Who makes GOOD inexpensive computer power supplies?

[Daniel Prince]

I want to buy a new ATX power supply so that I will have a good
spare. I need a power supply with at least 400 watts, and the extra
12 volt connector. It must be capable of running the latest AMD
systems with enough power to run four hard drives and three optical
drives. I want to avoid no-name supplies with exaggerated ratings
and dubious quality, reliability and longevity.

I have not researched power supplies in years. I think I remember
that Antec supplies are good but somewhat expensive and that Sparkle
are good and inexpensive. Is that still true? Are there other
brands that are good and inexpensive? Thank you in advance for all
replies.

 

[Lez Pawl]

I want to buy a new ATX power supply so that I will have a good
spare. I need a power supply with at least 400 watts, and the extra
12 volt connector. It must be capable of running the latest AMD
systems with enough power to run four hard drives and three optical
drives. I want to avoid no-name supplies with exaggerated ratings
and dubious quality, reliability and longevity.

I have not researched power supplies in years. I think I remember
that Antec supplies are good but somewhat expensive and that Sparkle
are good and inexpensive. Is that still true? Are there other
brands that are good and inexpensive? Thank you in advance for all
replies.
--
I am TERRIBLY cruel to my cat. I actually cut of the ends of
his toes. It's just the hard, dead part that grows back but
still. And I do it just because he sticks them in me or
scratches the furniture or me.

and next you will be posting this cheap PS don't work...............

remember.............you get what you pay for................this IS a fact
of life.

 

[Paul]

I want to buy a new ATX power supply so that I will have a good
spare. I need a power supply with at least 400 watts, and the extra
12 volt connector. It must be capable of running the latest AMD
systems with enough power to run four hard drives and three optical
drives. I want to avoid no-name supplies with exaggerated ratings
and dubious quality, reliability and longevity.

I have not researched power supplies in years. I think I remember
that Antec supplies are good but somewhat expensive and that Sparkle
are good and inexpensive. Is that still true? Are there other
brands that are good and inexpensive? Thank you in advance for all
replies.

This archived page has some info.

http://web.archive.org/web/20060110042352/http://xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=56231

I would say Antec is variable. Antec contracts out manufacturing, as
do a lot of the companies. There have been a couple supplies (like
NeoHE) that had problems starting with some motherboards. When
there are problems, Antec tends to be slow and devious in response
to customer feedback. I own several of their supplies and haven't
had any trouble myself.

Since the power supply business is so focused on price, it pays to
read the reviews, such as the customer reviews on Newegg. That can give
you a warning as to which units have a higher than normal problem
with DOA, noisy fans, bad design etc.

The cheap stuff is constantly changing brand names. So the archived
article above will not list all the bad brands. But you should be able
to figure it out.

Paul

 

[ElJerid]

I want to buy a new ATX power supply so that I will have a good
spare. I need a power supply with at least 400 watts, and the extra
12 volt connector. It must be capable of running the latest AMD
systems with enough power to run four hard drives and three optical
drives. I want to avoid no-name supplies with exaggerated ratings
and dubious quality, reliability and longevity.

I have not researched power supplies in years. I think I remember
that Antec supplies are good but somewhat expensive and that Sparkle
are good and inexpensive. Is that still true? Are there other
brands that are good and inexpensive? Thank you in advance for all
replies.

The PSU is one of the basic components of your PC and any misbehaviour could
result in destruction of your motherboard, DDR, VGA card or others. So don't
try to make some savings by searching a low cost unit, but go for a well
known brand (Antec, Enermax, OCZ, Zalman,...) after reading some reviews
(Anandtech, Tomshardware, aso).

 

[Noozer]

The PSU is one of the basic components of your PC and any misbehaviour

could result in destruction of your motherboard, DDR, VGA card or others.
So don't try to make some savings by searching a low cost unit, but go for
a well known brand (Antec, Enermax, OCZ, Zalman,...) after reading some
reviews (Anandtech, Tomshardware, aso).

....and all of those (except Enermax) just rebadge other makers PSU's.

Go with a Sparkle or Fortron PSU.

 

[Doug]

I'll double that suggestion to goto NewEgg... I bought a 480 Watt
Thermaltake TruPower from Newegg on special about a year ago, for around $70
US, it seems to be very stable so far to this point. Thermaltake has been a
pretty solid performer for me...

You CANNOT go wrong with an Antec though as a side note.

Doug

 

[Rod Speed]

I'll double that suggestion to goto NewEgg... I bought a 480 Watt
Thermaltake TruPower from Newegg on special about a year ago, for around $70 US, it seems to be
very stable so far to this point. Thermaltake has been a pretty solid performer for me...

You CANNOT go wrong with an Antec though as a side note.

You CAN actually. They've had some duds and have a poor record
of admitting which ones are duds and fixing that for the customer.

