need atx-ssi power supply recommendation

T

ToddAndMargo

Hi All,

If you needed to spec out a 550 watt (or some such)
ATX-SSI power supply that had to last at least
eight (8) years, which one would you spec out?
Must be long lived and very high quality.

Many thanks,
--Tony
 
D

Dave B.

It is impossible to spec out ANY component that will last 8 years, there is
100% NO way to tell how long a component will last, and claiming that you
can will impress no one when it fails in a year and a half.
 
M

Michael W. Ryder

Hi All,

If you needed to spec out a 550 watt (or some such)
ATX-SSI power supply that had to last at least
eight (8) years, which one would you spec out?
Must be long lived and very high quality.

Many thanks,
--Tony

The best power supplies I have used are the PC Power and Cooling ones.
I have one that is still going strong after about 8 years. They cost
more than the ones you can buy at the local stores but they are also one
of the oldest companies in the business, having been around from the
early PC times.
 
T

ToddAndMargo

Michael said:
The best power supplies I have used are the PC Power and Cooling ones.
I have one that is still going strong after about 8 years. They cost
more than the ones you can buy at the local stores but they are also one
of the oldest companies in the business, having been around from the
early PC times.

Thank you!
 
R

Richard Urban

Nothing is warranted for longer that one year. If you need a power supply
that absolutely must last eight years, you had better learn electronic
design and build it yourself.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
T

ToddAndMargo

Richard said:
Nothing is warranted for longer that one year. If you need a power supply
that absolutely must last eight years, you had better learn electronic
design and build it yourself.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

Hi Richard,

Check out
http://www.pcpower.com/products/viewproduct.php?show=S61EPS

"3-year warranty and support"

-T
 
R

Richard Urban

Yes, and I have had some last 5 years. So what!

You are not going to get any warranty for 8 years as you seem to
need/desire. That would be military grade electronics and you couldn't
afford to pay for it.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
T

ToddAndMargo

Richard said:
Yes, and I have had some last 5 years. So what!

You are not going to get any warranty for 8 years as you seem to
need/desire. That would be military grade electronics and you couldn't
afford to pay for it.


Who asked for a warranty? Maybe I should reread what I asked:

If you needed to spec out a 550 watt (or some such)
ATX-SSI power supply that had to last at least
eight (8) years, which one would you spec out?
Must be long lived and very high quality.

Nope. Didn't ask for one. Hmmm. I was asking for recommendations
based on other peoples experience though. If you do not know, please
do
not answer.

-T
 
V

V Green

Until SOMEBODY jumps off the "race-to-the-bottom/
all-everyone-wants-is-the-cheapest-possible-price"
(aka the Wal-Mart effect) bandwagon, and starts the
manufacture of long-lived brushless DC fans (the
only moving part in a PSU), it will never happen.

The ELECTRONIC components of a PSU will last
the 8 years required.

The el-cheapo fan will not, and when it fails, the other
PSU components, now being operated outside their nominal
temp. limits, will die.

There are auto-switchover/redundant PSU cases
available, I saw them once while looking for something
online.

Two identical PSU's in one case, with auto-switchover
circuitry, when one PSU dies, you are notified that it has
happened, the system changes over to the "good" PSU,
you hot-swap out the bad one...
 
R

Richard Urban

I do not know of any I can guarantee to last 8 years.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
R

Richard Urban

Why don't you just ask, "what are some of the best power supplies on the
market today", and leave 8 years out of your question altogether?

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
J

JS

Then I would upgrade to an 800 to 1000 watt supply so that the supply is
lightly loaded (25 to 35% of full capacity), has a top quality variable
speed fan or dual fans and filtered air intake.

Even with all of the above, if the supply is on all the time most likely the
fan will fail long before you reach 8 years.
It also would not hurt to talk to the manufacturer and tell them your
requirements.

JS
 
M

Michael W. Ryder

V said:
Until SOMEBODY jumps off the "race-to-the-bottom/
all-everyone-wants-is-the-cheapest-possible-price"
(aka the Wal-Mart effect) bandwagon, and starts the
manufacture of long-lived brushless DC fans (the
only moving part in a PSU), it will never happen.

The ELECTRONIC components of a PSU will last
the 8 years required.

The el-cheapo fan will not, and when it fails, the other
PSU components, now being operated outside their nominal
temp. limits, will die.

The other option is to get a high quality power supply with no fans.
The fans in the PC Power and Cooling do seem to hold up better than the
generic ones though. The one I have still working after all these years
is running 24x7 and the computer is sitting on a carpeted floor. No
problems with the power supply or fan.
 
V

V Green

Michael W. Ryder said:
Unnecessary if the unit is properly built and kept in a clean
environment. I wonder if the power supplies used in the AIX series of
computers could be used in a PC? I have an RS/6000 that is still
running on the original power supply after more than 10 years.


Fans will STILL die, unless you can find good ones,
such as the ones (apparently) your 10 yr. old PSU has...

There are "maglev" fans now available, which "float"
the rotor/blades on a magnetic field, which show promise
as far as longevity, but I've not been able to find them any
larger than 60mm (most PSU fans are 80mm).
 
M

Michael W. Ryder

V said:
Fans will STILL die, unless you can find good ones,
such as the ones (apparently) your 10 yr. old PSU has...

Anything will die with time, the trick is to get something that will not
fail after the 90 days warranty expires like I have seen with some fans.
Also the cleaner the environment the longer they will live. Our
remote office that is surrounded by desert goes through power supply
fans a lot faster than the computer room in our main office. In fact I
don't think I have had a fan failure in the computer room in more than
10 years.
 

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