Power Supply Compatibility

[jeffy3]

Does anyone have a good link for determining which replacement power
supply will fit into my computer. I have removed the old power supply
,which is a Sparkle Power one , model # FSP250-60ATV. I can find a
bunch of these on the web for as little as $20, but like in the advice
above I don't want to buy a cheapie one, but want to make sure the new
one is compatible in size, shape, screwholes, and the placement of the
on-off switch and the plug receptacle. I may run it up to our
nearest Microcenter store but I don't want to be uneducated before i
get there .Many thanks!

 

[Ted Zieglar]

The power supply has to be compatible with the motherboard. If the
motherboard was proprietary it will be difficult if not impossible to
stick anything other than the same model power of supply in your
computer. If the motherboard was not proprietary it will be relatively
simple to find a different PSU. Your computer's manufacturer can tell
you if they used a proprietary motherboard.

Some advice: I would not trust a salesperson at a computer store to know
what they're talking about. Instead, go to the websites of the major PSU
vendors and use their selection tools.

 

[Anna]

Does anyone have a good link for determining which replacement power
supply will fit into my computer. I have removed the old power supply
,which is a Sparkle Power one , model # FSP250-60ATV. I can find a
bunch of these on the web for as little as $20, but like in the advice
above I don't want to buy a cheapie one, but want to make sure the new
one is compatible in size, shape, screwholes, and the placement of the
on-off switch and the plug receptacle. I may run it up to our
nearest Microcenter store but I don't want to be uneducated before i
get there .Many thanks!

Your present Sparkle PS is an industry-standard item so you should have no
trouble replacing it with a similar product.

By & large our experience with Sparkle power supplies has been quite
positive, especially considering their relatively low price. I assume you're
replacing the PS because it has failed after some years, yes? If its 250
wattage has proven sufficient for your system I see no reason why you can't
replace it with the same model (I'm assuming this model is still current) or
something quite similar. On the other hand if your system has been upgraded,
or you plan to upgrade it in the near future, then you should probably
consider a PS of greater wattage.

If you're still uncomfortable about physical dimensions and such, couldn't
you simply bring the PS to the Microcenter store and compare it with other
models?
Anna

 

[jeffy3]

Your present Sparkle PS is an industry-standard item so you should have no
trouble replacing it with a similar product.

By & large our experience with Sparkle power supplies has been quite
positive, especially considering their relatively low price. I assume you're
replacing the PS because it has failed after some years, yes? If its 250
wattage has proven sufficient for your system I see no reason why you can't
replace it with the same model (I'm assuming this model is still current) or
something quite similar. On the other hand if your system has been upgraded,
or you plan to upgrade it in the near future, then you should probably
consider a PS of greater wattage.

If you're still uncomfortable about physical dimensions and such, couldn't
you simply bring the PS to the Microcenter store and compare it with other
models?
Anna

Thanks Anna. That's what I plan to do tonight. I am bringing the PS
to Microcenter. I am replacing it as a troubleshooting method to
determine why the computer keeps rebooting on its own and sometimes
takes up to a minute to turn on after pushing the on button.

 

[Anna]

Thanks Anna. That's what I plan to do tonight. I am bringing the PS
to Microcenter. I am replacing it as a troubleshooting method to
determine why the computer keeps rebooting on its own and sometimes
takes up to a minute to turn on after pushing the on button.

The two problems you describe *could* result from a failing PS, but I wonder
if the PS is the cause of your problems.

I assume you're taking the PS in to that Microcenter shop so they can test
it. Is that right? If it does turn out to be defective, then of course a new
PS should solve your problems. But what if the PS is not defective? The
problems do sound like a hardware-type problem but that's not definitive by
any means. The problem with your problems is that if it is a hardware issue,
the culprit (or culprits) can be virtually any component that makes up your
computer.

Anyway, good luck.
Anna

 

[jeffy3]

The two problems you describe *could* result from a failing PS, but I wonder
if the PS is the cause of your problems.

I assume you're taking the PS in to that Microcenter shop so they can test
it. Is that right? If it does turn out to be defective, then of course a new
PS should solve your problems. But what if the PS is not defective? The
problems do sound like a hardware-type problem but that's not definitive by
any means. The problem with your problems is that if it is a hardware issue,
the culprit (or culprits) can be virtually any component that makes up your
computer.

Anyway, good luck.
Anna

I didn't get the old one tested, but I did get a new one last night and
installed it and everything has been fine since....it has been on for
13 hours now with no reboots...I'll keep my fingers crossed!

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Does anyone have a good link for determining which replacement power
supply will fit into my computer. I have removed the old power supply
,which is a Sparkle Power one , model # FSP250-60ATV. I can find a
bunch of these on the web for as little as $20, but like in the advice
above I don't want to buy a cheapie one, but want to make sure the new
one is compatible in size, shape, screwholes, and the placement of the
on-off switch and the plug receptacle. I may run it up to our
nearest Microcenter store but I don't want to be uneducated before i
get there .Many thanks!

Virtually all power supplies are standard these days unless you're
dealing with something like a Dell with it's own proprietary system.
If your supply is ATX it's ATX. That's it.

To date I've seen exactly one power supply that wouldn't work on a
machine and that had to do with the motherboard, not mounting the
supply. It was one of the X-Connect supplies and it has an oversize
power plug. The board in question had a couple of capacitors *RIGHT*
next to the socket and the plug struck the top of the cap maybe 1/16th
of an inch before seating.

I do agree about not getting cheapies. I've watched a batch of bad
ones take motherboards with them.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I assume you're taking the PS in to that Microcenter shop so they can test
it. Is that right? If it does turn out to be defective, then of course a new
PS should solve your problems. But what if the PS is not defective? The
problems do sound like a hardware-type problem but that's not definitive by
any means. The problem with your problems is that if it is a hardware issue,
the culprit (or culprits) can be virtually any component that makes up your
computer.

Note that the power supply testers don't always do the job.

I've replaced several power supplies that tested out ok but were
defective. Unfortunately standard power supply testers can't supply
enough of a load and just because the power supply works at the low
load that the tester puts on it doesn't mean it works at the load the
board puts on it.

 

[Anna]

Note that the power supply testers don't always do the job.

I've replaced several power supplies that tested out ok but were
defective. Unfortunately standard power supply testers can't supply
enough of a load and just because the power supply works at the low
load that the tester puts on it doesn't mean it works at the load the
board puts on it.

Loren:
Agreed if we're talking about the consumer-type power supply testers
generally available for under $20. I would guess that's the type of
equipment you were referring to. But the PS testers we used in the shop (and
I hope used by other professional PC repair shops) were far more
sophisticated than those. And, in any event, the ultimate test is connecting
the questionable PS to a working system. Virtually every shop does that
unless it's absolutely clear from the outset that they have a dead PS on
their hands.
Anna

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Loren:
Agreed if we're talking about the consumer-type power supply testers
generally available for under $20. I would guess that's the type of
equipment you were referring to. But the PS testers we used in the shop (and
I hope used by other professional PC repair shops) were far more
sophisticated than those. And, in any event, the ultimate test is connecting
the questionable PS to a working system. Virtually every shop does that
unless it's absolutely clear from the outset that they have a dead PS on
their hands.
Anna

I've looked for better ones but I've never seen one for sale anywhere.

I do agree that a working system is the best test. All of the ones
I've replaced that tested ok would run a system for maybe 1 second.
The replacement worked, therefore the original was certainly bad.