I am sure someone will know (PSU question)

[NLS]

I am looking for a new PSU to power my file server (not necessarily unRAID).

 

It is a core2 with 2GB RAM and 11 disks... all 7200 RPM, 7 of them SATA2 and 4 IDE.

1 SATA2 is on a PCI card and 4 SATA2 + 2 IDE (!) are on a PCIe card.

Also I have an old WinTV-FM PCI on the machine as I am using Orb with it. Rarely though.

 

Currently it survives with a 420W PSU (!) but since I get sudden reboots (with no errors) I suspect this PSU doesn't cut it.

 

I did calculate my load using this: http://www.thermaltake.outervision.com/Power

...and it estimated that I need 421W. So a 420W (peak) PSU, is indeed not enough.

 

I initially thought of going for a 600W...

 

This one: http://www.lc-power.de/index.php?id=45&L=1

 

It is Active-PFC and costs just 49 euros.

Active-PFC is probably not important to me since I am behind a UPS.

It has 4 SATA connectors and 4 IDE (Molex). So I will need to 2 IDE2SATA and 2 IDE splitters.

 

Someone mentioned that he would go for at least 700W.

 

In any case this is what I found:

 

A Powersonic (can't seem to find a site for them - probably some Chinese OEM) 750W with passive-PFC. The nice thing with this one is that it has 3y warranty (unlike 1y of the others).

 

Also has 6 SATA connectors (!) and 4 IDE (Molex). So it will need less fiddling to fit my 7+4 (use one IDE splitter and one IDE2SATA).

 

Costs 59 euros.

 

Then I found a DTK CP-750W, again passive, again couldn't find a site.

This has 6 SATA and 6 (!) IDE (Molex) connectors. This means just a simple IDE2SATA and nothing else.

It is 60.5 euros.

 

Price IS important. I still think 750W is an overkill. So is it?

 

So which one would you buy?

 

[NAS]

My take is that efficiency's are so high now that the overkill factor is less important. Back in the day a huge PSU would be seriously inefficiency at low loading but 80Plus rated modern PSUs dont follow this trend anymore.

 

I would absolutely buy a 80Plus rated PSU and use that as a starting point. You can get some cehap for insatcne i got a HEC 350W one for like $30 bucks delivered in the EU.

[NLS]

I think all three I mentioned are over 80% effective (83+).

 

You didn't really answer my question. Which would you buy choosing from those three?

 

 

[Kaygee]

dtk looks like a good spec. it'd be the one.

[NAS]

I think all three I mentioned are over 80% effective (83+).

 

You didn't really answer my question. Which would you buy choosing from those three?

 

 

 

Your missing my point. A quick check (so this is not definitive) and NONE of these PSUs are 80Plus certified. Manufacturers lie and PSU manufacturers massively lie so without an independent test their claims are likely false. Also wording like "Efficiency  up to 82%" is marketing tom foolery. If you get 50% efficiency this is still up to 82%.

 

They may be rebranded but without the certification i would stay well away.

[NLS]

ok clear - thanks for that

[NLS]

Bump. More opinions? (looking to buy one this week that's why)

 

 

[Talos]

Bump. More opinions? (looking to buy one this week that's why)

 

My personal opinions on power supplies is don't skimp on brand. I figure its like buying a Ferrari and putting diesel in the fuel tank. Ive seen a lot of cheap PSU fails in spectacular ways taking out many components in the system but usually when a quality PSU fails its just the PSU's that die. I'd hate to have a flash spike from a failed cheap PSU take out all my hard drives.

 

Buy a decent brand like PCP&C, Seasonic, Tagan. If you need 421w according to the calculator then @ 80% efficiency you are looking at 525w PSU as minimum so a good 600w 80% PSU will get you by. If you intend on extending the system in the future though it may be worth forking out for a bit extra headroom.

 

Check out http://www.jonnyguru.com/ for one of the best PSU review sites on the market for recommendations.

