Need update on current PSU's

GreatWaves

GreatWaves

GreatWaves

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9 Dec 2008
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387
I haven't been building since the P4 and Athlon Barton days. Since then I have only bought laptops, so I don't know if anything has changed with the current desktop PSU's in terms of the connectors-to-mobo.

I have a couple of old mobo's (a P4 and a Socket A mobo) that need PSU's. I am going to set them up for DC crunching. Do the currently available PSU's have the same connectors compatible with that generation of mobo's?

Thanks
 
Don't think that's changed. I think they have 24pins on the mobo connectors now, but usually 20+4 so if the older boards have 20 you can just use that.
 
Ok thanks. My old mobo's have the big connection with 20 pins and then the small connection with 4 pins, so 20+4. Ok I'm almost totally back up to speed. Dusting off a bunch of old hardware to get a crunching farm up and running again :)

Cheers
 
Sort of. The 4 pin is separate? that's for the CPU and thats the same. Most modern motherboards have a 24pin and a 4 pin is what I meant sorry.
 
Um you meant 24+4 or 20+4? But yes the 4 pin is separate from the larger 20 pin on my mobo's.

I hope that's still the same because I'll need to buy two new PSU's and I would like to get good quality ones. Normally the "old used pile" at the store only has cheap stock ones.

I think the standard is called "ATX" or something?

Thanks
 
The big connector is called the ATX connector. Nowadays motherboards use 24-pin but most PSUs have a 20+4-pin connector meaning that the extra 4 pins can be detached making it compatible with either 20-pin or 24-pin motherboards.

Same goes for the CPU connector, most modern motherboards have an 8-pin (EPS) connector, but the PSU connector is plit into a 4+4 making it compatible with either 8-pin or 4-pin connectors.

ATX is the specification for standard PSUs, but don't get it confused with the ATX form factor!
 
Ok good, so I'll be able to choose from a selection of good quality stable rail PSU's. These are 24/7 crunchers and some or all will be OC'd. I have one of them up and crunching again. Two or three more on the way :)

Thanks
 
Hi again,
I looked at some new PSU's. Most of my PSU's when I was OC'ing and crunching years ago were Antec TruePower 380's. I found another Antec that looks appropriate and has the removable 4-pin feature. It's the Antec "EA-380D Green". It says it has a "80 Plus Bronze" certification. Many of them were "green" models. Are these new "Green" models appropriate for an OC'ing application?

Here is the overall spec:
ea380d.jpg


In the description on the Antec website it boasts "very stable rails". From my experience years ago this has always held true with Antec PSU's.

So should an OC'er consider anything rated "80 Plus Bronze"? This PSU will be powering either an OC'd Athlon XP-M 2500+ or an OC'd P4 2.8 or 3.0.

We didn't have green rated PSU's when I was OC'ing before, so I'm not sure.

Thanks!
 
The 80 plus bronze refers to the efficiency, where obviously silver and then gold is better.
This doesn't affect the power output, you want the most efficient PSU you can get :)

I'd recommend this:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-238-CM&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=

For the price you can't beat it. Review here:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=231
It has all the pins you need and will run those systems no problem. It's only when you have graphics cards and things that you need more power.
 
beejjacobs said:
The 80 plus bronze refers to the efficiency, where obviously silver and then gold is better.
This doesn't affect the power output, you want the most efficient PSU you can get :)
Click to expand...
Ok thanks. Just wanted to check that just in case. Seems these green ratings are getting more common on PSU's now.

beejjacobs said:
I'd recommend this:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-238-CM&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=

For the price you can't beat it. Review here:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=231
It has all the pins you need and will run those systems no problem. It's only when you have graphics cards and things that you need more power.
Click to expand...
Regarding quality of the PSU, I'm mainly referring to stability of the volts (for OC'd system) and not so much the capacity.

I'll have a look at the cooler master as well.

Cheers
 
I don't think stability of volts is any more important for an OC'd system? Any PSU recommended on here will do the job well and will be within the specifications.
 
beejjacobs said:
I don't think stability of volts is any more important for an OC'd system? Any PSU recommended on here will do the job well and will be within the specifications.
Click to expand...
I've never tried OC'ing on a stock/generic PSU, but I've heard that a 800W stock PSU won't cut it for an OC'd system. I know that no Antec or Cooler Master is a "stock" PSU, but I've seen the occasional complaint over the years about this or that model. But yeah I guess at least 95% of them are probably plenty stable enough.
 
If by stock you mean one that comes with a case or something, then yes it doesnt matter what power it is it will be terrible.

Get a good branded one like Antec, CM, Corsair, OCZ or XFX and you will be fine :)
 
beejjacobs said:
If by stock you mean one that comes with a case or something, then yes it doesnt matter what power it is it will be terrible.

Get a good branded one like Antec, CM, Corsair, OCZ or XFX and you will be fine :)
Click to expand...
I just today spotted some Corsair CX430 PSU's in a general home electronics store. I was surprised to see that brand in that store. Was good price and easy for me to pick up a couple if it's a good one.
 
GreatWaves said:
I just today spotted some Corsair CX430 PSU's in a general home electronics store. I was surprised to see that brand in that store. Was good price and easy for me to pick up a couple if it's a good one.
Click to expand...

V1 or V2?

V1's are poor compared to the CX400 they replaced, the V2's are improved over the V1 nicely.
 
stulid said:
V1 or V2?

V1's are poor compared to the CX400 they replaced, the V2's are improved over the V1 nicely.
Click to expand...
Do you know any specifics about how v2 was improved over v1? I'm wondering because the JonnyGuru review linked-to above mentioned that there were notably cheaper capacitors and "grouped regulation" in the CX430. The CX430 that I saw in the store appears to be v2 (an ID code on the ID label on the box contains within it "v2").

Thanks
 
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