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Hard data for PSU failure???

3K views 66 replies 10 participants last post by  dogbiscuit 
#1 ·
I keep looking at low price PSU's like those by CiT, but they get a lot of dissing online, anecdotal evidence of cheap PSU's failing.

Are there any figures collected on PSU failure rather than just folk on forums complaining?
 
#4 ·
Well, I thought maybe 650W CiT, or thereabouts, to go crossfire.

But GPU's seem to be getting really efficient so I can maybe get away with the 550W coolermaster I use now.

I've used a 450W CiT gold for a couple of years without problem, BTW.

Anyway thanks for the tips, I shall give them a look!
 
#5 ·
All it takes is 2-3 years for a low-quality PSU to suddenly start showing signs that it's not a good PSU.

What are you going to Crossfire?

Just be aware that the wattage rating of these kind of PSUs (probably including the Cooler Master) is only concerning its temporary peak capacity, not its continuous. This is one reason why it's important to get a quality, recommended PSU.

Another reason is the power delivery. Cheap PSUs deliver dirty and very unstable power (lots and lots of ripple). This can harm components in the long run. Quality, recommended PSUs deliver clean and stable power - and the PSUs themselves last for several years without any problems. Plus, they can handle all kinds of overclocking.

The PSU is the single-most important part of a computer system, especially when that system is being overclocked.

I'm not trying to say that CiT PSUs are all garbage, but I'm just generalizing.
 
#6 ·
Well, I do hear those HD 77XX's are easy on the Watts, so I was thinking if I was to go down that route maybe a couple of those.

But I think maybe I will look at some better quality PSU if the cheaper ones don't have a good lifespan.
I know the cooler master that I used is supposed to be a bit dirty, according to review, but not so bad it can't be used.
This is what I use currently (a pun!)
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Cooler-Master-eXtreme-Power-Plus-500-W-Power-Supply-Review/728

Well, almost, the model I got is PCAP A3, not PCAR A3 - I don't know what the 1 letter difference is.
 
#7 ·
Look at the noise graphs. That's not a little dirty. That's toxic nasty.

A quality 500W PSU would be sufficient. On the cheap end a SeaSonic S12II 520W or Antec NEO 520C might do it. More expensively, Kingwin Golden King 550W would be awesome.
 
#8 ·
Bad PSUs can either have poor voltage regulation, overheating problems, or just not be able to put out as much power as is stated.

Here's what can happen when you draw the maximum rated current from a terrible PSU:
My favorite was a PSU by Leadman that Johnnyguru reviewed; it was rated at 650W and died at 184.
 
#13 ·
I like seeing electronic stuff go bangflash.

So... I think I should get a good PSU then.

But here's another angle on the question - what if I get a cheap one that's got a much higher wattage than I need, wouldn't that give me lots of room, a big safety margin?

I see on ebay an 800W PSU for £24.

Hypothetically, wouldn't that mean I would never really stress it if it powered a system that used a lot less current than that?
 
#14 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by TwoCables View Post

I'm under the impression that he's talking about "MY favorite was a PSU by Leadman that Johnnyguru reviewed; it was rated at 650W and died at 184".
Here's the review. It made me laugh.
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=71

Nothing can beat a leadman in terms of misrepresenting its maximum capacity.
Quote:
I like seeing electronic stuff go bangflash.
Get a Leadman, you only get a buzz as it dies.
 
#16 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by DzillaXx View Post

save up your money and get a nice PS like a corsair TX750 or 850. They are still pretty cheap compared to fully modular.
I would go for whatever good power supply you can get a good deal on. I usually look through the Corsair TX series, the Seasonic M and S12II, Roswill Capstone and Hive series, and the thermeltake toughpower series.
 
