Local dealers and cheap PSU's?

[deadlysyn]

I was just working on a new clients rig, and found something disturbingly interesting today. The system was an i7 860, with an EVGA 260 216 core. When I opened the case up, to find out what was going on, and why it was having troubles booting, THIS is the PSU I found. The link was the only one I could find. Seriously, a 22 amp 12 volt rail is really going to work with one of today's systems? When I showed the guy the label on my old PC Power & Cooling Silencer 310, with the 19 amp 12 volt rail, his jaw hit the floor. I set him up with a Corsair 550VX, with a 41A 12V, and all was good. He said that he was having some serious problems with the system before, where it would randomly crash. The system was only built 2 weeks ago, and he said that he wants to take the junk PSU back, and see if they will refund him some money, since they sold him something that was beyond underpowered for his system. I didn't even see enough dust on the fans in the old PSU to make me think the system had been used a lot. What makes some of these people calling themselves techs think that just because it says 680 watts on it that it is good? I do like the fact that these people with these junk PSU's are coming to me, but I do think that these places could be treating the hardware they are installing with a little more respect than that. I tried searching, and couldn't find a UL number on the PSU, couldn't find anything about them at all, besides the geeks.com link, and another link for a distributor called Evertek, which seems to sell mostly refurbed parts like Dell systems, and old hard drives. Where do these companies get the idea that these things are really good for a computer?

/rant

 

[MattNo5ss]

Wow, I can't believe the builder was actually able to turn it on to test it. If the system would have been tested for any length of time at all, I would think a few BSOD would have occurred to give the builder a heads up...

"Techs" ...

A.S./B.S. in Computer Science != "Tech"

 

[GotNoRice]

Yeah, I don't think they ever checked if it was prime stable, the PSU probably would have exploded.

 

[deadlysyn]

I am starting to wonder if anyone that knows how to do a virus scan is qualified to call themselves a tech these days. I remember once, before I went into business for myself, talking to the people that built this system, and it is almost embarrassing to be in the same field. I have to say that it is ridiculous that some people that think the way they do actually get away with this. I was really surprised to even get a post with that PSU, and didn't even want to try to waste my time putting a DMM on it. I want to walk in to their place of business one of these days, and tell them that they might as well just be using Powmax PSU's, but those are probably sitting on the shelf next to the A-Power garbage.

The only thing these guys really have on guys like me, is basically the price. The link I saw for the PSU showed a price of $19.99 for it, and they are probably doubling the price. I have only been selling Corsair, Seasonic and Antec PSU's lately, but I haven't had a single one come back yet. I can offer a 3, 5, and 7 year manufacturer warranty on mine, while those things are not 80+ certified (horrible for the power bill), have a 1 year warranty, look to be 3.3V and 5V heavy (we aren't dealing with Pentium 3's anymore), and seem to weigh less than a bottle of water (very poor heatsink design). I know that I wouldn't put one of these things into my system, which is the same reason I wouldn't put it into a clients rig, and I can't really advertise that they are selling overpriced paperweights. I have been showing my clients with bad or underpowered PSU's the differences, and they have all seemed to notice a difference in the stability of their rigs.

 

[freakdiablo]

# +3.3V @ 45A
# +5V @ 50A

Hey, don't talk trash, it's a really nice PSU.
..
...
From about 10 years ago.

 

[madhatter256]

I'm willing to bet that the customer does not know enough to know that his cheap 680watt PSU was actually a 120watt POS.

But yeah, I work at a local system builder.

We carry all types of PSUs, from cheap no-names (although we don't carry PSUs with outrageous claims), to brands like Corsair.

 

[deadlysyn]

Hey, don't talk trash, it's a really nice PSU.
..
...
From about 10 years ago.

ROFLMAO

 

[hokiealumnus]

...look to be 3.3V and 5V heavy (we aren't dealing with Pentium 3's anymore), and seem to weigh less than a bottle of water (very poor heatsink design).

