PSU limiting my OC?

I have a 300w crap-brand PSU that came with my case. My 3.3v line is at around 2.95v. I get a BSOD every time I OC more than about 50 mhz. I doubt it's a cooling problem, because my CPU temps are usually in the mid 40s. I'm 90% sure that my PSU is limiting the overclock, but I want to be sure before I buy a new one. I'm considering getting the 350w Fortron from Newegg.

What do your other rails look like? Where they measured with a multimeter? Is that measurement under load?

If you have an offbrand 300w psu its probably worth investing a few bucks in a 350w fortron even if you can't prove for certain that it is your psu. It would suprise me if a 50mhz oc pushed your psu to its knees but weirder things have happened...

I have a 300w crap-brand PSU that came with my case. My 3.3v line is at around 2.95v. I get a BSOD every time I OC more than about 50 mhz. I doubt it's a cooling problem, because my CPU temps are usually in the mid 40s. I'm 90% sure that my PSU is limiting the overclock, but I want to be sure before I buy a new one. I'm considering getting the 350w Fortron from Newegg.

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what voltage are you giving the chips?

more than 2-2.1ghz....usually requires 1.65+volts

Guys, when do you know when your PSU limits your o/c, how low is considered drops in those rails?

all rails should be within +/-5%

but it's possible that they could be a problem even before that level if they're very unstable...

also they should be measured with a voltmeter to be sure

I'v noticed on some cheap psu's that when loading the 12v rail with just a fan will pull the 12v down to 11.97. Add a few fans, cd-rom, harddrive and your pulling it down past the +/-5% spec where the psu will start sucking from the 5/3v side to make up for it. Just measure with a meter using the molex for your 5/12v and use a orange wire, which is a 3v, from your atx connector. Watch them as your pc boots, then idle and during load. Most psu's share the 3v and 5v except the antec true power series. Neither will borrow from any other rail with the exception of the 3v/5v which is shared. The cheaper psu's will share 3v and 5v while borrowing from the 12v and vise/versa when needed which makes them very unstable in a heavy loaded overclocked machine.

The 12v rail is always a lower amp rail. The reason why i'm using a cheap second micro psu to power my fans and anything else I want. The best psu's i seen are the trupower 500 and power and cooling 500. Which all have separate dedicated rails and none will borrow from any rail. Only thing is their expensive.

dustybyrd, I'm afraid of killing the PSU if I give the CPU more volts...

My rails at idle are 2.98, 4.97, 11.94. At load, they are 2.99, 4.89, 12.24, but they fluctuate a lot. The measurements are from my motherboard, so they aren't too accurate, but I can't see any other reason for such a rediculously small overclock.

dustybyrd, I'm afraid of killing the PSU if I give the CPU more volts...

My rails at idle are 2.98, 4.97, 11.94. At load, they are 2.99, 4.89, 12.24, but they fluctuate a lot. The measurements are from my motherboard, so they aren't too accurate, but I can't see any other reason for such a rediculously small overclock.

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if you have a generic 300 watt psu then you should probably get another psu even if that isn't your overclocking problem...

the 120mm fan 350 watt Fortron psu from www.newegg.com is a a great deal at $36....that should be enough for a 3-4 drives and an overclock up to 2.5ghz AMD...with 1.8-1.9 volts at the most

or you can get the fortron 530 watt from newegg for $75 that is very very powerful and can not be overworked with current standard home pc systems...

or the antec tp 430-550 series for a little more money and a little more features...

I'm probably going to get the 350w forton. Would it be able to run an average pump if I decided to watercool? Or can pumps not be run off of a PSU?

I'm probably going to get the 350w forton. Would it be able to run an average pump if I decided to watercool? Or can pumps not be run off of a PSU?

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i think the 350 fortron is a good choice...but i don't know about running a pump off of it as well....can't you use A/C power? if not i would get the fortron 530 (and i still don't know if that is enough...guess it depends on the power consumption of the pump)

I just got done with the same problem. I had a 300W enermax and I thought it was a really nice power supply. When I put my water cooling in, I put in some extra 120mm fans and these fans, combined with my o/c 2500+ and 9500n/p - the poor thing just couldn't keep up. But the limitation wasn't in the 12V rail, it was the 5V. My 5V line would get to 4.6v if I turned all of the fans on!!

I bought the 350W fortron (with the blue led) and it rocks! That fan is nice and quiet and my voltages are 12.05 and 5.05 no matter what my system is doing. Best $50 I ever spent on my computer.

It is too bad that now I have 2 extra power supplies lying around now but that is another matter. Get a new ps man!!

Ok, I got the 350w with the 120mm fan from Newegg. I tried OCing again, but I still cant get it stable with an FSB of more than 138. There has to be something wrong here...

Ok, I got the 350w with the 120mm fan from Newegg. I tried OCing again, but I still cant get it stable with an FSB of more than 138. There has to be something wrong here...

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are you still at stock voltage?

if so that could limit your overclock....

in my experience with amdxp's they need more than 1.65volts for more than 2.1ghz (which is what you want)

is this 2400xp an "a" or "b" stepping?

"a"s don't o/c well

In SIS, it says my stepping is B0. I didn't try upping the voltage yet... I'm planning on OCing to around 2.2ghz. What would be a good voltage for that?

1.75vcore.

ive seen the 120mm fan and 80mm fan 350w fotron psu's. wats the difference between the two..are the insides the same except for the fans that they have? i am also considering getting a fortron 350w...cant stand my antec "smart power" 300w
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