TechSpot - PC Technology News and Analysis

as i know now that my current psu is utterly poop i decided to invest in a new one. Currently its a 380W Trust one (+12 = 15A apparently lol). My machine isn't in need of that much power either:

Pentium D 820
1.5 gig 553mhz ram
Radeon X1650 pro PCI-E 256mb DDR3
160gb hdd
dvd-rw
and a couple of fans

i was looking at this:

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...uct_uid=115163

any thoughts or opinions of what i could get for that price instead?

Do a search on this forum or Google for Power Supply Calculators... There is some good software out there... free or nearly free which will help you tabulate all you power users into a framework where you can see what you will need for normal operation, and for those brief intensive moments when you need every bit of power you can scrape together.

280W at full load

i also took into account the upgrades i am looking at getting

ati x1950 pro and a C2D E6420

that only comes up as 250W required, is this because of my pentium d? is it a power hungry cpu?

Not a power hungry CPU, but a power hungry X1950.
The real problem in power supplies is evaluating quality. The builders have created a market for themselves. But the average power supply problem is not one of power, but of quality components and great engineering design. Name brands mean something. Tear a few apart and you will see. Put them on the bench and you will know.
Still, you are better off with a 400 watt power supply than what you have in that 250W unit.

My PSU atm is 380W lol but poor quality. And i was possibly going to get a X1950 pro with a C2D. According to a PSU calculator my current set up of a Pentium D and a X1650 Pro uses more power than that which confuses me :S

the calculator is okay for what it is, but in order to find out what you really need, you need to donate to that site and get the pro version or platinum version or w/e it is, in order to calculate what you will need on your rails. Goodluck.

but all i really want to know is if this is a good PSU. I know coolermaster are a good make but i'm not sure about their PSU's. I know 430w is more than enough to run my current set up as i'm currently running it on less with a mere 15A on the +12.

Be especially careful with the cooling. If you intend to put any particular component under a load you're going to want an internal-facing fan in the PSU to move the hot internal air away from the PSU, and an external-facing fan (larger, by nature), to move any stray hot air from inside the unit itself. Not to mention, a lot of lower-grade manufacturers don't lube the bearings on the fans adequately, which can result in noise pollution and a lot of grief.

i think the fan on this is about 12cm blowing air onto the mobo and cpu etc. and as its a coolermaster i don't think i will have to worry about inefficient lube on the bearings

I had an old Coolermaster that was kicking around, maybe I got it three years ago, that's lube had worn out. But it's an old machine so there's not much to worry about. By the time it does wear out, you're going to need a new machine anyways. Good pick there, Billy.

Thanks, if it does wear out i can always slip some WD40 in there. That does the trick with most things

I'm a big fan of rifle or paintball-marker grease. It's designed for parts that move alot, so it has some staying power. However, it is decidedly thinner than WD40, and sometimes may drip. A good lube job doesn't have to worry about that, if you clean up using a Q-Tip.

Please explain this "grease" you are referring to. I have been playing paintball for almost 10 years now and have never heard of a grease for a marker. Just light machine oil.

I googled it and found this

http://www.slickhoneyusa.com/

"many pro’s use this product because you can lower your operating pressures, get less ball breaks while maintaining your velocity. Less friction means less wear"

Yes: I go to a local paintball shop to buy my grease. I believe it's name is GOLD's Trophy Marker Oil. I don't know if it would be any different from normal or light machine oil, but it works.

Yeah okay, that is still an oil. Not really a grease in the sense as axle grease.

Oh, certainly not. That would bring performance down.

Hence my asking!

Don't use WD-40 as a bearing lubricant. I repair autos and trucks as a hobby on most weekends and WD-40 is a handy item to have when used properly but it is not a good lubricant. Sure it's oily when you first apply it but when the carrier dries, it leaves a sticky residue, brown in color, that is anything but a lubricant.

WD stands for water displacement. It can be used on most auto electrical connections and distributors to clear out moisture that might be causing problems such as shorting. I often use it as a temporary lubricant when chasing threads with a tap or die but not as a permanent lubricant for anything.

Ouch, well if it the lube runs out then i'll just end up getting a new one :P or just submerge it in a tank of WD40 as an experiment :P can the fans in PSU's be replaced?