ATX PSU capacitors

[DIYspanner]

I can't open the unit with out breaking the factory seal hence losing the warranty.

I was actually told by the PC shop, when I mentioned capacitors, that its illegal for non-qualified folk to open a PSU ?

 

[Monkeh]

I can't open the unit with out breaking the factory seal hence losing the warranty.

Eh, you can remove those with some care..

I was actually told by the PC shop, when I mentioned capacitors, that its illegal for non-qualified folk to open a PSU ?

*snort*

Guy's an idiot. Nothing illegal about opening something you own.

 

[DIYspanner]

I'm not risking the loss of warranty by opening and damaging the seal.

If the PSU fails after warranty, then I'll open it and admire the quality.

 

[pd1971]

I can't open the unit with out breaking the factory seal hence losing the warranty.

Eh, you can remove those with some care..

I was actually told by the PC shop, when I mentioned capacitors, that its illegal for non-qualified folk to open a PSU ?

*snort*

Guy's an idiot. Nothing illegal about opening something you own.

Agree with Monkeh

It is very dangerous to open a PSU if you don't know what your doing but deffo not illegal

Really not worth the risk of putting a cheap & nasty PSU in a system -running the risk of frying the board or even a fire - stay clear of them

http://www.minecraftforum.net/topic/1155165-examining-a-cheap-generic-power-supply/

Seasonic are one of the best PSU but not suggesting you buy one

Dave

 

[caliskan]

I didn't really like commenters bullying on the thread starter. You guys shouldn't have to be that rude. @Monkeh: £30 doesn't really make much of a difference anyways as in todays’ market you could find same item for £5 and £80. @DIYspanner: If you thought that the caps were problems, you could have tried replacing them and tried running it again. Soldering/de-soldering wouldn't do any damage to the PCB as the PCB goes through the heated oven during the assembling of the parts. If it was unable to withstand that heat, most possibly it wouldn't have been on your PSU. If it withstood that heat, hand soldering wouldn't create warped PCB's or any other problems. BTW, I also think that it wasn't the capacitor that was creating problem. I think what you did was a good solution - buying inexpensive PSU from time to time.

pcb prototype assembly

 

[Monkeh]

@Monkeh: £30 doesn't really make much of a difference anyways as in todays’ market you could find same item for £5 and £80.

It makes all the difference in the world, go get some experience of these products.

@DIYspanner: If you thought that the caps were problems, you could have tried replacing them and tried running it again. Soldering/de-soldering wouldn't do any damage to the PCB as the PCB goes through the heated oven during the assembling of the parts. If it was unable to withstand that heat, most possibly it wouldn't have been on your PSU. If it withstood that heat, hand soldering wouldn't create warped PCB's or any other problems.

Hand soldering is a much higher temperature operation with uncontrolled heating times and spot heating. You cannot compare it to wave soldering or reflow soldering, which are highly controlled processes.

I think what you did was a good solution - buying inexpensive PSU from time to time.

And you obviously don't value reliability, or the existence of your data.

 

[mattylad]

A cheap ATX psu is never upto the wattage that they say they are, they have poor regulation are noisy and generally the PC performance is affected by it.

With a decent PSU they actually deliver the wattage they say they will, there is often more amps on the right rails - especially for the GPU. They are stable and give a far better performance.

A Corsair 430 can (and does) give better performance than an el cheapo 650w.

A PSU for a tenner is a recipe for problems, OK when your desperate and need to get back online - but never good enough for a gaming PC.

 

[vemyr]

£30 doesn't really make much of a difference anyways as in todays’ market you could find same item for £5 and £80.

As others have said, you are completely wrong. While obviously a lot of products are overpriced because of brand/image, it is (mostly) different in computer hardware. Brands become well known and respected because of the quality - it is completely testable quantifiable and observable. Take a look at the comparisons of cheap and expensive PSUs, one has already been shown to you. Cheap PSUs are borderline dangerous and will reduce the life of your other components.

 

[CylonRaider]

Most PCB's are layered these days so attempt a repair by all means if it's cheap enough.

I'm afraid I have to agree that you get what you pay for.

Cheap as carp = carp.

I've built every pc in this house since the early nineties. (And even modded an Amiga A1200 into a tower case)

I've learned that cheapshit=problems many years ago.

(I remember paying £150 for 8 meg (That's Meg NOT Gig) of ram second-hand !!)

 

[Monkeh]

Most PCB's are layered these days so attempt a repair by all means if it's cheap enough.

Cheap PSUs are all single layer phenolic construction, which is both the easiest and worst to work on. Multi-layer PCBs are very hard to deal with.

 

[vemyr]

Most PCB's are layered these days so attempt a repair by all means if it's cheap enough.

Cheap PSUs are all single layer phenolic construction, which is both the easiest and worst to work on. Multi-layer PCBs are very hard to deal with.

I agree multi-layer PCBs are a nightmare for DIY repairs, but after all these years it shows how fundamental and simple the technology remains. Yet still, consumers are mislead in what to expect from a good PSU.

 

[jeds]

Take a look at this site. Tells you everything you need to know about buying cheap power supplies.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/page/power

Quick summary; Lots of hardware issues are down to cheap PSUs but most people don't make the connection between the two. A good quality PSU will give you stable running and prolong the life of other components. Personally I'd buy a really good one and just transfer it when you change PCs.