Why do people buy cheap power supplies?

[GeorgeLV]

Why does anybody put their computer at risk by buying no-name "$10 special" power supplies?

For example, my boss always complained that office computer was always "overheating" and would crash if he left it on for extended periods. When I got around to look it at, I found out he had a top of the line custom built PC...in a cheap generic case powered by an no-name power supply with a ridiculous spec label. The gauge of all the power wires was thinner than standard and the mobo was hooked up through a 20-to-24 adapter...

Anyhow, the moral of the story is one Antec Earthwatts power supply later all of the random problems and "overheating" is gone.

I understand that the general public isn't aware of what difference a quality power supply makes, but shouldn't hardware shops show some ethics and stop selling/bundling PSUs from shady vendors. It's one thing to build a power supply from the cheapest components possible. It's another thing to play games with specifications and present a misleading label. But it's altogether wrong to sell "500W" PSUs that fail at less than 50% load and reveal on teardown that the components used could barely theoretically be called a 250W supply. (see How Much Power Can a Generic 500 W Power Supply Really Deliver? | Hardware Secrets for an expose of one such unit)

I know computer techs make good easy money from the inevitable failure of cheap PSUs, and I'm no fan of government regulation, but wouldn't it be good public policy to require PSUs to at least make 80-plus certification?

 

[charper1]

Because they are cheap and likely don't understand what is needed to power their devices. AND most people SAY they don't want required minimums (on anything); they gripe people shouldn't be able to tell them what to do and all it does is drive up costs. BUT these will be the same people crying they were cheated down the road. Go figure!

I like this tool to provide we with a minimum idea based on the PC I may be building. Then I add about 100w or so for expansion depending on the customer and their budget & future needs.

eXtreme Power Supply Calculator - Antec Edition

 

[GeorgeLV]

Because they are cheap and likely don't understand what is needed to power their devices. AND most people SAY they don't want required minimums (on anything); they gripe people shouldn't be able to tell them what to do and all it does is drive up costs. BUT these will be the same people crying they were cheated down the road. Go figure!

Well of lot of time the government required specifications are of dubious or arbitrary reasoning could be interpreted as protectionism, etc.

In the case of power supplies, 80-plus is a clear benefit in that it pays for itself in reduced electricity costs. (Also requiring power factor correction reduces stress on our electric power grid. I don't have enough knowledge in that area to figure what kind of value to place on it, but the European Union decided it was important enough to make it a requirement in their jurisdiction.)

 

[charper1]

Agreed, just adding my .02 my people buy cheap!

 

[diogen]

Just 2 quick notes:
-Antec's golden age in PS is in the past - I had 2 of their PS, 380 and 480W fail in the last 6 month in less than 2 year old computers.
-when buying third-party PSs I make sure it costs at least $50 (more if higher wattage is needed) and is heavy. Works for me.

Diogen.

 

[Neutron]

What is the most energy efficient power supply out there? I'd like to replace the one in my home PC to help save some of the energy it uses.

 

[navychop]

I always buy PC Power & Cooling. Never lost a mobo connected to one of these. Or Antec, if need be.

Not sure I'll continue building my own, with this gawd-awful Vista business. Yes, I know many are happy, but read the net, easy to find major corporate resistance to Vista, due to it's flaws, not just reluctance to learn something new.

 

[Van]

One of the places that sells cheap ps is xoxide, I won a monthly game they held and chose a case with a ps rated for 480w. Got it in the mail and the ps weighed barely a pound so I chucked it.

 

[mike123abc]

One of the reasons I see is that the cheap power supply came with the case they wanted. I have been using SeaSonic lately.

 

[GeorgeLV]

What is the most energy efficient power supply out there? I'd like to replace the one in my home PC to help save some of the energy it uses.

The 80 PLUS Program | Home has a list. I haven't look through it all, but some of the high-end CoolerMaster units are tested at 88% efficiency.

Also, recent model Dell and HP desktop and server systems meet the 80 Plus standard.

 

[Ramy]

The reason people do it is because they are cheap. They don't realize that just because a power supply says 350 watts doesn't necesarrily mean they are getting 350 watts.

 

[jayn_j]

I kind of like the 'cheapcomputers have cheap power supplies' thoery. I bought my son a cheap desktop for Christmas '06. I was shopping for a new power supply 9 months later. Most people don't buy power supplies, they buy computers, and want them cheap.

 

[charper1]

Just 2 quick notes:
-Antec's golden age in PS is in the past - I had 2 of their PS, 380 and 480W fail in the last 6 month in less than 2 year old computers.
-when buying third-party PSs I make sure it costs at least $50 (more if higher wattage is needed) and is heavy. Works for me.

Diogen.

i just use their tool as a guide.

 

[allargon]

I've used plenty of cheap power supplies. I had one go out over the years. I've never lost a motherboard to one. Not everyone is a gamer that needs gobs and gobs of power.

My current setup has a nice Antec that I got on special at Fry's. I would normally just buy a case/PS combo. But, it was a good deal.

Moreover, most of us don't have dirty power. I'm still amazed when I read about all these people with failed components. My VHS player from 1997 still works. My refurb'd DVD player from 2001 still works.

Ain't nothing wrong w/ cheap other than the fact that the cheaper ones tend to be loud as heck!

 

[Ramy]

Your just lucky.

 

[GeorgeLV]

I've used plenty of cheap power supplies. I had one go out over the years. I've never lost a motherboard to one. Not everyone is a gamer that needs gobs and gobs of power.

My current setup has a nice Antec that I got on special at Fry's. I would normally just buy a case/PS combo. But, it was a good deal.

Moreover, most of us don't have dirty power. I'm still amazed when I read about all these people with failed components. My VHS player from 1997 still works. My refurb'd DVD player from 2001 still works.

Ain't nothing wrong w/ cheap other than the fact that the cheaper ones tend to be loud as heck!

Clean power will save you from the failures caused by cheap power supplies not including the necessary filtering stages. What's going to protect you from known bad electrolytic capacitors?

Also all those missing components in you cheap power supply lower its efficiency so you just end up paying more money in the long run to the power company.

Since you're not a game that uses gobs of power, let's say you computer requires 150W of DC power. Your cheap power supply is probably around 60-70% efficient. So you're actually taking 230W AC from the wall. (If you're a commercial customer charged by Volt-Amps instead of Watts you're even worse off because cheap PSUs don't have power factor correction.) The lower-end 80-Plus certified PSUs run around 83% efficiency so you end up pulling 180W AC from the wall.

So you're wasting 50W of excess power by using a "bargain" PSU. Ignoring cost for extra waste heat your "bargain" PSU generates let's see how quickly your savings disappear once you get the power bill.

If your computer is working 2 hours per day:
365 * 2 * 50W * $0.11 / kWh = $4.015 per year

4 hours: $8.03
8 hours: $16.06
24 hours (folding at home): $48.18!!!

 

[navychop]

Your just lucky.

Maybe he lives a cleaner life than the rest of us, and someone is looking out for him!

 

[Poke]

Most people dont know what their buying to begin with..

 

[empire29]

cheap is king. and they dont understand what theyre buying. The see a X Watt PSU for $20 and one for $60 .. and on the surface they look the same. I think people think that $60 is "fancy" and they dont need "fancy" ..

its like when I go out to buy a kitchen knives -- im no chef, so i say - do i want the "fancy" set of Wusthof knives for $250 or do i get the Chefmate for $50 .. I get the Chefmate for $50 and end up slicing my hand because theyre unbalanced, and then they start to rust because theyre made of cheap metal, etc.