fortron 530 watt vs 350 watt--RESULTS of head to head on same machine...

[dustybyrd]

So i decided to change out the cheap powerup supply in my work computer with my 350 watt 120mm fan fortron that was powering my dual processor machine without a hiccup for over a month...i then decided to put a 530 watt fortron in my dual processor machine (see sigs for both)...

i know that software that reads voltages is not good...however, i figure a comparison of the software read voltages with two different power supplies without changing anything else might be valuable...

the software read voltages on my power hungry dual processor machine:

with 350 watt fortron:

12v=12.10 volts
3.3v=3.34 volts
5v=4.78-4.82 volts depending on processor load

with the 530 watt fortron:

12v=12.10 volts
3.3v=3.3 volts
5v=4.88-4.92 volts depending on processor load


interpretation:

the 5v needs of my dual system are really high due to the overclocked P3's and the multiple drives....thus possibly explaining the better 5v performance out of the 530 watt fortron versus the 350 watter...

the (grossly underrated) specifications on the side of the power supplies are:

12v=16A for the 350 and 18A for the 530
3.3v=28A for both
5v=32A for the 350 and 40A for the 530

also the rated combined 3.3+5v max=220 for the 350watt version and the full 292 watts for the 530 watt version...

bottom line?

i still think and have experimentally observed the 350 watt fortron (rated at 454 watts max by THG and larva) is ample power for my dual machine....but i think the 530 watter is obviously more powerful, which i was thinking will be better for a possible future dual AMD machine...

one final note: the weights of the power supplies

the cheap 350 watt powerup=2.5 pounds measured at work
the 350 watt FORTRON=3.5 pounds measured at work
the 530 watt FORTRON=at least 5 pounds estimated at home

 

[Honest_Bob]

Thanks! Your review seemed to have given me the proper perspective on what happens to the voltages between higher and lower powered power supply's with high loads.

 

[Hawky]

defenetly (forgot how to spell it!!) getting sparkle/foltron 530!! thanks!!

 

[dustybyrd]

defenetly (forgot how to spell it!!) getting sparkle/foltron 530!! thanks!!

i wouldn't necessarily say everyone needs a 530 watt sparkle/fortron...not that it's not great, but...remember my dual processor machine with all that stuff in my sig was running 100% stable with the quiet 120mm fan version of the 350 watt fortron (that is rated at 454 watts)....

and the 350 watt fortron is $32-48 depending on the fan version...

while the 530 fortron is $70....

so you just have to see what power needs you have...

 

[Hawky]

need big my PSU won't handle 10 over my default fsb

 

[dustybyrd]

r u sure it's your psu?

do u have a willamette p4 chip? those typically don't overclock much past 2 ghz...

 

[TidyBowl]

but the 530 goes up to 11 -- so its louder than anything else.

JNB