Power Supply Question for AMDs

[DeadSeaSquirrels]

Do I still need to be wary of the power supply I am using for AMD processors and mobos. I am planning on buying a XP 1800+ or somewhere around there, and I don't know if using just any 400W PSU that comes with the case will be fine, or should I explictly use one from somewhere reputable like Enermax or Antec. I know in the past, the t-birds really sucked power, and needed a heavy duty PSU, but what about now. I've been out of the loop for a while and am not sure anymore. Thanks for the info.

 

[Mem]

It depends on the quality of your 400w PSU,I would say it should work fine but like all things quality of PSUs do vary between brands etc & how much other hardware you will be using as well ,I would just try it and see how it goes.

If you do decide to buy a decent quality brand later then brands like Antec,Sparkle,Enermax,Enhance,PC & Power Cooling are all very good.

 

[paperfist]

You should go for a good quality PS no matter what, this holds true for AMDs as well as the Intel's. It's not just the CPU that's power hungry, but also the video cards and obviously everything else inside your case. The PS have gotten better since the first AMD?s had trouble with them, but some PS are still poor quality and don?t deliver enough power. Dunno if I?ll get shot for this, but Tom?s Hardware did a story on PS not performing as advertised (even the name brand ones). Here?s the link if you?re interested:

http://www4.tomshardware.com/howto/20021021/index.html

 

[Jhhnn]

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any truth in advertising for power supplies. and there's some serious junk out there. There's also somewhat of a fetish about higher power ratings being necessary, they're really not in most instances. Unless you're planning a truly loaded system, a brand name 350w unit will be more than adequate.

 

[DeadSeaSquirrels]

Yeah, I mean it's always best to get good parts for everything. But for me I am hitting my limit in spending, and I'd like to see where I can cut corners. I can imagine, some people will fervently say not to cut corners with the PSU, but then it'll be cut at the Mobo, or RAM, or Video Card, and no part wants to be the cheap part. I guess I'm wondering what the sense people have about the failure rate of "less reputable" PSUs. I've personally never had a PSU problem, and I don't have any of those brand name PSUs, but I wouldn't venture so far as saying I don't expect to just because it never happened. But I guess I am wondering if I should give it a shot with whatever comes with the case first, and then move up if I'm dissatisfied.

By the way, I wasn't going to overclock, and I'm hoping to get a board with onboard LAN and Soundcard, if that makes a difference.

The particular case in question is the:
Skyhawk AL_4305SLET-400W, and it comes with a 400W PSU

 

[AnAndAustin]

😉 I agree with everything said so far. If you're on a tight budget then that 400W should be more than fine. Any instability or strange voltage issues then explore another PSU, but on the whole that PSU should be very good. A quality PSU is often and I'd rec getting a branded one, pref 400W although as said a branded 350W is still more than adequate for 99% of users.

 

[psianime]

I've run a fully loaded computer with only a 330w PSU (Enermax).

My specs when fully loaded:
xp 1800+
asus mobo
2 hard drives
cd-rw and dvd rom
video card
3 pci cards
4 system fans
coffee maker


okay... mabe not the coffee maker.. but you get the idea. I have a generic 420w right now (im cheap) and it works fine in my computer. No power problems or anything.

-psianime

 

[Bovinicus]

The problem with PSU ratings is that they are often innacurate or reveal very little about the PSU. To pick out a PSU, one really must look at each rail on it's own and determine if that rail provides enough power. Most generic PSUs skimp heavily on the 12V rail. I like Antec's Tru series of PSUs a lot. They provide a very steady source of power without much noise. Thermaltake's PSUs are surprisingly high quality as well. I would rather have a 330W Antec Tru PSU over a 400W Generic PSU any day.

 

[Eli]

I've done a bit of research on power supplies in the last couple of days, and the best price/performance ratio I could come up with was the Enermax EG301P-VB. You can get it at newegg for 32+6s/h.

For the lazy...

Enermax EG301P-VB

+03.3v = 28.0A @ 4%
+05.0v = 30.0A @ 5%
+12.0v = 22.0A @ 5%
-05.0v = 01.0A @ 10%
-12.0v = 01.0A @ 10%
+05.0vsb = 02.2A @ 5%

+3.3 & +5v = 170w max

Hold up time = 17ms @ full load
Efficency = 70% min @ full load
MTBF = 100,000 hours(11.4 years) @ 25ºC, 70% full load


It has the highest +12v line rating of any 300W power supply I've seen yet, 22A is quite nice... most are 14-18.

 

[AMDfreak]

I just went all out and dropped $120 on a 520W Vantec Stealth. It does 28A on the +12V rail so my 14 fans, 3 hard drives, 3 cd drives, and oc'd T-Bird should be kept happy. 😀 There's a great article up on FiringSquad that can guide you in what to look for to support your system.