

+3.3 - 3.4
+5 - 4.98
+12 - 12.01

The problem with Enermax PSUs and EPoX mobos is that EPoX mobos put a giant drain on the +5V rail, and Enermax PSUs have trouble keeping up with that. This causes sagging voltages on the +5V rail, and that inevitably leads to system instability, especially under load. If you want a quiet PSU, then your choices are Enermax or PC Power and Cooling. As mentioned previously, Enermax PSUs aren't good with EPoX boards. PCP&P PSUs are great and near-silent, but horribly expensive (I think $200 for a 350W). If you want a quiet power supply that will power your rig well, then you should buy an Antec or Sparkle PSU and just change the fan to a Panaflo L1A. That'll give you a great power supply with very little noise. Good luck.

J3

 

[Kipper]

You should be fine with the Enermax, as long as you're not doing any serious overclocking. On an overclocked 1.33 GHz T-bird I noticed the rail drop to 4.6 with my Enermax 350W, which is currently replaced with an Antec PP412X (same as PP403X) which provides more voltage on the 3.3/5V. Rail drops to only about 4.85, I think...

 

[brett1]

How do I tell what my voltage usage is? I've been running this 300W with no problems until I added another hdd. Thanks for the tips J3anyus. I might end up ordering another enermax and then return it if it doesn't work.