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View Full Version : First You Get The Power Supply, Then You Get The Computer


Hooch Tan
07-09-2010, 03:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/500w-psu-power-supply,2658.html' target='_blank'>http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews...upply,2658.html</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"On the other hand, power supplies are often forgotten in offices and for everyday multimedia applications. Truth be told, compact and mid-range PCs don't require a high-performance power supply. However, investing in a high-quality power supply can pay off in several ways."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1278631323.usr20447.jpg" style="border: 0px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>I have to agree with Tom's Hardware that for most people, power supplies are considered secondary to most other components in a computer.&nbsp; When buying a computer, everyone, even some who want to play games on high powered video cards, look at the specs of video cards, CPUs, memory and hard drives, but hardly ever the power supply.&nbsp; For what is essentially the heart of the computer, I have seen a good power supply make a huge difference for stability and its ability to manage less than ideal power conditions.&nbsp; Cheap power supplies can easily fry themselves, and parts of your computer along with it, when the power goes out.&nbsp; Of course, that would never happen since everyone uses a UPS, right?&nbsp; Right?</p>

NeilE
07-09-2010, 04:58 PM
Even with a UPS your power supply can tank :) With my previous PC I came home one day to find my office smelling like electrical fire. The power supply had gone, and it took the USB controllers on the motherboard with it. DOH.

Neil

Lee Yuan Sheng
07-09-2010, 05:59 PM
I think the real challenge of a PSU is to keep chugging after 3 years' worth of dust bunnies clogging the internals. :D Cheap ones tend not to do as well when the heat starts building up.

Jason Dunn
07-09-2010, 06:27 PM
Awesome post title. :D

I agree completely that most people don't put enough emphasis on a quality power supply. It's definitely the most common thing I see go on low-quality computers...

EscapePod
07-09-2010, 09:37 PM
The last PSU I had go out was an expensive Zalman. Proof that even the expensive ones can fail (in a rare instance). However, the Customer Service group was very accomodating, and I received a replacement within a week.

Lee Yuan Sheng
07-10-2010, 04:59 AM
Hmm, I don't think Zalman's that big a name in PSUs, are they? I normally look to companies like Enermax and Seasonic.