new psu for dell

[joshd]

i have found out that my dell uses a standard ATX psu. i want to get a new one, that is reliable, and powerful. on this site:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Power_Supplies_123.html

what is the most reliable manufacturer, and i dont really want to spend any more than £50. i want a 500W ideally, to be on the safe side.

thanks.

EDIT:

dell: After checking the specification of your system the power supply is indeed a standard ATX power supply.

me: Thankyou very much. What would be the warranty issues if I replaced it
with a non-Dell PSU? Would the whole warranty be void, or would the
warranty cover the whole computer, apart from the PSU?

dell: If you chose to replace the power supply or fit any non-Dell part then your warranty would not cover these parts but all other Dell supplied hardware parts would still be covered.

WOO HOO!!

 

[Trifid]

Tagan, Seasonic both have 430w ones, and are great manufacturers.

There is a 480w Enermax that is slightly over. The Hiper is £70.

 

[joshd]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Enermax_111.html

2nd one down

Enermax Liberty 500W ELT500AWT ATX2.2 Modular SLI Compliant PSU (CA-025-EN)

http://www.enermax.co.uk/products/psu/liberty/ELT500AWT/spec.asp

i like the modular design of that one. what is ATX 2? it is also smaller in length than the dell one, so it would fit by the opticals easily. looking at the dimensions for the screws, it also seems it would fit fine! yay.

 

[Trifid]

It is the 24 pin compliant PSU.

You can have 20+4 to fit what ever the motherboard is. It has higher specifications that it has to meet. The best modular PSU is the Hiper Type R though. The Enermax would be great too though.

 

[joshd]

and the good thing with the modular is i wont have any extra, unused cables, squeezed into my already-much-too-small dell case.

 

[joshd]

hmmm... i have decided I don't like that enermax, as the "eternity connectors" mean that everytime i have a molex, there will be a SATA plug hanging around, messing everything up.

the thermaltake http://www.thermaltake.com/2005/purepower/w0057-01/w0057-01.htm looks more like it connector wise, but the power specification does not look very good to me, only 18A @ 12v. OR can i just add these and think 36A, as it is a dual rail PSU. the thing is, the enermax had 22A on EACH rail.

i am stuck now. the hiper type rs look good, but i dont think they would fit in my case, as the long sticky out bits on the plugs would most probably foul my optical drives. my case isnt very long.

 

[Trifid]

I will measure the length of my Hiper today for you (including the connectors). It isn't that long though, it will defiantly fit in a ATX case.

Edit, I did it just now. It is about 7 3/4" about 20cm or so. (Held with a ruler above it. I can give an exact measurement this afternoon.

 

[joshd]

well, you see in my case it is a bit defferent, as it isnt long. look:

those long connectors will be very hard to fit, and plug/unplug without taking the drives out.

i also wish the case was bigger, as then i would have room for the cathode converter and switch that are just ploncked on the bottom...

 

[Trifid]

those connectors are not long. About 3.5cm long.

But more importantly, oh my god... that is a mess.

 

[joshd]

heh, yea. i am hoping a modular PSU with sleeved cables, as well as giving me more power, will help to tidy that up a bit.

apart from that, there is nout i can do, as the case is very awkward. if you have any suggestions, i would be more than happy to try them. the main thing with the current PSU is the cables are just not long enough to route them properly.

the other thing is that my P4 motherboard does not have the 4pin power connector. this doesnt matter does it? the PSU doesnt NEED to be plugged into it or anything?

EDIT: looking at the cabling options on that hyper, it looks SOO much better than the enermax. much more flexibility, and no darn SATA connectors all over the place. if you are sure that the connectors will fit in that gap, the hyper it is. i mean, i dont mind moving the opticals while i am plugging stuff etc, as with the dell there is no screws anyway, i just unclip, and slide forwards.

EDIT EDIT: and the deciding factor, the hyper comes with a FREE untility box...