Grrrrr. I do not like proprietary computers (rant)

So a coworker has a Sony VAIO tower that quit working after the warranty expired. Go figure. I take it and look at it, nothing happens so I figure the power supply is bad. I unplug the ATX connectors, plug my spare 400w in there, and boom it powers right up. But to mount in in the case requires a MicroATX power supply (or so I thought).

So I go out today and buy a FSP 300w MicroATX power supply for $35. I get home, plug it in, and as I go to install it into the case...wait a minute...this computer uses a proprietary power supply that has holes spaced LIKE a MicroATX power supply but a MicroATX power supply's holes will not line up. Of course a full size ATX is too big for the bracket, let alone the holes not lining up. : I should've known better!

A replacement power supply matching the OEM's part number costs $189. That much money for a 268w POS that has already failed once. The price doesn't surprise me at all. I know many of you have these frustrations towards OEM systems as well, we've all been there with this oem stuff and of course that's why we build our own. Tonight just kind of reaffirms my hatred towards OEM systems such as this Sony VAIO. Specifically my hatred of working on them. I really doubt that this lady is going to invest over $200 in replacing the power supply on this old P4 Northwood. I'd rather recommend her a Fry's e4300/ecs combo and a case. In fact, I think I will do that if the combo is still available.

Welcome to my life.

Standards are standards, those who do not follow them must die.

Yeah I just went through this crap with a friend's Dell PSU. They didn't want to mess around and ended up buying a 400w Dell-compatible PSU for $100 or something. We could have made a standard PSU work but that would have involved a little modding.

In your case I'd drill new screw holes.

Making new mounting holes is an option. You could also strip the guts out of the bad PS and mount the guts from the good PS in the old PS housing. That might be dangerous, so make sure the PSU is completely discharged before performing such a task.

damarble said:

In your case I'd drill new screw holes.

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bingo... you can make it work. this is probably the easiest proprietary problem you could have had. just a little drilling and its all sorted out, not like it doesnt really work, just need a little elbow grease to put it in there

Oni said:

Making new mounting holes is an option. You could also strip the guts out of the bad PS and mount the guts from the good PS in the old PS housing. That might be dangerous, so make sure the PSU is completely discharged before performing such a task.

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Yep, if you got it long enough take out all the hardware and drill out the rivets that hold the back part on. If you have access to a drill press, clamp it down and drill out the new ones!

Unless you take the psu apart to drill them, I'd say drill them in the case, make sure to catch all the chips.


Jon

check ebay?
http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-VAIO-PCV-R...27QQihZ002QQcategoryZ3670QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Delta-300-Watt-...8QQihZ004QQcategoryZ42020QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Any of those look familiar?

Jon

HPs old propprietary format is what got me started building my own PCs so many years ago.

As for the replacement PSU.

Much cheaper to just get a new tower

I hate proprietary or even brand computers. If you have the cash, you could probably play around with Alienware with some results. But otherwise, no, no, no. It's better to ask a hardware shop owner to build it up from you from such parts as he finds in the stock shop and believes to be good bargains and work together well, if not actually do some research and put it together completely on your own, which I would prefer. I have the impression that companies putting together brand PCs always want to screw you out of something. They always want to feed you an old or small hard drive. They always want to feed you their old disposable RAM chips. They give you crappy graphics cards no normal person would ever buy. They choose CPUs like... eh, waste of breath. If everything is actually in order and there is no sham in the config, they lift the price like there's no tomorrow. You don't need that. You need a decent, honest, plain hardware guy, or a friend, or just to do it yourself. Practice makes perfect and you never know and all. It's a useful skill to have, putting together computers. I'm tempted to forget about law practice and start a small hardware business with my buddy.

JFettig said:

check ebay?
http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-VAIO-PCV-R...27QQihZ002QQcategoryZ3670QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/Delta-300-Watt-...8QQihZ004QQcategoryZ42020QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Any of those look familiar?

Jon

Click to expand...

The first one looks like the ticket, that could be a worthwhile option, thanks for the link. I'll try drilling new mounting holes this afternoon, with the mATX power supply installed it gives about an inch or so of space between the power supply and the bracket so I'm not sure if it'll work. Her husband said he doesn't care if it looks tacky as long as it boots.

benbaked said:

Her husband said he doesn't care if it looks tacky as long as it boots.

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Now that's the spirit!

Just be glad that the case isn't riddled with obscure tamper resist screws, or heatsinks that you cannot replace, or worse still a proprietary power supply pinout that could have resulted in several friend components.

I'd just JBWeld the dang thing in there (or use VSB tape) and hookup a case-to-case ground wire on an unused screw.
It's not like they're going to be dragging the Vaio to a Lan or anything.

That's how us redneck's deal with proprietary!

damarble said:

Yeah I just went through this crap with a friend's Dell PSU. They didn't want to mess around and ended up buying a 400w Dell-compatible PSU for $100 or something. We could have made a standard PSU work but that would have involved a little modding.

In your case I'd drill new screw holes.

Click to expand...

Years ago I bought a Dually 440BX mobo from ebay and I a couple of modded slotket adaptors with a pair of 66Mhz celerons I had salvaged. I was so looking forward to owning my first dually setup - and then I found out it needed a proprietary Dell PSU. I wasn't working at the time (I was still in school) and I couldn't afford to get the bits I needed to finish the build.

Diggrr said:

I'd just JBWeld the dang thing in there (or use VSB tape) and hookup a case-to-case ground wire on an unused screw.
It's not like they're going to be dragging the Vaio to a Lan or anything.

That's how us redneck's deal with proprietary!

Click to expand...

Nah

JBweld costs money

trash pick a ATX case and mount all the hardware in that

Thats free
Or just pick up a cheap case of the egg..

I've drilled new holes before, and transfered the innards to the old casing before, both options work great. Weird length AGP/PCI brackets are another thing that comes around and are a pain to deal with, but nothing is impossible if you have some tools around

I would be careful about using another case. Because the motherboard fitting likely is proprietary.

Even if it isn't, that don't necessarily mean that it's gonna be fine, they may have put an adhesive on to the motherboard mounts or the motherboard. Thus it's possible that the only way to get the motherboard out of the case is to force it and thus crack the motherboard!

Or the heatsink may require screw holes on the same metal back end that the motherboard is mounted to for the heatsink to be mounted.

Drill new holes its out of warrenty.

Captain Slug said:

Just be glad that the case isn't riddled with obscure tamper resist screws, or heatsinks that you cannot replace, or worse still a proprietary power supply pinout that could have resulted in several friend components.

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I agree! I thought your first post was going this way, to say how Sony used a different pinout and you fried the board.

It has happened...I think Dell was guilty of doing that for one...