Talk about underpowered!

[SkyBum]

Just today I decided to take a look at my old rig, and check out what power supply was in it (since I had it built for me way back) and to my surprise I found a FoxLink 250w PSU. My question is how in the hell did I manage to get away with this for so long?

Foxlink FTPS 0202 Rev. C powering:

XP 1800+
Asus A7V-266e
(2x512) OCZ 3200 EL DDR platinum rev.2
ATI 8500DV
Audigy Platinum
2 Seagate Barracuda 60 GB
1 Maxtor 40 GB
Lite On 832s DVD
Pioneer CD/RW
2 case fans
+ USB led mouse pad, USB card reader, USB wireless mouse

The company who built this rig for me should be shot! I just didnt know enough at the time to see any problem....oh well it's made it through 3 years of hardcore gaming...

 

[Mik3y]

well, a quality 240W psu can easily handle the strain of an fx-55, x800 xt pe, 2gb memory, 2 raptors, an optical drive, and more. just because the psu has a low wattage doesnt mean it sux. i'll go for a quality 240W over a generic 500W psu any day. why? the 240w is more reliable, quieter in general, and can power everything i would need.

 

[SkyBum]

Maybe I should cut those guys some slack, after all, it's still running. I just can't believe they didn't put in a 350w. Hell, I wasn't exactly counting nickels when I had 'em build that rig......

EDIT: I plan to keep it around for a backup PC, the powersupply is loud enough to hear 2 rooms away so I will be replacing it anyway. Any recommendations?

 

[mechBgon]

How about an Enermax in the 350W+ area? They have lots of 12V amperage and usually have lots of drive plugs.

 

[Operandi]

I would recomend a 300watt seasonic.

 

[BW86]

Exactly what mechBgon said, go with a 350W Enermax.

 

[Mik3y]

Originally posted by: BW86
Exactly what mechBgon said, go with a 350W Enermax.

:thumbsup:

 

[kogase]

Oy. Seasonic.

 

[Chang10is]

Originally posted by: SkyBum
Maybe I should cut those guys some slack, after all, it's still running. I just can't believe they didn't put in a 350w. Hell, I wasn't exactly counting nickels when I had 'em build that rig......

EDIT: I plan to keep it around for a backup PC, the powersupply is loud enough to hear 2 rooms away so I will be replacing it anyway. Any recommendations?

The fact that the PSU was able to power so much equipment, and that it was able to do it that long, attests to its quality. Even though it's a generic brand, it's probably actually a very good unit.

 

[beatle]

Originally posted by: SkyBum
My question is how in the hell did I manage to get away with this for so long?

Because the need for more watts is widely overstated. The ONLY reason I have an OCZ 470 PSU in my primary rig is due to random crashes with my previous PSU, an Antec True 330. As it turns out, the PSU was not to blame and the Antec was plenty capable of powering my overclocked rig.

 

[WobbleWobble]

Does it still work? What are your rails like? If it works and the rails are still strong, why bother replacing it?

 

[SkyBum]

It was NOISY.

I went with the enermax.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: SkyBum
It was NOISY.

I went with the enermax.

that's prob. why it still worked fine
kept cool by a 4000 RPM fan