Would you recommend this power supply?

[burnselk]

Antec Power Supply (26400)
ANE 26400
• 400 watts
• Dual 80mm fans
• Virtually silent
• Dual 12V outputs
• 4 Serial ATA connectors
• ATX12V v2.0-compliant

I believe I'm going to start buying hardware whenever I see it on sale so I can build my own computer some day soon.

Would you recommend this particular power supply? If so, why; if not, why not?

Thanks.....it's on sale this week at Circuit City for $30 (afer a $40 rebate). Sounds like a great deal. Would love to hear from some of you about this.

You rarely see PSU's on sale at CC, Staples, or OfficeMax.

[neuron2]

The price is good and the reviews here are positive:

http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/oid/128551/rpem/ccd/productDetailReview.do

[burnselk]

Could this PSU be used in a HP Pavilion model 7955 that was purchased in 2001? Mine is only 200 watts. I'm trying to see if it will work in older PC's like my HP.

[foxyshadis]

# Size: 5.9" (W) x 3.4" (H) x 6.1"(D)

Compare to yours, find out. It might be too long or just right, can't tell until you measure.

I'd get the NeoHE 380 personally, if I was to buy an Antec now, but those are admittedly more expensive. (Same before rebate though. Just be prepared in case CompUSA jacks you on the rebate, as they have a reputation of doing.)

[neuron2]

I don't see why not as long as the connectors, cables, and mechanics are compatible.

[squid_80]

One thing to check is how much clearance your case gives for the fan. My Antec supply has a separate grille over the fan (much like the one pictured in neuron2's link) which doesn't quite sit flush with the back of the unit. I had to use some tin snips on the case to cut the fan hole a little bigger.

[CWR03]

burnselk, as mentioned in the other post, PSU's are pretty universal with most off-the-shelf hardware. You would need to check your current motherboard's plug requirements, but otherwise the only issue should be clearance.

You may also look around for a new case into which you can put your current hardware along with a new, more powerful PSU. I found one at Fry's Electronics for free (with a combined $30 in-store discount and a $10 mail-in rebate). eBay is another place to find good deals. I just won a bid for a car from a dealer in Indiana for $4,000 less than it's worth.

As far as whether the PSU is a good deal, I'd say yes; it's a very good brand name and a good price, better than I've ever seen for an Antec at Fry's.

[HardwareGeek]

I'm going to start buying hardware whenever I see it on sale so I can build my own computer some day soon.

Would you recommend this particular power supply?Hi,

That's a great price for a $70 PSU. However, keep in mind that most cases come with a PSU. So you might want to save your $30 and invest it in a good case. Buying a PSU and a case without a PSU separately is almost always an expensive proposition.

[Lenny_Nero]

I often buy stuff on sale or clearance, and have got some great parts for not a lot of money over the years, but I am not a gamer so its not such a big deal if something does not turn out to be so good.
I have been looking at power supplies and am a fan of Antec, from what I have read you get a real power rating not just a silly number that it *might* hit for a millisecond.

Also its a better idea than the case as the units in cheaper cases are often not very good, I have just found that out the hard way.

[burnselk]

I don't see why not as long as the connectors, cables, and mechanics are compatible.

I just called Antec Tech Support and was told this Antec PSU won't work in many proprietary machines like HP, Compaq, Dell, etc. because it doesn't provide the -voltages these Mobo's require. I suppose my HP uses a voltage that the Antec doesn't have.

"How does one go about finding out what voltages their Mobo requires (HP Pavilion Model 7955 in my case)"? My HP was bought in Oct. 2001.

This Antec won't fit in my small HP case (too long). But, I don't really care since I bought it with the intention of using it in a new/different case....now I'm beginning to wonder if I should keep it after what HardwareGeek said. Good point.

Can anyone else comment on buying cases with/or without PSU's? Are they usually sold with PSU? If so, are the PSU's decent or do you have to settle for what you get? If this is the situation, I may be better off as he said and save my $30....it may end up in a corner not being used.

[Gehenna]

I think you need a micro PSU like this one:
Compaitable 7955 PSU (http://www.power-on.com/miathppa1.html)

A standard [20/24]with removable 4 pin block + 12v 4pin should work fine,if you can wedge it into the machine, i just took a hacksaw to my IBM Intellistation E Pro (NAS Server), so i could fit a standard size PSU.

The connections to my IBM were fine:
20 Pin connection to Mainboard....Job done
Although i notice the HP 7955 has a `HP Video Power` connector.. maybe thats the issue ?

