Power Supplies

[matrixdud]

I'm a reseller of computers and find that pretty much all cases, except for high end ones, already come bundled with a power supply. The case/ps combos usually run anywhere from $30-$60. The higher the price usually the better the PS in it and they are usually listed as having a high end PS. Looking at the power supply though you'll find that it's a 350W or 400W model from L&C or some other low end OEM manufacturer. I guess by high end they mean it's a higher wattage. I've built quite a few system using these cases and haven't had any problems. Mind you I don't think any of my customers are overclockers.

So after years of no problems with OEM less expensive Power Supplies why would I want to throw in a power supply that costs twice as much as the case? Is that really only required if you've got a couple hard drives (RAID) + CDRW + CD/DVD + Big CPU + Big Video Card + Big Sound Card in the system?

 

[Kalvin00]

For the peace of mind that if something goes wrong, you know it's not the PS. And you can reuse it again.

 

[ojai00]

Originally posted by: Kalvin00
For the peace of mind that if something goes wrong, you know it's not the PS. And you can reuse it again.

Same thing I was thinking...and welcome!

 

[Slammy1]

Well, you pretty much described my system after "unless you have". And my Antec 480 was about $30 less than my case, so I'm not sure why I'm posting here. Aside from that, a better PSU implies better voltage regulation, and can be considered an investment in protecting the rest of your components.

 

[TheCorm]

Another point is that when you buy Antec, Enermax etc...you pretty much KNOW that you are buying quality.

Saying all generic PSU's are bad is incorrect....but you don't know so much which is better and how reliable one is gonna be....you pay extra for peace of mind, quality and the name.

 

[matrixdud]

I wouldn't garantee that you could reuse a power suppy. Say you bough a kick ass PS 2 years ago. It would probably be 300 Watt. Say you upgraded to a P4. Your older 300W PS doesn't have the extra P4 mobo connector and being only 300W it will not support the added strain of a powerfull CPU and Video Card. I might do it barely but add anything else, like a DVDR or 10,000rpm HDD and you're screwed. Look back a the few changes to Power Supplies that would render older ones obsolete (ie: AT, ATX, Wattage Rating, etc).