psu and gfx card

ekam · 14 Mar 2011 at 19:18

Before christmas my psu blew up.. so now that my exams are over i thought id get it sorted, so i took my PC to a shop, they have told me that all the parts are fine except the GFX card and the PSU. i asked them to get me a new psu and ill get my self a gfx card at a later date, so they call me back saying that they cannot get a 600 watt and only a 750 watt, they said it will cost £45 which is ok but now im having second thoughts as im unsure whether the psu will be any good? or reliable as it is very cheap, i asked them what brand it was, they said possibly corsair but they are not completely sure. Also the gfx card im thinking of buying requires 2 PCI-E power cables, what if the psu they get doesnt have 2? does any1 have any idea what i should do?

Thank you

J-FRO · 14 Mar 2011 at 19:24

I'd say don't let them purchase it and buy from OcUK.

At least that way you can be sure you're getting what you need from a reputable seller with all the advice under the sun as far as specifications go etc on this forum alone/

ekam · 14 Mar 2011 at 19:27

J-FRO said:
I'd say don't let them purchase it and buy from OcUK.

At least that way you can be sure you're getting what you need from a reputable seller with all the advice under the sun as far as specifications go etc on this forum alone/

they may have ordered it already

shall i call them and ask them to fit a psu in that i buy from ocuk? as i dont know how to fit power supplies in... and also what shall i do if they have already ordered the psu and fitted it?

J-FRO · 14 Mar 2011 at 19:46

Well I'd ring them ASAP and see if they have ordered it yet, if they haven't cancel it. You'd be hard pressed to tell them you don't want the PSU now but it's worth a shot if you want to try asking them. They may just say yes and be able to use it later on for another customer.

As for fitting the PSU yourself, it's as easy as pie and there are plenty of people on these forums that can guide you as well as there actually being a thread that shows you how to build a rig with images that will more than aid you in knowing how to install the PSU yourself.

cmndr_andi · 14 Mar 2011 at 19:48

If its a PC shop is selling you a 750W PSU at a price of £45 - then you can pretty much guarantee that it is a poor quality model.

I would strongly suggest you tell them to stop and you will buy your own PSU and they can fit it (that said, installing a PSU is not that tough - 4 screws and a bunch on idiot-proof electrical connections). Since your previous PSU died and (presumably) killed your GPU in the process - hopefully you will recognise the importance of a good quality power supply.

Would you be able to tell us your full PC spec and we can recommend you a good PSU?

ekam · 14 Mar 2011 at 20:04

cmndr_andi said:
If its a PC shop is selling you a 750W PSU at a price of £45 - then you can pretty much guarantee that it is a poor quality model.

I would strongly suggest you tell them to stop and you will buy your own PSU and they can fit it (that said, installing a PSU is not that tough - 4 screws and a bunch on idiot-proof electrical connections). Since your previous PSU died and (presumably) killed your GPU in the process - hopefully you will recognise the importance of a good quality power supply.

Would you be able to tell us your full PC spec and we can recommend you a good PSU?

thank you very much for your help, but if there is no way they will keep the psu, what should i do? and my specs are:

Intel E8400 3.0GHZ
4 GIG @ 800 MHZ
Gigabyte P35-S3G MOBO
im looking to get a (Gigabyte GeForce GTX 460 SUPER OC 1024MB GDDR5)

J-FRO · 14 Mar 2011 at 20:27

I see you started another thread after this looking for a suitable PSU ekam and I'd say that 600W OCZ is good as well.

If there truly is no way of stopping them putting the PSU in, then I'd ask them for a written guarantee that it will be ok and won't damage your PC stating that any damage so caused by a faulty PSU they will be liable to incur the cost of repairing with suitable parts.

You will actually be protected as well by the Sale of Goods Act 1979 as well. Section 14(2) states that "Where the seller sells goods in the course of a business, there is an implied term that the goods supplied under the contract are of satisfactory quality". And if you have told him you intend to put a better quality graphics card in as well, then you are also covered by section 14(3)(a) which states "Where the seller sells goods in the course of a business and the buyer, exressly or by implication, makes know to the seller any particular purpose for which the goods are being bought, there is an implied term that the goods supplied under the contract are reasonable fit for that purpose...".