I always buy cases without PSU`s, its not an item i skimp on (Antec and OCZ are IMHO the best out their)

[burnselk]

Below is what shipped in my HP Pavilion 7955. It's a mere 200 watts and I wanted to upgrade this to at least 300w but can't seem to find one that will fit in my HP. Any help you guys can provide me would be greatly appreciated. The 200 watt PSU is working fine....I wanted to upgrade it so I could install a decent graphics card (currently has nVIDIA RIVA TNT2 model 64) and most of them call for at least 250 watts.

But I'd still like to build a better computer. I'd like to do some video capturing and editing (converting old home VHS and 8mm tapes to DVD to pass around to the family). That's what got me started on trying to upgrade because while I was capturing video my computer rebooted saying something about upgrading my graphics card......and here we are.

Micro ATX-V200BT (Bestec ATX-1956D)

This Micro ATX power supply is a 200W, PS3 Form Factor, five output unit with remote on/off, UL, CSA, CE, TUV approvals. Original HP part number 0950-4106 used in many Pavilion computers. Airflow drawn out of case into surroundings by 80mm internal fan. Built-in power status LED above AC inlet. Connector bundle exits right side of unit. Bestec model ATX-1956D.

Availability: Usually ships the same business day » Check ...
micro-atx-v200bt price: $39
Power Cord: Yes, add (+$1) No power cord
Connectors • Specifications • Mechanical • more photos
Connectors
This power unit has (1) ATX connector, (1) ATX12V connector, (4) peripheral power connectors, and (1) floppy drive connector.

20 pin ATX1 ATX12V(P4)2 Peripheral3 Floppy4

Connector notes:
1MOLEX 39-01-2200 or equivalent. Pin 11 also contains +3.3V Sense.
2MOLEX 39-29-9042 or equivalent.
3AMP 1-480424-0 or equivalent. 4AMP 171822-4 or equivalent.
Specifications
Manufacturer Bestec Model ATX-1956D
Type OEM microATX(12V) Warranty 1 year
Dimensions 100L x 150W x 86H mm Dimensions US 3.9" x 5.9" x 3.4"
Safety UL, CSA, TUV Efficiency 68% minimum
Reliability > 50K hours at 25°C ambient conditions.

AC Input
Voltage Max current Frequency Protection
115/230VAC 6/3 A 47-63 HZ Internal fuse
AC Input is switch selectable between 115V (100-127V) and 230V (200-240V).

DC Outputs
Voltage Max Current Min Current Max Ripple Load Line
+3.3V 10 A 0.0 A 50 mVpp +5% +1%
+5V 23 A 2.0 A 50 mVpp +5% +1%
+12V 12 A 0.02 A 120 mVpp +5% +1%
-12V 0.8 A 0.1 A 120 mVpp +5% +1%
+5VSB 2.0 A 0.0 A 50 mVpp +5% +1%
Notes: (1) +5V and +12V total output not to exceed 163W, (2) +3.3V and +5V total output not to exceed 150W, (3) Load and line refer to regulation, (4) Output Voltage Hold Time is 16mS.

power-on.com © 1996 Homepage Privacy Policy International Orders Join the Newsletter

[Gehenna]

Tricky, it was kinda designed purely for that kind of wattage / size

This PSU fits the size requirements 100 x 150 x 86 of the original PSU

PSU 300W 100Lx125Wx65H dims (http://coolmaxusa.com/productDetailsPower.asp?item=CM-300&details=features&subcategory=80mm&category=single)
But i notice the fan orientation is different to the original

[foxyshadis]

I think 2001 machines were ATXv2, but maybe yours was a v1 holdover, in which case they're right, all the power would be on the 5V rail on yours, whereas today all power supplies primarily use the 12V rail (the main difference between ATXv1 and v2) and a different connector. The extra info you posted bears this out, so you'll probably have to find an older power supply from a used or old parts dealer.

[Shocku]

But I'd still like to build a better computer. I'd like to do some video capturing and editing (converting old home VHS and 8mm tapes to DVD to pass around to the family). That's what got me started on trying to upgrade because while I was capturing video my computer rebooted saying something about upgrading my graphics card......and here we are.
Since you're considering building a better computer, I wouldn't recommend buying a PSU or a videocard now. Chances are they won't work well or at all with a recent motherboard.

I agree with Gehenna, it's not a good idea to skimp on PSUs. I don't trust the ones that come "free" with cheap cases. Sometimes they cause system instability and crashes which are blamed on other hardware or software. Their wattage rating is grossly exagerated as well.

I have an Antec on my P4 and an OCZ on my Opteron system now. Both have been good so far. OCZ is overkill unless it's for a top of the line rig (the new videocards are power hogs). Antec usually has a good price/performance ratio. Regardless what you decide to do, search google for the specific product before you buy. You should be able to find reviews and user forums that'll tell you if it's worth your money.

