Hello

I'm putting together a P4 1.8Ghz system out of bits I've got lying around until I can afford something better (really fancy an AMD 64x2 when prices come down a little!!). The only thing I need to put this together is a PSU. I could buy a crappy £10 PSU but thought I'd buy something better so I don't have to fork out for a better one later on. So, I'm on the look out for a decent PSU that will power the P4, a couple of HDs, couple of optical drives, etc, and will be able to run a 64x2 and maybe a mid-range graphics card comfortably should I upgrade.

I don't really want to spend more than £50/60 ($85/100) max on one. So, any suggestions of model and supplier in the UK?

thanks guys/gals

Dave

sorry, forgot to mention, the place i normally buy stuff from has a pretty big range of antec PSUs.

Ebuyer's range of Antec PSUs

For instance, what's the general consensus on the TruePower II 430W. That's about the price I want to pay and reckons it has a low noise fan which would be nice.

dave

Antec TruePower 550watt is good, I am using one in my Opteron rig with 4 hard drives configured as two RAID arrays, and a HiS X1800XT

The TruePower 550w is a little above what I wanted to spend (£72/$123). They do a SmartPower 450w which seems very similar (albeit 100w less capable) and within what I was looking to pay. Would this do the job or would it be worth the extra £25/$40 for the TruePower 550w?

Hmm, maybe I should just stop being frugle and buy the 550w and be done with it

dave

The TruePower is the premium Antec PSU's. It was worth it for me to have stable power and I am satisfied.
The SmartPower is a lower spec line, mid grade.

cool, I think I'll be going for the truepower psu then! thanks for your quick responses rich!

dave

I've been running a Truepower (I) 430 for 3 years now. It is stable, cool and quiet. Voltage of 12v rail always shows 11.8, but the others are exact to spec and NEVER vary.

This PSU has ample capacity for your current project. If you expect to need more power for a future build, the 550 is also a good unit - just more money. These are far and away higher quality than typical $30 units. They also have 1/2 speed fan-only molex connectors for extra-quiet operation.

hey! just one last question for ya! (sorry!)

what's the noise like from your truepower psu? I'm hoping for something that isn't too noisy.

thanks again

dave

My TP 550watt is quiet, very quiet. Stable too.

They are quiet. I've never stressed mine enough for the fans to run at full speed. The PSU fans just loaf at 1/2. So do my case fans.

Rich is right about the SmartPowers. The are manufactured by a different company and are not as good.

sounds good. thanks for your help guys!

dave