• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

need help choosing power supply

S

Solodays

Senior member
my power supply on my emachine just when dead so i need some help on choosing the right ones, i have few questions..1:i opened up the pc and took a look at the power supply and it label OUTPUT RATTING 250W (max) so its an 250w power supply right? 2: if i buy a 400w power supply, would it work on my current pc or does it have to be 250w? 3: the current ppower supply that dead out is very very loud, so this time i needed a quiet one, which brand should i go for?
 
Using a PSU rated higher than the original is fine, in fact very good if any additiobal drives have been added.

First you'll need to know the size, or form factor, of the original PSU as some OEMs use smaller form factors than the standard ATX design.

That being said, I would look into Fortron Source or Sparkle Power for relaible and cheap PSU replacements.
 
its an emachine mid tower, so all i know is atx power supply. i think the extra hd and upgarded pci video card that i put in killed the power supply. how much power does hd and dvd-drive usely consume? my specs are...1.3 celeron, 512 ram, pci 9100 ati video, 40hd, 120 hd, 2 dvd -roms, network card. are forton source and sparkle power loud? will 300watts psu do it?
 
Originally posted by: Solodays
its an emachine mid tower, so all i know is atx power supply.
Click to expand...
You should determine if your PS is a regular ATX or Micro-ATX model or even a special OEM version made just for the eMachine.
A quick Google search for your model number should tell you or check the eMachine Parts page and look up your model.
An ebay search for your model should give you information also.

 
Originally posted by: Solodays
its an emachine mid tower, so all i know is atx power supply. i think the extra hd and upgarded pci video card that i put in killed the power supply. how much power does hd and dvd-drive usely consume? my specs are...1.3 celeron, 512 ram, pci 9100 ati video, 40hd, 120 hd, 2 dvd -roms, network card. are forton source and sparkle power loud? will 300watts psu do it?
Click to expand...

Yes 300 watts will run that fine. In fact the 250 watt unit shouldn't have had problems either. It most likely failed due to being defective or just low quality.

Forton-Source (FSP) make reasonably quiet, good quality PSUs. If however you want the quietest, and very top quality I would go with a Seasonic S12 (330 watt), it's a very good PSU that you will be able to build a new system around when you are ready to ditch the Emachine.

Just make sure you follow Blain's suggestion and make sure it's not mATX vs. reg. ATX and dosn't use any proprietary connectors.
 
Yup, many of that generation eMachine use SFX PSUs but generally not 250Watt units. I bet what you read is the max draw from the wall (AC) which would make it a much more puny 120W or so on the DC side.
. Sparkle or Fortron recently came out with a 350W unit in that form factor that would be quite an upgrade either way. It is the Sparkle FSP350-60GNV. AFAIK, that is the strongest PSU in that form factor from a quality PSU maker. But it is quite a bit deeper than the standard 4" (the Sparkle is 5.1" deep) of the original SFX spec - it does fit in cases like the Athenatech A100 quite nicely. That it has active PFC and autoranging AC sensing makes it my top choice in this category if it will fit in your case. One other thing is that it has a straight thru air flow rather than the side firing fan of most SFX PSUs - so if your CPU depends on that fan for some of its cooling, then another PSU might be better or you'd have to add a fan to your CPU
. The Enermax 270W unit is a solid box w/ a side firing fan but it costs more than the Sparkle even in the version that lacks aPFC. The new Enermax 320W unit is also an option but high priced at $50. + sh also w/o aPFC etc. But these are the standard layout: side firing fan and 4" deep

.bh.
 
oprandi, when i first brought this pc it doesnt have any of these components in there, are you sure an extra dvd-rom, pci video card, hd, had nothing to do with it being fried? i had no problems during the first 4 years without these 3 components, but after installing these 3 parts in this year, this is what happen to the psu.
 
Really hard to tell. It could just have been a marginal fuse in the PSU. I've fixed many a "dead" PSU with a simple fuse. After all, they don't use top drawer parts like Bussman or Littelfuses in those things.

.bh.
 