And if the PSU is ok, but there is a problem with your PC later on due to the way in which he has installed the PSU you will be protected by the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 under section 13 which states "In a contract for the supply of a service where the supplier is acting in the course of a business, there is an implied term that the supplier will carry out the service with reasonable care and skill." So if he damages any parts when installing it, he will have fallen below the level of reasonable care and skill and be liable for repairing/replacing said parts.

So, don't worry. The system has your back.

ekam · 14 Mar 2011 at 21:36

J-FRO said:
I see you started another thread after this looking for a suitable PSU ekam and I'd say that 600W OCZ is good as well.

If there truly is no way of stopping them putting the PSU in, then I'd ask them for a written guarantee that it will be ok and won't damage your PC stating that any damage so caused by a faulty PSU they will be liable to incur the cost of repairing with suitable parts.

You will actually be protected as well by the Sale of Goods Act 1979 as well. Section 14(2) states that "Where the seller sells goods in the course of a business, there is an implied term that the goods supplied under the contract are of satisfactory quality". And if you have told him you intend to put a better quality graphics card in as well, then you are also covered by section 14(3)(a) which states "Where the seller sells goods in the course of a business and the buyer, exressly or by implication, makes know to the seller any particular purpose for which the goods are being bought, there is an implied term that the goods supplied under the contract are reasonable fit for that purpose...".

And if the PSU is ok, but there is a problem with your PC later on due to the way in which he has installed the PSU you will be protected by the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 under section 13 which states "In a contract for the supply of a service where the supplier is acting in the course of a business, there is an implied term that the supplier will carry out the service with reasonable care and skill." So if he damages any parts when installing it, he will have fallen below the level of reasonable care and skill and be liable for repairing/replacing said parts.

So, don't worry. The system has your back.

wow thank you!! you dont understand how much i appreaciate your help!! thank you again

ill pop down to the shop tomorow morning before college and see whats happening.

Ace Modder · 15 Mar 2011 at 09:10

DO NOT allow them the fit a £45 "unbranded" PSU in your system.

They cannot confirm if it will be a Corsair PSU? What a joke? Surely they know what stock they have ordered?

I would take my PC away from them quickly and never go back there. They don't seem too reliable.

pcAnywhere · 15 Mar 2011 at 09:45

I want to go to that shop. 750 watt corsair for £45.. I'll have 5 please!

In all honesty, a decent brand 500 to 600 watt PSU would be plenty for that set-up. If you are considering SLI then perhaps 650 to 700 watts.

ekam · 15 Mar 2011 at 10:35

pcAnywhere said:
I want to go to that shop. 750 watt corsair for £45.. I'll have 5 please!

In all honesty, a decent brand 500 to 600 watt PSU would be plenty for that set-up. If you are considering SLI then perhaps 650 to 700 watts.

well i called them back up, and asked to cancel the psu they said they cant so i asked them for a gurantee which they say will start on the day i pick up the pc, i asked them why it was so cheap and they said that their suppliers buy in bulk so they have very cheap stock, he then goes on to say that they are trusted suppliers and have never had problems before. i then remembered that my pc had a 700 watt win power psu which looked quite cheap but served me well for about 3 years (it broke because i flicked red switch), they said the psu they have ordered is better than the previous one. so i cannot back out now or i will lose money however i will be covered. plus as J-FRO mentioned i am backed by the legal system anyway.

pv123 · 15 Mar 2011 at 11:16

ekam said:
well i called them back up, and asked to cancel the psu they said they cant so i asked them for a gurantee which they say will start on the day i pick up the pc, i asked them why it was so cheap and they said that their suppliers buy in bulk so they have very cheap stock, he then goes on to say that they are trusted suppliers and have never had problems before. i then remembered that my pc had a 700 watt win power psu which looked quite cheap but served me well for about 3 years (it broke because i flicked red switch), they said the psu they have ordered is better than the previous one. so i cannot back out now or i will lose money however i will be covered. plus as J-FRO mentioned i am backed by the legal system anyway.