Also check out http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_PSUs here if you are worried about the noise the system is to put out. I use a Seasonic M12-700W to power my server and its dead silent from more than about 30cm away.

 

 

[NLS]

Guys I am gonna go a bit further and give you a Greek on-line shop link:

 

http://www.visionstudio.gr/prodlist.asp?cat=17⊂=165&showfoto=0&pmanuf=0&sort=3

 

This is direct link to their PSU list, sorted by price.

Seems it's the best source for PSU I found without dealing with imports and shipping costs.

It's pretty much readable by non-Greek speakers.

 

Seems 600W will be enough.

Note that my system cannot expand further, just one additional disk.

The it can only go down (replacing 7200 disks with green etc.).

 

So as you scroll the list, definitely not reaching 80 euro (in fact I would prefer not reaching 70 euro). Which one would you choose?

 

Thanks in advance people. I'll appreciate any reply.

 

[NLS]

In fact here are my new possible choices:

 

http://www.visionstudio.gr/prodinfo.asp?id=11572&cat=17⊂=165&pmanuf=0&sort=3&step=2

vendor http://www.hec-group.com.tw/retail_power_supply/win_plus_power/550w/?rand=0.13768577657345615

 

http://www.visionstudio.gr/prodinfo.asp?id=11621&cat=17⊂=165&pmanuf=0&sort=3&step=2

 

http://www.visionstudio.gr/prodinfo.asp?id=12570&cat=17⊂=165&pmanuf=0&sort=3&step=2

vendor http://www.corsair.com/products/vx/default.aspx

 

care to comment?

 

(I am towards the first)

 

[Talos]

Out of the three PSU's you list there the Corsair is far and away the highest quality and is where i'd be putting my hard earned euro.

 

Its manufactured for Corsair by Channel Well who also make the Thermaltake Tough Power PSU's so its not as quiet as the Corsairs manufactured by Seasonic but its not overly loud either and has good efficiency, pretty decently regulated rails and has a decent reputation for being a solid unit.

 

Unless you are really strapped for cash its worth the extra outlay for the Corsair IMO. After losing a few systems to cheap PSU's i never skimp in this area anymore.

 

Edit: here is the link to the JonnyGuru review.. He gives it glowing praise and a 9.5/10 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&file=print&reid=62

[Kaygee]

Corsair 1st and 2nd choice, hec 3rd. Cwt also make many Antec psus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[NLS]

Went for this one:

 

http://www.corsair.com/products/tx/default.aspx

(the 650)

 

...possibly an overkill, but I want the factor PSU to be out of the picture.

 

 

[NLS]

I have a small update (like anybody cares )...

 

My current PSU is a HEC ACE 420PB after all.

A good brand.

 

It's 75%+ and gives 16A and 15A on its two +12V rails.

After all it has 6 Molex and 4 SATA connectors.

 

Here is the old site link (they don't make them any more):

http://www.hec-group.com.tw/model.php?category=psu&sub_category=certified_psu&model=ace

 

...it is possible that my PSU was ok after all. Although I think it pre-dates Core2 (but didn't seem to have a problem with it for quite long).

 

I still haven't got my new order, but we will find out soon.

 

---

 

On other possibly related news, I realized that one of my SATA2 disks (unfortunately a 500GB not a 320GB), has broken the plastic that hugs the SATA (data) pins! Something no so uncommon I've heard. This disk is full of data.

 

In my bad luck I got a bit lucky. The pins aren't broken or even bent. I managed to put the SATA plug back in (along with the broken plastic inside it) and stuck everything together with the help of... half a clothes' peg!!! (yes it looks rather stable with it) I plugged power on the drive and indeed the controller saw the disk fine!

 

This cannot be the source of my original server problem though (mentioned elsewhere - as I said the server doesn't run unRAID currently).

 

 

[Kaygee]

I've seen people glue them back together to get data off,  so clothes pegs are hi-tech...

 

[NLS]

And we though SATA cabling/connector design was a step forward...