GOOD powersupply for under $40?

Well, I've taken the suggestions (great suggestions!) from a couple previous
threads, and decided I need to get a quality PS.
But...I'm having a hard time narrowing one down...especially in my budget.
$40 or less.
And preferably at least 350 watts as close to TRUE 350 as possible.

Any suggestions, especially 2 fan ones?
I found this:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...alog=58&depa=1
I don't think I've seen Coolmax on anyone's quality manufacturor's
lists...but the numbers (amps and total 3+5+12 line watts) seems pretty
good.

Well, thanks for any feedback!
Liam

"LRW" wrote in message
news:tMfPb.107330$I06.625560@attbi_s01...
Well, I've taken the suggestions (great suggestions!) from a couple
previous
threads, and decided I need to get a quality PS.
But...I'm having a hard time narrowing one down...especially in my budget.
$40 or less.
And preferably at least 350 watts as close to TRUE 350 as possible.

Any suggestions, especially 2 fan ones?
I found this:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...alog=58&depa=1
I don't think I've seen Coolmax on anyone's quality manufacturor's
lists...but the numbers (amps and total 3+5+12 line watts) seems pretty
good.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...alog=58&depa=1
Oh and this one's a couple dollars more, but the peaks and amps are better,
and it states a MTBF.
But the brand name... ?

If list retail price is significantly under $80, then
probably missing essential functions. How to determine a
quality supply. Up front and first, it provides a long list
of numerical specs. Specs that inferior supplies cannot
always meet and therefore don't provide. An abbreviated list
of specs that any acceptable supply claims to meet:
Specification compliance: ATX 2.03 & ATX12V v1.1
Acoustics noise 25.8dBA typical at 70w, 30cm
Short circuit protection on all outputs
Over voltage protection
Over power protection
100% hi-pot test
100% burn in, high temperature cycled on/off
PFC harmonics compliance: EN61000-3-2 + A1 + A2
EMI/RFI compliance: CE, CISPR22 & FCC part 15 class B
Safety compliance: VDE, TUV, D, N, S, Fi, UL, C-UL & CB
Hold up time, full load: 16ms. typical
Efficiency; 100-120VAC and full range: 65%
Dielectric withstand, input to frame/ground: 1800VAC, 1sec.
Dielectric withstand, input to output: 1800VAC, 1sec.
Ripple/noise: 1%
MTBF, full load @ 25°C amb.: 100k hrs

What do supplies forget to include to sell at higher profits
at $40? Things such as over power protection and EMI/RFI
compliance. Does your supply specifically state it has this?
If not, then that essential function is probably missing which
is why they can sell for $40.


LRW wrote:
Well, I've taken the suggestions (great suggestions!) from a couple
previous threads, and decided I need to get a quality PS.
But...I'm having a hard time narrowing one down...especially in my
budget. $40 or less. And preferably at least 350 watts as close to
TRUE 350 as possible.

Any suggestions, especially 2 fan ones?
I found this:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...alog=58&depa=1
I don't think I've seen Coolmax on anyone's quality manufacturor's
lists...but the numbers (amps and total 3+5+12 line watts) seems
pretty good.

Well, thanks for any feedback!
Liam

on Tue January 20 2004 4:16 pm, w_tom decided to enlighten us with:


What do supplies forget to include to sell at higher profits
at $40? Things such as over power protection and EMI/RFI
compliance. Does your supply specifically state it has this?
If not, then that essential function is probably missing which
is why they can sell for $40.

Try and knock an Antec power supply. New Egg has and Antec 350W power
supply, model SL350 for $43. Can't beat it. Antec has some of the best
power supplies on the market for consumer PC's, bar none.

http://www.newegg.com/app
ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-103-913&catalog=58&manufactory=BROWSE&depa=1

--
Big Daddy Ruel Smith

My SuSE Linux machine uptime:
7:15pm up 44 days 4:00, 2 users, load average: 0.47, 0.45, 0.29

My Windows XP machine uptime:
Something less...

"Ruel Smith (Big Daddy)" wrote in message
...
Antec has some of the best
power supplies on the market for consumer PC's, bar none.