#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by dogbiscuit View Post

I like seeing electronic stuff go bangflash.
So... I think I should get a good PSU then.
But here's another angle on the question - what if I get a cheap one that's got a much higher wattage than I need, wouldn't that give me lots of room, a big safety margin?
I see on ebay an 800W PSU for £24.
Hypothetically, wouldn't that mean I would never really stress it if it powered a system that used a lot less current than that?
No, not at all. Any cheap "high wattage" psus are at best crappy 300w units, there is no regulation on what they claim, they just print a sticker and slap it on. You're better off buying a cheap 400-500w psu from a respected manufacturer, they might not be great, but they will put out what they claim.
 
#18 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by dogbiscuit View Post

I like seeing electronic stuff go bangflash.
So... I think I should get a good PSU then.
But here's another angle on the question - what if I get a cheap one that's got a much higher wattage than I need, wouldn't that give me lots of room, a big safety margin?
I see on ebay an 800W PSU for £24.
Hypothetically, wouldn't that mean I would never really stress it if it powered a system that used a lot less current than that?
Edit: Which 800W PSU are you seeing there? What is the make and model?

No, because regardless of the wattage, a low quality PSU is still a low quality PSU. In other words, regardless of a low-quality PSU's claimed wattage capacity (and I stress the word "claimed"), it is still very likely that it is unable to deliver clean and stable power. It would be the slow and gradual death of your system. It would be torture for it. Not only that, but you would also end up with all kinds of stability problems - even without overclocking.

You can equate building a computer system to building a human being. The PSU is the heart. If you were to build a human being, then would you buy a cheap heart? Or would that be your most important investment? Compare two human beings where one has a weak heart and the other has a very strong and healthy heart: which one is going to be better suited to regular physical activity and occasionally playing extreme sports? I mean sure, if your human is meant to be nothing but a couch potato watching mindless T.V. shows, then the quality of its heart isn't as important (it's still important, but not as important). However, if you ask that human with a weak heart to go out and get some physical exercise, then it's going to have some trouble doing it. It might be fine for a few minutes at first, but it'll quickly start experiencing random problems that are hard to explain.

Have you ever had a computer that seemed to have nothing but problems all the time that were hard to explain? The culprit of such a computer system is usually the PSU. So not only is the quality of the PSU important for general system stability, but if you want to be gaming and overclocking, then it becomes even more important.

So I will say it again: the PSU is the single-most important part of a computer system. There's a very good reason why an 800W power supply would only cost £24: because it's a cheap piece of you-know-what. You usually get what you pay for, but that doesn't mean "Just get the most expensive PSU". This is more about the price-per-watt. The price-per-watt can usually be a good indicator of the PSU's quality, but even then it's still important to ask around in places such as OCN.
 
#19 ·
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by dogbiscuit View Post

CiT Black 800W for £24 + £5 postage on ebay UK.
Actually the cheapest I can see now, 800W, is £21.58 + £2.56 postage.
Uber cheap.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/800W-Quiet-Silent-ATX-PC-Power-Supply-Unit-PSU-800-Watt-/120949738916?pt=UK_Computing_PowerSupplies_EH&hash=item1c292a8da4
I think the chipset is the heart, the CPU the brains and the PSU is the stomach, and the case is it's suit, and the HDD is it's Kindle where it keeps all it's Tom Clancy novels.
Are you trolling us?
 
#22 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by dogbiscuit View Post

CiT Black 800W for £24 + £5 postage on ebay UK.
Actually the cheapest I can see now, 800W, is £21.58 + £2.56 postage.
Uber cheap.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/800W-Quiet-Silent-ATX-PC-Power-Supply-Unit-PSU-800-Watt-/120949738916?pt=UK_Computing_PowerSupplies_EH&hash=item1c292a8da4
"Over 72% Efficiency"

Quote:
I think the chipset is the heart, the CPU the brains and the PSU is the stomach, and the case is it's suit, and the HDD is it's Kindle where it keeps all it's Tom Clancy novels.
The PSU is the heart (if it fails, that's instant death) the chipset is the brain stem, the CPU is the brain, the HDD is the brain, the video card is the brain. Only the PSU and Case are not the brain.
 
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