New power supply i guess

[jvd]

I have a vantec ion 400 watt power supply. I like it but i think its holding me back.

I have an athlon 64 2.5 ghz (not running it at that due to an undervolting problem with the mobo)

x800xt pe

1.5 gig of ram

3 120mm fans , 1 80mm fan . 2 hardrives 1 300 gig one 120 gig . 2 dvd r drives. A tv video card. audigy card , ipod and a wireless mouse and keyboard.

So i want to have a little head room. Any advice on what size i should look for .

I would like it to be as quiet as possible

 

[Guden Oden]

Why do you think your PSU is holding you back?

Like I've posted before, I do my 10 USB devices, 5 PCI cards incl TV/FM tuner and Audigy ZS, 120mm fan, 92mm fan, 80mm fan, vidcard fan, 9800 @ XT (core) clock, 2 optical, 2 3-platter 7200HDDs on a 250W PSU, you should be eminently set on 400. I think people are too hung up on wattage, most PC components don't draw all that much at all, a typical PCI card is a few watts at most from the 5V rail, etc.

It's as much the quality of the powersupply as anyhting else that matters, cheap stuff with flimsy construction will cause issues even if the PSU is rated at 550W. Unless you're actually experiencing crashes that cannot be reasonably explained any other way, why throw away good money on something you've already bought?

Go to that strip club instead and spend your cash on the girls there, they need it more than you do!

 

[jvd]

because the rails are really low. The 12 is at 10 , the 3.3 is at 2.8 . My vcore keeps moving.

I dunno. Mabye new fans inside the power supply will help.

I have the vantec ion http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=17-103-474&depa=0

 

[Vadi]

I'd return the PSU if possible (I mean if you've got still warranty on it). Tell them it provides wrong voltages. I did that too and I have another no name PSU now with very good voltages.

 

[Guden Oden]

J,

It sounds like you need your PSU replaced, not increased. That, or your voltage monitoring chip is borked (after all, they're not always terribly accurate). If you have access to a multimeter, I'd advise you to use it to measure the voltages directly, and if they're off that much, return the PSU to place of purchase.

 

[Nite_Hawk]

Why do you think your PSU is holding you back?

Like I've posted before, I do my 10 USB devices, 5 PCI cards incl TV/FM tuner and Audigy ZS, 120mm fan, 92mm fan, 80mm fan, vidcard fan, 9800 @ XT (core) clock, 2 optical, 2 3-platter 7200HDDs on a 250W PSU, you should be eminently set on 400. I think people are too hung up on wattage, most PC components don't draw all that much at all, a typical PCI card is a few watts at most from the 5V rail, etc.

It's as much the quality of the powersupply as anyhting else that matters, cheap stuff with flimsy construction will cause issues even if the PSU is rated at 550W. Unless you're actually experiencing crashes that cannot be reasonably explained any other way, why throw away good money on something you've already bought?

Go to that strip club instead and spend your cash on the girls there, they need it more than you do!

Have you actually taken the time to figure out how much power you are drawing on your rails to see if your powersupply is running in spec? I bet it isn't...

Nite_Hawk

 

[digitalwanderer]

J,

It sounds like you need your PSU replaced, not increased. That, or your voltage monitoring chip is borked (after all, they're not always terribly accurate). If you have access to a multimeter, I'd advise you to use it to measure the voltages directly, and if they're off that much, return the PSU to place of purchase.

Yup, what he said.

 

[anaqer]

The 12 is at 10 , the 3.3 is at 2.8 .

I repeat : .
I'd never have imagined a PC could operate at voltages that low. Seems like a HW monitoring mishap to me too.

 

[digitalwanderer]

What are you using to monitor it with? :|

 

[jvd]

motherboard monitor and epox monitor . Both are getting the same results .

As for the power supply its almost 2 years old now so i doubt i can return it .

 

[Bolloxoid]

Do remember that it is your motherboard's voltage regulators that provide the current for any devices connected to it so it may be your motherboard as well. If your want to know how your power supply unit is doing, you have to measure the voltages directly from the PSU.

 

[Vadi]

edit: Got confused because I don't use the mainboard chip for the 12V and 5V lines.

 

[Leto]

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article28-page3.html

Seasonic Super-Tornado 300w or 350w: High efficiency, Yate Loon 120 mm fan

http://www.seasonicusa.com/products.php?lineId=5

If you really insist on 400+ Watt theres the Seasonic Super-Silencer 400, same great featuresas the Tornado 300, except it uses 80 mm fan in the back instead of 120mm in the bottom.

http://www.seasonicusa.com/products.php?lineId=4

 

[BRiT]

I'm fairly happy with my Antec TruePower 550 and 430 Watt PSUs. I can not hear the PSU fan over that of my Koolance PC2 radiator on low setting.

 

[maosee]

it's just fine imo.

but if you want to be extra safe here get this

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=17-103-438&depa=1

or if your a cheapskate

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=17-103-910&DEPA=1

 

[LeStoffer]

because the rails are really low. The 12 is at 10 , the 3.3 is at 2.8 . My vcore keeps moving.

The OCZ PowerStream PSU family comes highly recommended:

http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/power_management/ocz_powerstream_power_supply

I got the 470 watt model and the noise level is very acceptable. Only thing on the downside is that they are big - that is quite deep - and maybe price.

 

[Lezmaka]

Both are getting the same results

I'd have to guess that's because both are getting the readings from the same chip, so if the chip is messed up, you won't be able to tell via any software which reads that chip.

 

[jvd]

Yea i'm going to use a multimeter tis week when my friend comes over and see whats going on. I'm reading the board is known for undervolting .