What GFX card did the PSU kill? I think that you are taking a huge risk, since it could even be 1000w, if it has low Amps in the 12v rail then be prepared to have your psu taking some parts down in the long run. I would take the pc and then return the PSU under the 15 days return policy and ask for money back or a decent psu.

A shop like that for £45 PSU of a brand they are not even sure and that they buy bulk, is pure BS.

Firstly if they buy bulk why can't you back out? They should have tons of them in stock TBH.

Also if they are so sure about the quality of the PSU how do they not even know the brand? They are charging you for a product that they don't even know, yet they have already stated a price? Seriously?

I would pay, take the pc, and then remove the PSU and return it a few days later for cash, don't leave your pc there ever again. I would also buy a proper psu, for £45-60 you can get a really reliable one.

Even if you have the law on your side, be prepared to wait huge amounts of time and go through a stressful process if the psu blows up, not to mention PC down time!

ekam · 15 Mar 2011 at 11:35

pv123 said:
What GFX card did the PSU kill? I think that you are taking a huge risk, since it could even be 1000w, if it has low Amps in the 12v rail then be prepared to have your psu taking some parts down in the long run. I would take the pc and then return the PSU under the 15 days return policy and ask for money back or a decent psu.

A shop like that for £45 PSU of a brand they are not even sure and that they buy bulk, is pure BS.

Firstly if they buy bulk why can't you back out? They should have tons of them in stock TBH.

Also if they are so sure about the quality of the PSU how do they not even know the brand? They are charging you for a product that they don't even know, yet they have already stated a price? Seriously?

I would pay, take the pc, and then remove the PSU and return it a few days later for cash, don't leave your pc there ever again. I would also buy a proper psu, for £45-60 you can get a really reliable one.

Even if you have the law on your side, be prepared to wait huge amounts of time and go through a stressful process if the psu blows up, not to mention PC down time!

so you say i should take the pc and pay for their services then return the psu a few days later? what should i say when i take the psu back?

pcAnywhere · 15 Mar 2011 at 11:50

This is what I'd do (given your situation).

When you pick up the PC ask them to open it up and confirm the brand of PSU. On the side of the PSU there will also be a label giving the amps on each of the PSU's power rails. Note down the amps on the 12v rails.

Post back on here the details (brand, 12v rails etc). It could be possible that their supplier has some brand PSUs at that price - not likely but possible.

When the invoice is in front of you, ask them to write down, on the invoice, that the PSU is capable of powering the GPU that you wish to install without causing damage to the PSU or GPU. This should be a simple task for them to confirm (Nvidia and ATI have specs for PSUs - horribly inaccurate ones, but specs on the less). Make sure that this addition is signed and dated.

What you've now done is added to the invoice is a specific reference to how the system will be used as per section 14(3)(a) of the sales of goods act.

ekam · 15 Mar 2011 at 17:59

pcAnywhere said:
This is what I'd do (given your situation).

When you pick up the PC ask them to open it up and confirm the brand of PSU. On the side of the PSU there will also be a label giving the amps on each of the PSU's power rails. Note down the amps on the 12v rails.

Post back on here the details (brand, 12v rails etc). It could be possible that their supplier has some brand PSUs at that price - not likely but possible.

When the invoice is in front of you, ask them to write down, on the invoice, that the PSU is capable of powering the GPU that you wish to install without causing damage to the PSU or GPU. This should be a simple task for them to confirm (Nvidia and ATI have specs for PSUs - horribly inaccurate ones, but specs on the less). Make sure that this addition is signed and dated.

What you've now done is added to the invoice is a specific reference to how the system will be used as per section 14(3)(a) of the sales of goods act.

i will do this when i pick it up thank you very much, ill post back when i get the pc

Thanks