Voltage problem 400w DURO psu

[beckett]

ok, first, my english is not so good, i speak spanish, sorry
now, i have a 400w DURO psu and i have a problem with voltage
i have pcalert 4 and everytime i play the lastes game`s like the godfather or oblivion it sound pcalert's alarm, first was +12v (the 4 box to your right on pc alert)because its go's to 13.00 (right now is 12.48, i think thats a little bad) and today was the 3.3v(it go's to 2.64 or something like that) so i must buy a new psu? (by the way, PSU is that box with the energy to turn on the pc? XD sorry im new on this things) do i have to buy a 350w or 500w or the same of 400w, one like pctronix o something like that?
yesterday i read a post from this page, a guy says he have a 400w psu and he buy a new one of 350w and it work's for him =S i don't understand

please help =(

that's all =P thks =) sorry my english =)

 

[beckett]

beckett

i have on my pc:

maxtor 80gb and 20gb HD 7200
msi kt4av
GF fx5200
896 DDR
LG dvd/cdrom

if it helps
thks again
bye =P

 

[DonNagual]

Well, it does sound like your PSU is dying. Then again, software based voltage readings can be a little unpredictable.

Get a second opinion first. Download and run speedfan: https://www.techspot.com/downloads/547-speedfan.html

and see what it is reporting.

If it too is reporting that you have wacky voltage readings, then you should replace the PSU.

First go here: http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp
and calculate how much power you need.

Then get yourself a power supply from a reliable PSU maker. Have a read here to help you decide: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=792566

Good luck!

 

[beckett]

almost the same with speedfan, +3.3v to 2.93 and +12v to 13.19
i already do the calculate thing and it say's 338w so i think i should buy a new psu, but no a ordinary one like the one i have now

it could be another strange thing that change my volatage? because i never had this problems and a few days ago add a 512 ddr, maybe the video card? or something?

thks again =)

 

[KingCody]

you have a generic PSU that should be replaced. let these voltage flucuations be an early warning sign, if you don't replace it you could run into more serious problems down the road.

You calculated your PC's needs at 338w, which is probably less than your Duro PSU can provide. The reason for this is that generic PSUs can only provide about 65% - 75% of their rated power under normal circumstances, and when the PC is drawing too much power for the cheap PSU to handle, the voltages start to flucuate.

There are plenty of good, reliable PSU brands to choose from. such as Antec, Enermax, FSP (fortron), Sparkle. Buying a PSU from one of these names will ensure that your PC will get clean, stable, and solid power

 

[Rik]

I'm using a 450watt Eye-t psu, does anyone know if Eye-t is a good or bad make???
(Its working fine but i haven't had it long)

 

[N3051M]

never heard of it.. one way to know (kinda) is if its just dull, grey and boring looking or just plain looks cheap then its generic.. one thats well presented, nice looking, as if it knows what its doing then maybe good psu..

however a google concluded not much of a yeild, one side of the argument being it a good thing, another stating it bad.. i'd say (and this applies to every psu) if it works it works, if it starts to screw up or get old then in the dumpster it goes - unless you have a degree in electronics to fix it

 

[Rik]

Well ive already put better quality caps in it and put 1n4004 rectifier diodes instead of the standard 1n4001's so (fingers crossed) it should last a while.

 

[KingCody]

the way the PSU looks is not an accurate indication of quality. there are many cheesy generic brand PSUs that look nice and pretty, but have rubbish components inside.

in many cases you can tell a PSUs quality simply by it's weight. if the thing weighs next to nothing, then it's a piece of crap. if it weighs in at a healthy 5lbs (2-3kg) or so, then chances are it's pretty good, however some unethical PSU makers actually put weights inside the PSU cases to make them appear to be better quailty.

Thr best way to know is to buy a well known reputible brand. you don't have to buy their top models, just buy a little more than you need (most non-SLI systems will not need any more 350w)

 

[beckett]

thks a lot guy's =)

bye