I'm just sitting here contemplating the overuse of cliches to the point
where I can't even make sense of them anymore. "some of the best", and "bar
none" - now just what the heck does that mean?

on Wed January 21 2004 10:45 am, jeffc decided to enlighten us with:

I'm just sitting here contemplating the overuse of cliches to the point
where I can't even make sense of them anymore. "some of the best", and
"bar none" - now just what the heck does that mean?

That means that Antec's top of the line, of course, are very, very good
consumer PSU's. Their lower lines, which are actually just older models,
are also very, very good, but not quite as good as the TruPower line.
Antec's TruPower line was one of 3 brands to take top honors in Tom's
Hardware PSU comparison. Sure, you can go off the deep end with features
and such and find better PSU's out there, but not for the money. Again, the
PSU I gave a link to was $43 and a genuine Antec. Someone pointed out that
he didn't think there was such a beast as a good power supply for that
price, but there it is. It meets all the original poster's needs: 2 fans,
350 watts, around $40 and it's a quality one to boot.



--
Big Daddy Ruel Smith

My SuSE Linux machine uptime:
2:28pm up 44 days 23:14, 2 users, load average: 0.25, 0.16, 0.09

My Windows XP machine uptime:
Something less...

"Ruel Smith (Big Daddy)" wrote in message
...
on Wed January 21 2004 10:45 am, jeffc decided to enlighten us with:

I'm just sitting here contemplating the overuse of cliches to the point
where I can't even make sense of them anymore. "some of the best", and
"bar none" - now just what the heck does that mean?

That means that Antec's top of the line, of course, are very, very good
consumer PSU's. Their lower lines, which are actually just older models,
are also very, very good, but not quite as good as the TruPower line.
Antec's TruPower line was one of 3 brands to take top honors in Tom's
Hardware PSU comparison. Sure, you can go off the deep end with features
and such and find better PSU's out there, but not for the money. Again,
the
PSU I gave a link to was $43 and a genuine Antec. Someone pointed out that
he didn't think there was such a beast as a good power supply for that
price, but there it is. It meets all the original poster's needs: 2 fans,
350 watts, around $40 and it's a quality one to boot.

Oh, well that makes perfect sense. I guess you didn't mean to say "bar
none" then :-)

And where is the PFC? This Antec appears to be a new design
intended to go for the $40 market. The supply appears to
retail list for something like $60-$70. $43 would be a street
price.

This Antec may be the $80 supply - a new design. For
example the $80 supply was previously selling for $100. Then
new innovations were implemented. It is possible that the new
wave of $80 supplies will now *list retail* for $65. However
and again, where is the PFC in this supply? Every top of the
line manufacturer at one time or other tries to dump a low
cost knock off onto the market - to go after the lower end of
the market. Antec tends to meet minimal specs - a major
accomplishment for any power supply manufacturer when the
customers are so technically ignorant. $80 retail list number
had remained a benchmark. Supplies selling for $40 routinely
did not include essential functions.

"Ruel Smith (Big Daddy)" wrote:
That means that Antec's top of the line, of course, are very,
very good consumer PSU's. Their lower lines, which are actually
just older models, are also very, very good, but not quite as
good as the TruPower line. Antec's TruPower line was one of 3
brands to take top honors in Tom's Hardware PSU comparison. Sure,
you can go off the deep end with features and such and find
better PSU's out there, but not for the money. Again, the PSU I
gave a link to was $43 and a genuine Antec. Someone pointed out
that he didn't think there was such a beast as a good power
supply for that price, but there it is. It meets all the
original poster's needs: 2 fans, 350 watts, around $40 and it's
a quality one to boot.

"w_tom" wrote in message
...
If list retail price is significantly under $80, then
probably missing essential functions.

I recall reading a review of a sub $40 power supply that was quite good
(according to the testing criteria, which seemed credible.) I thought it
was on Tom's Hardware, but I can't find it there now. It was a new brand
(to me at the time), such as Fortron, or Vantec, or Seasonic, or some
company that actually was selling power supplies under multiple names.

Sub $40 retail list or sub $40 street price?

jeffc wrote:
I recall reading a review of a sub $40 power supply that was
quite good (according to the testing criteria, which seemed
credible.) I thought it was on Tom's Hardware, but I can't find
it there now. It was a new brand (to me at the time), such as
Fortron, or Vantec, or Seasonic, or some company that actually
was selling power supplies under multiple names.