[burnselk]

How about this PSU? I have it now.....should I keep it or return it? I was starting to buy some of the equipment (when it went on sale) for my new build. I also have another HDD.

Antec Power Supply (26400)
ANE 26400
• 400 watts
• Dual 80mm fans
• Virtually silent
• Dual 12V outputs
• 4 Serial ATA connectors
• ATX12V v2.0-compliant

Does this PSU have enough wattage? I got it for $30 with rebates.

[CWR03]

Does this PSU have enough wattage?
Whether a PSU has "enough wattage" is entirely dependent of your usage of it. In order to determine how many watts you really need, you have to add the required wattage of each device connected to it and make sure it doesn't exceed the rating of the PSU.

[foxyshadis]

But the chance of you actually exceeding the capacity of an Antec 400 is miniscule unless you have 2 X1900 XTX crossfire and a X1800 for physics, dual-socket processors, and several hard drives...

Under normal use a budget system won't go over 150-200 and even tweaker systems rarely break 300. Don't believe bullshit claims shady PSU makers and overclocker forums push for PC wattage use (and the even shadier ratings on their products).

[burnselk]

Under normal use a budget system won't go over 150-200 and even tweaker systems rarely break 300.

Thanks foxy.......I'm the type who need straight answers like yours.

I will have two hard drives, but I'm not a gamer so I think 400 watts will be fine. I'll be using it in a "planned" new build.

[foxyshadis]

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

This article in particular is as relevant as when it was written, btw, in fact newer high-end systems can take less power thanks to better CPUs. I forgot to link it last night.

[burnselk]

How about this PSU? I have it now.....should I keep it or return it? I was starting to buy some of the equipment (when it went on sale) for my new build. I also have another HDD.

Antec Power Supply (26400)
ANE 26400
• 400 watts
• Dual 80mm fans
• Virtually silent
• Dual 12V outputs
• 4 Serial ATA connectors
• ATX12V v2.0-compliant

Does this PSU have enough wattage? I got it for $30 with rebates.

Good article Foxy.....now I feel like I know something about PSU's. Thanks.

[foxyshadis]

I had to link this one, it's woefully out of touch...
http://www.internetnews.com/ent-news/article.php/3612211

Given that 120W is the most any current card takes up (7900 GTX or X1900 XTX), even if you chained 3 in a row I wonder what you're supposed to do with the rest of the 1,200W...

[burnselk]

Given that 120W is the most any current card takes up

How about the Radeo 9550? Do you know the min power requirements of this card?

I've been told to try the Radeon 9550 one over my little 32MB nNIDIA RIVA TNT2 model 64(hp)....but it all depends on how much power it requires.....and will it fit in my motherboard's 4X AGP slot?

I wonder about my tiny 200 watt PSU.....epecially since I've added a second HDD and a DVD burner. Maybe I should leave well enough alone.

Your recommendations please Foxy.

[HardwareGeek]

Given that 120W is the most any current card takes up ... even if you chained 3 in a row I wonder what you're supposed to do with the rest of the 1,200W...It's computers with future, DirectX 10 cards that are supposed to require PSUs of 1000W and greater.

See http://www.anandtech.com/tradeshows/showdoc.aspx?i=2770:

"The new GPUs will range in power consumption from 130W up to 300W per card ... You will see both higher wattage PSUs (1000 - 1200W)"

[foxyshadis]

burnselk:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/gpu-consumption2006_4.html may help somewhat, but I don't know specifics.

HG:
I read that, but I don't believe it. The power dissipation requirements for 120W cards and CPUs are already bad. Will DX10 require liquid cooling or peltier rigs for each card (which would still only handle 150-170W)? It'd create a furnace. This is all hype trying to sell new PCs and power supplies that aren't needed and probably baldly lie about max wattage because no one can test them without a huge tester (http://www.tomshardware.com/2004/01/22/getting_the_right_power/index.html). Not to mention that 1.5kilowatts (12A) is probably way beyond whatever your power circuit is rated for, you'd better upgrade the power lines before you try plugging that in.

[Lenny_Nero]

Not to mention that 1.5kilowatts (12A) is probably way beyond whatever your power circuit is rated for, you'd better upgrade the power lines before you try plugging that in.
Do you use an electric kettle in your house ?
I think you need to find out how much power they draw before you make statements like that mine is 2.6 KW, also its not only the GPX card[s] that draw power, I have never worked out how much my quads draw but I would think its in the area of >400w and that is just for the processors without the Hdd's and fans and all the cards.

In the UK all the mains circuits are rated for 13 amp (unless cooker then 15 a) and my Fluke power tester/multi meter is rated at over 2000 w.