 

[VanShania]

Maximum PC states that Antec, PC Power and Cooling, and Enermax are the most
reliable Power supplies.

--
Love and Teach, Not Yell and Beat
Stop Violence and Child Abuse.
No such thing as Bad Kids. Only Bad Parents.
The most horrible feeling in the world is knowing that No One is There to
Protect You.

A64 3500+, Gigabyte GA-K8NSC-939,AIW 9800 Pro 128mb
MSI 550 Pro, X-Fi, Pioneer 110D, 111D
Antec 550 watt,Thermaltake Lanfire,2 Gb OCZ Platinum 2-3-2-5
2XSATA 320gb Raid Edition, PATA 120Gb
XP MCE2005, 19in Viewsonic,BenchMark 2001 SE- 19074
Games I'm Playing- Falcon 4, winSPWW2, winSPMBT, Call of Duty War Chest

 

[Ken Maltby]

You CAN actually. They've had some duds and have a poor record
of admitting which ones are duds and fixing that for the customer.

That could be true, every company has had their Edsel, but Antec
has a very solid performance record.

Their newer "SmartPower" units are very quiet and provide the extra
12v rails with enough juice to meet all the recent developments. Just
pick a unit that will meet your the overall power requirements, and the
power will be there where you need it. You can't say that for many of
the cheaper power supplies or even some of those in the same price
bracket.

Luck;
Ken

 

[kony]

I want to buy a new ATX power supply so that I will have a good
spare. I need a power supply with at least 400 watts, and the extra
12 volt connector. It must be capable of running the latest AMD
systems with enough power to run four hard drives and three optical
drives. I want to avoid no-name supplies with exaggerated ratings
and dubious quality, reliability and longevity.

I have not researched power supplies in years. I think I remember
that Antec supplies are good but somewhat expensive and that Sparkle
are good and inexpensive. Is that still true? Are there other
brands that are good and inexpensive? Thank you in advance for all
replies.

The wattage you're seeking is now common, practically
everyone makes/sells something in that capacity. It's not
as though there are only a half dozen suitable candidates,
the best value (good inexpensive) will tend to depend on
special sales, promos, rebates, etc being offered at any
given time, or even a simplier cost saving from buying at
the next place you're ordering other parts to offset
shipping.

Since there are several that may do acceptibly, instead rule
out any known brands or those known to have less
conservative ratings or particular problems. This would be
too large a list to make now, but some web forums will
attempt this and could be consulted when considering any
specific unit.

If you just want a random brand name thrown out there,
consider Sparkle or Seasonic. There are other issues we
can't easily resolve for you like whether you'd prefer
something with more airflow (a bit louder) but then running
cooler as a result so it may tend to have longer lifespan.

 

[DaveW]

In the world of power supply units, "good quality" and "inexpensive" are
generally contradictory terms. I would HIGHLY recommend you go with the
Antec as a long term investment. Also, for the load you plan on powering
(four harddrives, three optical drives, etc.) 400 Watts is not enough,
especially if the PSU is "inexpensive".

 

[philo]

I want to buy a new ATX power supply so that I will have a good
spare. I need a power supply with at least 400 watts, and the extra
12 volt connector. It must be capable of running the latest AMD
systems with enough power to run four hard drives and three optical
drives. I want to avoid no-name supplies with exaggerated ratings
and dubious quality, reliability and longevity.

You save *no* money of you buy a cheap supply and it dies...

the price difference between a mid-range and "cheap" supply is not that much
anyway...

I'd just avoid those expensive supplies that are chrome plated and look nice
but don't have anything to offer as far as increased performance

 

[larry moe 'n curly]

I want to buy a new ATX power supply so that I will have a good
spare. I need a power supply with at least 400 watts, and the extra
12 volt connector. It must be capable of running the latest AMD
systems with enough power to run four hard drives and three optical
drives.

I have not researched power supplies in years. I think I remember
that Antec supplies are good but somewhat expensive and that Sparkle
are good and inexpensive. Is that still true?

Try www.jonnyguru.com and the PSU forums at www.overclockers.com and
www.hardocp.com for recommendations. They all have lists of good and
bad brands, and generally, the PSUs from Fortron-Source are very good,
and they tend to be inexpensive. These include the brands Fortron,
Sparkle, Hi-Q, and PowerQ. F-S also makes some Thermaltakes, like the
ToughPower and GamePower series, and these can be very cheap when Fry's
has a rebate deal on them (usually includes the case, too). Don't buy
other Thermaltakes because they're usually made by Sirtec and aren't
very good.

Antecs aren't that expensive any more when there's a rebate deal on
them, but their SmartPower, TruePower, and Neo series, all made by
Channel Well Technology, contain capacitors made by Fuhjyyu, which
don't last long, especially when run hot, as they are in Antecs because
of their slow-running fans. Other Antecs don't have this problem
because they're made by Seasonic -- NeoHE (not Neo) and Trio.