Originally posted by: Solodays
oprandi, when i first brought this pc it doesnt have any of these components in there, are you sure an extra dvd-rom, pci video card, hd, had nothing to do with it being fried? i had no problems during the first 4 years without these 3 components, but after installing these 3 parts in this year, this is what happen to the psu.
Click to expand...

You are nowhere near 250 watts; I'd guess 100 watts tops.

Hard drives only draw any amount of significant power during spin up, and even then it's less then 20 watts. Same thing with optical drives, they only draw power when reading a disc, and no more then 30 watts. Figure 40-50 watts for the CPU and 20-30 for the video card and you have a very small total power foot print.

Besides 4 years could be a world record for an Emachine PSU, those things really are built to be disposable.
 
100watts of psu? you serious think a 100watts of psu can operate a 1.3 celeron, 512ram sd, 2 hd, 2 dvd drive, pci ati 9100 video card, floppy drive, network card, motherboard? i have never seem a 100watt psu.
 
Originally posted by: Solodays
100watts of psu? you serious think a 100watts of psu can operate a 1.3 celeron, 512ram sd, 2 hd, 2 dvd drive, pci ati 9100 video card, floppy drive, network card, motherboard? i have never seem a 100watt psu.
Click to expand...

I never said that.

100 watts is rough estimate of what your system draws.
 
Both of the units Zepper linked to would be good choices if you just want to get the machine working again and keep it intact down the road.

However if you want a PSU to serve as a foundation for a new machine I would look into a Seasonic S12 (330 or 380 watt).
 
so the only difference between standard atx and atx 12v are the more connecters? will atx 12v still be compatiable with standard atx machines? i just founded out that my motherboard is micro atx, will atx 12v be compatiable with it?
 
Originally posted by: Solodays
so the only difference between standard atx and atx 12v are the more connecters? will atx 12v still be compatiable with standard atx machines? i just founded out that my motherboard is micro atx, will atx 12v be compatiable with it?
Click to expand...

Yes to all of the above.
 
cool. so if i decided to put in a 400watt psu in there it will never fully consume that much power right? the extra watts just sits there waiting for components to be installed and take advantage of?
 
Yes, a switching PSU's total output is more dependant on the load than the old linear PSUs were. IOW they are more efficient and don't need to dump as much waste heat.

.b.h.
 
What MB you have makes no difference as far as what PS you actually have installed.

We can go back and forth for days with PS opinions...
Post a picture of the back of your case at the PS.
We're smart, we'll tell you if it's a Micro-ATX or a standard ATX PS. :laugh:
 
Or you could simply measure. If the farthest apart mounting screws on one side of the PSU are more than 5" apart, then the PSU is standard ATX, if under 5" but not under 4" then it is SFX with the long side to the rear, if it is under 4", then it is SFX with the short side to the rear. Measurements of the PSU case are: ATX= 6"x5.5"x3.4" (the 6" side is always to the rear. SFX= 5"x4"x2.5" (and perhaps with a fan housing that rises above the 2.5" measurement) - the 5" side or the 4" side could be to the rear.

.bh.
 
I'm figuring out some power supply stuff myself and rather than start a new thread I figured I'd add on here.

Here are my current specs:
Athlon 64 3000 (939)
1gb RAM PC3200 (2x512)
Radeon X1950 Pro
200gb SATA hard drive
2 Optical drives
Sound Blaster Audigy
380 watt Antec PSU (24A on +12v)

I'm thinking about upgrading my CPU to an X2 4200 and popping in two more RAM sticks. The power supply calculator says I should be fine (it calculates my maximum draw at 330 watts), but the PSU selection guide says a safe estimate for my total power draw in amps would be 24.75 amps on the 12v rail. Even if I skip the RAM upgrade for now I'd still be at 23.75 amps. I don't like running things that close.

Which guide should I follow? I'd rather not upgrade my PSU but if I have to, I will. I'm currently looking at an Antec Smartpower 2.0 500 watt since after rebate it's a very good deal. EDIT: On second thought, all the reviews stating that this thing dies quickly has me changing my mind...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top