The right PSU for me?

[Rhodes132]

My PSU has just messed up for some reason and i am now searching for a new one. I have very low money though ($30). Can anyone tell me a PSU that can withstand my computer w/o messing up and is $30 or less? It will be greatly appreciated. =)

Here are my Specs:
CPU: Amd Athlon 64, 1800 MHz 2800+
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-K8NS
Motherboard Chipset: nVIDIA nForce3 250, AMD Hammer
Ram Speed, size and #sticks: dual 512mb (total 1024mb) (PC3200 DDR SDRAM)
GPU: nVIDIA GeForce FX 5700LE (256 mb)
Case: Scorpio 868W case
OS: Windows Xp Home Edition w/ Service pack 2
fans: i have whatever fans that came with all that i bought which i think is 2 regular fans, 1 cpu fan, 1 LED fan

Here are a few PSU's that have crossed my eyes. I really only want to spend under $30, but if it is a need for me to save money for a better one, i will.

Sparkle Power (FSP350-60BT) 350-Watt Power Supply [$29]

Antec (SL250S) 250-Watt Power Supply [$28]

Enermax (EG365P-VD) (EG365PVD) 350-Watt Power Supply [$44]

450 Watt PC/Computer Dual Fan PSU Power Supply Unit [$35] (something on ebay)

Antec Smartblue 350 Watt power supply

Antec Smart Power SP-350 Watt Power Supply

Also if you have any suggestions, please tell me. Thank you!

 

[Rik]

Go here, http://www.extreme.outervision.com/index.jsp that should help you to decide the wattage you require.

 

[KingCody]

Can anyone tell me a PSU that can withstand my computer w/o messing up and is $30 or less?

any PSU under $30 is a piece of %&@! and will cost you more in the long run. It will not put out the wattage that it claims to be rated at, and whatever it actually can put out, it will not be stable power and will flucuate with changing system temps. It will lack a reliable protection circuit.

To sum it all up, a cheap PSU could take out your whole system, which will cost you much much more than $30

 

[DonNagual]

In general, yes. Cheap PSUs are a nightmare as kingcody says above.

But there are some exceptions. Calculate how much you need using the link rik gave above, but I wouldn't recommend any less than 300w for your system. The main thing you want to confirm is how many amps the PSU is giving you on the +12v rails. You'll want at least 18amps, better to be in the 24amp range and up for your system. Those particular PSUs you are looking at are great PSUs. Sparkle, enermax, antec... they make quality PSUs.

 

[Rhodes132]

what do you guys think of Generic and refilled... is there a major difference in performance? such as this atec true blue 480W

Real:
http://www.atacom.com/program/print...RCH_ALL&Item_code=POWS_ANTE_TB_48&USER_ID=www

Generic and refilled:
http://www.pricegrabber.com/user_sales_getprod.php?masterid=650034&lot_id=2802862

 

[DonNagual]

That "generic and refilled" is not an Antec trueblue 480w. Not sure what's going on, but something is "off" there.

There would be a HUGE difference in reliability and performance between the two listed. The first one has 36amps on the +12v rail, the second has 16amps.

 

[Rhodes132]

As you can tell i dont know to much about the PSU's as i have another question. When it says that it comes with a PCI-E graphic connector or Supports PCI-E graphic cards, does this mean it only supports PCI-E and doesn't support AGP. Or do pretty much all PSU's support AGP and that just means it can support PCI-E as well?

for instance a Antec Smart Power SP-350 Watt Power Supply.

Features:

ATX12V version 2.0
Dual 12V output circuitry provides added system stability and meets 240VA UL requirements and safety purpose: 12V1 for Motherboard and peripherals; 12V2 for processor
ATX12V v2.0 compliance allows SmartPower 2.0 to consume up to 25% less power than standard power supplies, saving you money on your electric bill. 24-pin power connector with detachable 4-pin section.
4 SATA Connectors support Serial ATA drives
Flow-through dual 80mm fans (one intake and one exhaust)
Unique Dual Fans Technology: exhaust fan starts to spin when the power supply reaches certain temperatures to ensure proper airflow, the second fan spins on power up
Industrial grade protection prevents damage resulting from short circuits, power overloads, excessive current, low voltages and excessive voltages
Increased 12V output capability for system components that consume more power from 12V rail
PCI-E graphic connector
Safety approvals: UL, CUL, TUV, CB, FCC Class B, CE, CCC
Increased MTBF: 80,000 hours
Size: 5.9" (W) x 3.4" (H) x 6.1"(D)
PF value greater than 90% (EU only)
Gold plated connector for superior conductivity

Oh and one more question. You have told me that i should get a PSU that has atleasy 18A on the +12 V. If it has a Dual +12 V1 @ 10A and +12V2 @ 15A will that work good?
-Which one of the two is better to have a single +12V or Dual +12V?
-When its a Dual +12V can u pretty much add up the 2 to get the some of what a single +12V would get? So in the case above, its overall would be +12V @ 25A for the Dual and it would be a lot better then the single +12V @ 18A?

 

[vnf4ultra]

Yes, no special connector is needed for agp, but some pci-e cards do require a special connector. The pci-e ready psu also is fine for an agp system.

Dual 12v is good, they sometimes don't quite add up completely(i.e. sometimes a dual 12v of 18a and 18a will "only" put out 32a combined on the 12v), but it is better to have two 18a 12v lines than one 12v line with 18a.

 

[Rhodes132]

ahhh Ty and im guessing that when its says
"Full Support of Dual Core systems (incl. Pentium D EE and Athlon 64 X2) & Dual CPU systems"
means that it works for 1 cpu systems but it can support 2...
right?

 

[vnf4ultra]

Yes, it supports a single cpu sytem as well.