Need green PSU for new PC..

[Xringer]

Originally Posted by roflwaffle

They tend to go on sale for about $20 AR, so just keep an eye out and you can pick one up for not too much.

What does AR mean? Adjusted Retail?


Here's some re-cycled PSUs..
Antec 500w ATX Desktop Power Supply Earthwatts EA-500D | eBay

Warranty? Not likely..
But the vendor will likely replace a DOA unit..

[MN Renovator]

AR is After Rebate.
Might also see $xx.xx after MIR (mail-in rebate)

[roflwaffle]

Corsair recently had some 400W 80PLUS PSs for ~$20 AR from a couple online merchants. I should have stocked up, but I can always do that later. Just start up a topic alert on one of the deal sites.

[Xringer]

I looked over all the specs and read 2.3 million reviews and decided to order the Antec BP550 Plus 550W.
The price is too high, but maybe it will last a long time..?.
When the PC dies, I can always use the PSU to build a nice bench supply..

[Xringer]

Installed the new PSU and it seemed to work fine.
Installed the new HD 6850 and it also worked fine. Fan at low speed, temps fine.

But, about 10 or 15 seconds into some heavy duty graphics,
they fan starts running faster (temps shoot up to 70C quickly)..

Then the PSU shuts down. Windows 7 asks if I want a safe reboot etc,
when it comes back up. The power returns within a few seconds.

I read the reviews on the PSU (NewEgg) and this isn't the first time it's been connected to the HD 6850..

I wonder what the heck is wrong here.. Graphics or the PSU.?.

[MN Renovator]

For 10-15 seconds, 70C seems pretty high. I've been to LAN parties where computers spontaneously rebooted when things got too hot, typically the CPU. The motherboard controls when the power supply is on through the green wire and common, if I remember right. It's a quick google search to find it, so check to be sure I'm not wrong before you try jumping it to troubleshoot.

[Xringer]

Yeah, I guess these do run hot, but the heat gain is so fast, it's worrisome.
Maybe the heat-sink is not making good contact.?.

I'm going to try a killawatt today. See what the wattage is before failure.

Edit: Killawatt test: (No graphics over-drive used)

I changed the power connection to the Antec recommended 12v connector. And left the secondary PCI connector hanging.
Now, a crash results in a hang up. With a garbage display. Resetting needs 10 seconds pressing on the off-button.



Watts, temp C, Mode
50, 40, normal use
110, 63, game low res
130, 77, game med res
173, ??, game higher res (temp not seen before crash).

According to one test at Radeon HD 6850 Power Consumption and Thermals | bit-tech.net
that heat is a bit on the high side..

But, over at Tom's, Temperature And Noise : AMD Radeon HD 7770 And 7750 Review: Familiar Speed, Less Power
The load temp was 77C...

These guys Radeon HD 6850 & 6870 review
measured the board at ~ 121 Watts.
And the spec (I think) is 127W, or 10.6A on the 12V supply.?.

Is my new BP550 Plus PSU not able to supply the juice? I think it's doing okay.
The bug seems to be the 6850...


Note: Game is COD4 and frame rate is running at 125 fps (built in HDMI runs at 1/4 to 1/3 that speed).
Crashes also occur when trying to test the "MS Windows Experience" system speed.

[strider3700]

So it only crashes when you really start to work the card? I'd be looking at the video card.

That cards power use is insane. My entire machine doesn't draw that much power.

[Xringer]

The card has a lot of good reviews, but a few of the bad reviews describe a problem,
that sounds a lot like what I'm seeing.

Going to RMA this back to NewEgg for a replacement. I just hate spending big bucks on shipping..

Might have to go to the post office for this one..

Edit:
As one last test, I connected a voltmeter to the 12V going onto the board.
As COD4 started up, the voltage dropped from 12.0 to 11.9V.
It stayed right at 11.9V, until the system crashed (did a full reset this time).
It seems like the PSU is doing it's job.

Removed the board. Just ran the build-in video..
Normal 32 Watts
COD4 low res 60w (40-70 fps)
COD4 1920x1080 with fancy stuff turned off 71 watts. (But only 32 fps).

COD4 is pretty old.. The aim of this upgrade was to allow the use of more modern games..

[Xringer]

The replacement video board is working great. The whole system runs great. I'm loving this new PC.
It's way faster than anything I've ever used at work (latest Dell desktops).


Had to widen up the monitor hole for a 24" display..


My new KB was too small and flat for good gaming..
Still using the old Dell 4600 KB..