How do these look?

wviperw · Jun 3, 2004

I'm either going to go the cheap route, meaning the case+PS come all-in-one:

all-in-one #1
all-in-one #2

Or I'm going to go the slightly more expensive route and buy the case and PS separately (while getting slightly better parts):

case #1
case #2
case #3
Fortron 350W

My first option (all-in-one, cheap), would cost around $40 after shipping. The second option (piecewise, $$$), would cost close to $100 after shipping. Is it really worth the extra 60 beans for "quality" parts?

tgxiii · Jun 3, 2004

Based on my experience with generic power supplies, yes the extra moolah for quality parts is worth it. Especially since the all-in-one cases you linked to have Powmax PSUs.

wviperw · Jun 3, 2004

Yes, I know the Powmax's are supposedly crap. But it seems a bit exaggerated. Afterall, this *is* the PS forum, so you guys are probably slightly biased.

The reviews I've seen on newegg regarding the powmax based cases/ps's weren't really that bad. Sure $60 may be pocket change for some, but $60 is *a lot* to spend (for me) on supposedly better quality parts, especially when I'm not sure if I'll ever notice a difference.

Tekko · Jun 3, 2004

Personaly I avoid generic PSU like the plague my first rig was with a generic case/PSU(back when I knew nothing about 'putering) and it blew a DVD burner and a 200GB HD because the 12V rail was feeding 13.5V and sometimes spiked up to 14.5V. DO spend an extra 100-200$ if you can to avoid loosing 500$ or more of hardware.

Oklahoma Wolf · Jun 3, 2004

Powmax has a higher than average failure rate... they aren't as bad as Deer for taking things with them, but they do fail often. They are also commonly overrated, and have trouble meeting their ratings. It's worth the extra cash for quality - you might start noticing a difference if that Powmax ever dies on you and you need to suddenly replace it. You will likely also be limited in overclocking on them.

tgxiii · Jun 3, 2004

wviperw said:
Yes, I know the Powmax's are supposedly crap. But it seems a bit exaggerated. Afterall, this *is* the PS forum, so you guys are probably slightly biased. The reviews I've seen on newegg regarding the powmax based cases/ps's weren't really that bad. Sure $60 may be pocket change for some, but $60 is *a lot* to spend (for me) on supposedly better quality parts, especially when I'm not sure if I'll ever notice a difference.

Well, I am basing this on personal experience. I've had 4 Deer units die on me within 3 months (2 of them actually sparked up in flames!). Same with two Powmax and two Allied. In a few cases, the PSU took a few components with it, like the mobo, CPU, and memory.

It's $60 now, but I'd rather spend it for peace of mind. In the end, it'll pay for itself. You'll be happy your components are still up and running.

Nebulous · Jun 3, 2004

I'd go with that silver chieftec case (case #1) and shell out for a Sparkle, Fortron or Enermax psu. Forget the generic fly-by-nite brand psu and case for that matter.

wviperw · Jun 4, 2004

Ok, you guys convinced me to rule out the cheap Powmax solutions I guess.

Here is another possible case I could get:

Antec 1000 AMG

And regarding that Fortron 350W PS I linked to in the OP, is that an okay one to get? I saw some other Fortron 350's that were like 40 bucks for some reason. I really don't want to have to spend any more than $30 on the PS if I can.

Cerberus2k7 · Jun 4, 2004

wviperw said:
Yes, I know the Powmax's are supposedly crap. But it seems a bit exaggerated. Afterall, this *is* the PS forum, so you guys are probably slightly biased. The reviews I've seen on newegg regarding the powmax based cases/ps's weren't really that bad. Sure $60 may be pocket change for some, but $60 is *a lot* to spend (for me) on supposedly better quality parts, especially when I'm not sure if I'll ever notice a difference.

Just a little FYI, my friends Powmax PSU completely killed his system.

As for that Antec case...I have it. And I love it.

just needs a few minor things here and there IE spot on the mobo tray to slide wires through. But all and all, it's a very solid case.

Oklahoma Wolf · Jun 4, 2004

wviperw said:
And regarding that Fortron 350W PS I linked to in the OP, is that an okay one to get? I saw some other Fortron 350's that were like 40 bucks for some reason. I really don't want to have to spend any more than $30 on the PS if I can.

The one you picked will do ok, though it's not quite the best of the 350w units from Fortron/Sparkle. For quite some time, this one's been the most underrated (did 454w at Tom's): http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-103-420&depa=0

How do these look?

wviperw

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tgxiii

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wviperw

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Tekko

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Oklahoma Wolf

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tgxiii

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Nebulous

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wviperw

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Cerberus2k7

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Oklahoma Wolf

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