$25 PSU budget

[alimoalem]

my friend needs a new power supply and he doesnt wanna spend more than $25, $30 max with shipping included. i figured a 550w generic psu should be around the equivalent of a name brand 300w or 330w psu and his rig goes around 40 degrees (i think) so i think the 550w generics should keep up with the name brand 300-330w ones.

anyway, he needs to power the following:

s754 3200+
1 hdd (ide)
1 512mb ddr stick
1 cd drive
128mb nvidia graphics card (he doesn't know what it is....he doesn't game i guess)

i was thinking one of the following might be fine for him. remember, he's under a TIGHT budget.

LOGISYS 550w PSU - $20

ATADC 550w PSU - $24

FSP (Fortron) 300w PSU - $20

all have $7 shipping. do you think any of these will run his rig fine? do you have any better suggestions? i have read the psu thread before but i think that's more geared toward video card users...i don't think his draws too much.

any help is greatly appreciated. his hard drive just died, i don't want a 2nd psu to die too.

 

[Nohr]

You can get an idea of the wattage your friend will need with the eXtreme PSU Calculator.

I'd personally go for the Fortron. If he needs more wattage he's far better off spending more money than getting some generic pos.

 

[alimoalem]

i have the calculator but it's not always accurate. thanks for the post though. i was thinking the fortron might be the best choice but i wasn't sure. it's the only one with dual 12v rails.

i'd like more feedback though

 

[PurdueRy]

Originally posted by: alimoalem
i have the calculator but it's not always accurate. thanks for the post though. i was thinking the fortron might be the best choice but i wasn't sure. it's the only one with dual 12v rails.

i'd like more feedback though

fortron would be the best...although I would like to see a bit more power for expansion purposes...

 

[DaveSimmons]

A good 300watt PSU like the Fortron will have no problem powering that system.

 

[pkme2]

I always believe that anything under $40 for a PSU is like playing russian roulette with your computer system. Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes not. Your computer system is worth a lot more than $25. What happens when the PSU burns out your system? How much would it cost to replace completely. Your choice.

 

[magomago]

No. Wait a few more weeks to collect some more money. You don't need a 100 dollar PSU, and most people buy PSUs that are extremely overkill for their systems(I'm thinking people investing on a 600 watt PSU when 350 would have been fine)...but don't skimp on PSU quality.

 

[Nocturnal]

LOL is all I can say. Good luck with a $25.00 power supply lasting you and your components.

 

[JEDIYoda]

A PSU for $25 dollars...not even worth to post except to say--You were warned!!
Doesn`t matter what your friend wants..you need to tell him the PSU is the most important piece of hardware you need!!

Talk some sense into your friend...hell use the force even....

 

[OVERKILL]

Here's a $25 power supply thats worth getting.

Seasonic baby.
15 amps on the 12 volt rail.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817151019

 

[Pciber]

If I had to choose one of those listed, I'de choose the fortron.

As others have said though, you are putting your system in a bit of a risk - I work in computer repairs, and about once a week I see an e-machine come in with a dead power supply that has taken out at least the motherboard when it died.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: OVERKILL
Here's a $25 power supply thats worth getting.

Seasonic baby.
15 amps on the 12 volt rail.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817151019

What you base that on?? Becuase its a Seasonic...means for $25 it has to be a good PSU??

I wouldn`t even buy a PC Power & Cooling PSU......for $25!!

For $25 you don`t get anything in terms of quality..

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: OVERKILL
Here's a $25 power supply thats worth getting.

Seasonic baby.
15 amps on the 12 volt rail.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817151019

What you base that on?? Becuase its a Seasonic...means for $25 it has to be a good PSU??

I wouldn`t even buy a PC Power & Cooling PSU......for $25!!

For $25 you don`t get anything in terms of quality..

Since his budget is only $25, this fits nicely in it.

Do you have a better option?
If so, i'm sure he'd appreciate it.

 

[arcenite]

Originally posted by: Nocturnal
LOL is all I can say. Good luck with a $25.00 power supply lasting you and your components.

LOL is all I can say at your ignorance. Just because it is cheaper does not mean it is a POS. Look at that Fortron for example, they are known for their quality. While I agree that the power supply is the most important part of your system, the ones listed are not terrible.

 

[Bonesdad]

The Forton...or save more $$$ and get a more future proof model.

 

[furballi]

You've just missed a good sale on an Antec SmartPower 350 2.0 for $18 AR. Highly reccommended with PIC-E, SATA, and fan rpm plug. Power rail is solid within 12.10-12.20 as measured by a multimeter.

Watch for a repeat at Fry's/Outpost.

 

[MWink]

I'd go with either the Fortron or This. The Fortron is probably better but the Hipro is cheaper. Both are decent low end PSU's.

 

[nycdude]

I think this is one area that your friend should not skimp on. With that said the Fortron looks good.

 

[evenmore1]

Yep...the PSU is the most important part....nothing works without it....Either the Forton or something in the $50 range...

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Be a friend to your friend. W/O rebates $50 seems to be the cut for a decent retail PSU.
If he insists on uber-cheap, shop ewiz.com for Fortron, Sparkle or Enhance at his silly
price point.


...Galvanized

 

[alimoalem]

alright i'll check out other sites but i'm sure he won't budge on his budget so no point in using "the force" yoda. i know it's the most important piece..that's why i'm posting here. i wouldn't need help picking a $40+ psu; it's the true budget PSUs that are tricky so that's why i posted here. thanks for all the posts, they're greatly appreciated.

i'll be back with links from other sites.

 

[Sensai]

what happened to the days back maybe 5-10 years ago when people hardly ever had to focus on a power supply. ratings were more of what they are and quality was always expected.

 

[MUKid]

While I understand everyone's opinions concerning the power supply, I also understand the mindset of someone who doesn't want to spend extra money on a power supply. Some people just don't find them sexy. Personally, I'd go with the Logisys. It has 550W, and 25A on the 12V rail, which should be enough even accounting for fluctuations, right? And it gets pretty good reviews on Newegg - I don't see any "Piece of Crap" type reviews.

I wonder how many computer problems attributed to power supplies are really the PS's fault. It's kinda hard to diagnose a PS-related problem, isn't it? Finding a burned out PS and burned out motherboard just means a surge hit the system, right? Like maybe it got struck by lightning? I dunno, I'm no electrical engineer.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Just be warned, ATADC is the epitome of cheap crap. People complain all the time of those things dieing within a week and even sparks flying out of the thing when they turn it on. :Q I say definitely the Fortron.

 

[Cheesetogo]

I would buy the Enermax 300 watt. It has 22 amps on the 12v! I'm currently using it with a 2.6 celeron, 1.5gb ram, and an x800pro and it runs perfectly. Nice and cheap too at 26.50. Enermax is a very reliable brand. You can get a reliable and good psu for 25 dollars.