There are some makes that are very good but not widely available on the
retail market, at least not under their own names -- Etasis, Zippy,
Enhance, Delta. But for almost any brand, the real manufacturer can be
found from the UL or CSA certification number at www.ul.com or
www.csa.ca. Newegg.com usually lists pictures clear enough to read
this number.

 

[Rod Speed]

That could be true, every company has had their Edsel, but Antec has a very solid performance
record.

Some have a better performance record in the sense of the number of duds,
and many have a better record on fessing up to the duds they do have.

Their newer "SmartPower" units are very quiet and provide the extra
12v rails with enough juice to meet all the recent developments. Just
pick a unit that will meet your the overall power requirements, and
the power will be there where you need it. You can't say that for many of the cheaper power
supplies or even some of those in the same price bracket.

Yes, but that isnt the only other option. One other obvious alternative
is a decent quality brand that has a better record on duds and a much
better record on dealing with the few duds they do manage to have.

 

[Daniel Prince]

In the world of power supply units, "good quality" and "inexpensive" are
generally contradictory terms. I would HIGHLY recommend you go with the
Antec as a long term investment. Also, for the load you plan on powering
(four harddrives, three optical drives, etc.) 400 Watts is not enough,
especially if the PSU is "inexpensive".

How many watts would I need for a basic system of one hard drive and
one optical drive? How many additional watts would I need for each
additional hard drive? How many additional watts would I need for
each additional optical drive?

 

[CBFalconer]

.... snip ...
--
I am terribly cruel to my cat. I give him so little canned food
that he has to eat some dry just to survive. I won't let him
get on the table and eat off my plate. I sometimes refuse to
open a window he wants to smell out just because it's too cold/hot.

This is obviously the cats fault. He has not trained you
adequately. Most cats have no problem training humans.

 

[Mikey]

I want to buy a new ATX power supply so that I will have a good
spare. I need a power supply with at least 400 watts, and the extra
12 volt connector. It must be capable of running the latest AMD
systems with enough power to run four hard drives and three optical
drives. I want to avoid no-name supplies with exaggerated ratings
and dubious quality, reliability and longevity.

I have not researched power supplies in years. I think I remember
that Antec supplies are good but somewhat expensive and that Sparkle
are good and inexpensive. Is that still true? Are there other
brands that are good and inexpensive? Thank you in advance for all
replies.

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=17076&vpn=ATX-400-PN-B&manufacture=FSP GROUP USA

 

[Rod Speed]

How many watts would I need for a basic
system of one hard drive and one optical drive?

What matters much more is the the cpu.

How many additional watts would I need for each additional hard drive?

What matters much more is the the cpu.

How many additional watts would I need for each additional optical drive?

What matters much more is the the cpu.

 

[kony]

How many watts would I need for a basic system of one hard drive and
one optical drive?

Depends on what a "basic system" means.
A generic answer would be, a good quality modern 300W PSU.
Add a decent video card and you're better off going with
350-400W. Add another drive or two and again better going
with 350W or more.

How many additional watts would I need for each
additional hard drive? How many additional watts would I need for
each additional optical drive?

Don't think in terms of watts, think in terms of which PSU
voltage rail is most loaded and how many amps it will need
provide, AND whether the particular PSU has rated it's
capacity for peak or sustained power.

In general a good target for a modest system is 18A on 12V
rail. Highly integrated (small mATX, usually) systems might
have carefully matched PSU with lower ratings, but then
again such systems' PSUs often are seen to fail at higher
frequency than similarly equipped systems with larger form
factor case/PSU, all else being equal.

Older PSU often have a lower % of power supplied to the 12V
rail, so the older the PSU the higher the wattage may need
be to run a new(er) system build. Some people just buy a
higher capacity than they'd really need, which can be useful
in that it may contribute to a longer lifespan of the PSU,
but whether cost effective or not has a lot to do with how
long the system need last- since having a PSU fail pretty
much negates any cost (or time) savings when the PSU is
replaced... but maybe you have some spare PSU at a point in
the future, there are too many variables for us to see from
the info provided.

The best generic low-end-system answer is to buy a modern
name-brand 400W. A system may easily run from less, but the
cost difference isn't much and it allows for some upgrades
(though it's not as though adding two SLI'd high-end video
cards is a good idea then, you'll have to attempt to predict
the future if you want to cover such possibilities).

 

[Doug]

Daniel, no one seems to give you a simple straight answer. If they can't
dazzle you with brilliance, they'll baffle you with bullshit it seems.
Buy an Antec TPII 550 Watt and be done. It comes with a Warranty on the off
chance that anything might flake up. Compatible with old stuff and has the
new 12 Volt rails for newer systems and I doubt you'll need anything more
than this. Look for deals, coupons and rebates as other have suggested and
be done. Supports new SATA if you want too?, it has everything you will
need for whatever system.

Doug