That's how the manufacturer gets away with the wattage rating. Based on the rated rails, it puts out 662.5W, so it really IS a 680W peak PSU......that was made for a PIII / P4 system.

There are only two options as far as that shop goes: 1. They really have no clue what they're doing and honestly think PSUs rated at a certain wattage are the same. or 2. They are preying on the consumer and taking them for all they're worth.

I'm not sure which is worse really. Stupid or evil, which would you prefer? Either way, they darn sure shouldn't be in business any more if they do that regularly.

 

[Zap]

besides the geeks.com link, and another link for a distributor called Evertek, which seems to sell mostly refurbed parts like Dell systems, and old hard drives.

Evertek and Geeks merged many years ago. Evertek is the wholesale part and Geeks sells to end users.

 

[AmbientFiction]

Syn I know your feelings all too well. Thats why I put 160% into my work. The shops around here rape people. I don't get it and the morons around here act like they love getting raped. Like this one shop $150hr on home PCs. I love what I do I charge $30hr. Or like that one place that was run by a guy with a coke addiction who when someone brought in a PC would switch out parts with bad parts and in turn sell the parts back to them or others at a later date to fund their coke habit.

Its a screwed up place for the Joe Sixpacks.

 

[Zap]

Thats why I put 160% into my work. The shops around here rape people. I don't get it and the morons around here act like they love getting raped. Like this one shop $150hr on home PCs. I love what I do I charge $30hr.

Maybe it is because the people charging $150 don't refer to their clients and potential clients as "morons?"



J/K

If you really do charge $30/hour and you are doing this for a living, I would highly suggest you raise your rates. You are selling your expertise and if you are as good as you say you are, then you are undervaluing your services. If you average 20 billable hours/week you would be making $30k/year. That's before taxes, business overhead (location, advertising, etc.), insurance, retirement (can put $5k towards IRA) and all kinds of other expenses. Sure, it's fine for someone just making some side money or living with their parents, but it isn't a sustainable business model. If you are good, you can be charging at least twice that and still be giving your clients good service and great value. Paying you the awesome tech $60/hour to finish a job in an hour is better than paying some random guy $20/hour but having him muck around for 3-4 hours because he isn't that great of a tech.

 

[deadlysyn]

It is just irritating knowing that these guys are out there doing this. I have an old friend in Oregon whose parents do the same thing. They were telling me I should stay away from Seasonic and Corsair because they are garbage, and since most of Antec's PSU's are Seasonic...... They also went on to tell me that they were using those same A-Power PSU's, and have been for about 8 years. They said that they haven't had one come back yet. I didn't want to tell them that it is because the victims of their $20 PSU's, marked up to $40, decided that if a business was going to use such garbage that they would be better off going somewhere else. The only reason I didn't say anything to was because they aren't affecting my business, and are making someone else that knows what is good for hardware some money. It still irritates me that people can think this way.

I have heard back from the owner of the PC, and he told me that they did give him a refund for the PSU, which really surprised me. I was expecting that they were going to tell him that he got what he got and was stuck with it. Atleast he was able to recoup some of what he spent on their screw up. Maybe they learned their lesson.

 

[GotNoRice]

I saw this for sale today at Fry's and it reminded me of this thread:

http://newspaperads.mercurynews.com/ROP/ads.aspx?advid=32664&adid=8708267&subid=27712787&type=

Only because I know that within the next few years I'm going to see probably 10+ systems built around that come through my shop all likely with the same issue (dead powersupply).

 

[deadlysyn]

I saw this for sale today at Fry's and it reminded me of this thread:

http://newspaperads.mercurynews.com/ROP/ads.aspx?advid=32664&adid=8708267&subid=27712787&type=

Only because I know that within the next few years I'm going to see probably 10+ systems built around that come through my shop all likely with the same issue (dead powersupply).

Chances are it won't be the next few years, but closer to the next few months or weeks. It's really a shame that people will buy into this without replacing the PSU, but I figure it will keep me busy.