sparkle PSU limiting OC?

[Zippykid9]

I have a 350w sparkle power supply, and so far its served me well. however, i cant help noticing a few flaws it has. my cpu voltage varies quite a bit. at the moment, im running at 2255mhz @ 1.7 v. at least thats what it says in the bios. actually, its usually between 1.63v and 1.70v. (average1.68) if i attempt to overclock more, to 2.4ghz, i have to up my vpu voltage to 1.8v, but my actual voltage sags more, and changes more. (1.70-1.75) but that was only in less than a minute of observation. if i was to leave the computer on longer, im sure it would be more like 1.65-1.77v. and 1.65 is too low to keep my computer stable. i think.

so, should i just pump up my vcore more? or should i buy a new psu. if so, what kind? or if you have other suggestions/questions/comments, please do.

 

[L337 M33P]

What voltage is the 12v rail at?

 

[larva]

Yes, look at the 12V rail with the cpu and voltage at stock, and then compare it to overclocked. If you see a marked decline in the 12V rail, consider a stronger supply like the 530 Fortron or True Power 430.

 

[Zippykid9]

ok thanks i'll do that.

 

[Zippykid9]

ok i wrote down the voltage high, low, and average for when it's overclocked (at my current limit stable overclock) and when it's at base voltages and speeds.

results:

overclocked 12v rail: 11.43 - 11.80 avg = 11.63
stock 12v rail: 11.61 - 11.73 avg = 11.68

 

[L337 M33P]

That IS a bit low. I would tweak the rail with the internal pots if that happened to me, but messing around inside PSUs can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing. The Sparkle 350 should be able to handle an OCed XP at that kind of voltage.

If you have a multimeter confirm the reading at a Molex connector.

 

[larva]

Don't even consider (or recommend) opening a supply until the voltages have been verified with a voltmeter!

I really doubt your supply is your problem. It's loaded a bit, but not overloaded. In cases like these it is impossible to state with all certainty what benefits will result from a stronger supply without changing it and seeing. Personally I doubt it would make the kind of difference you are looking for, but that is strictly conjecture.

 

[Jibby]

get a pcpowerandcooling 425 watt PSU. They are elite.

 

[Zippykid9]

i dont have a multimeter. its on my list of things to buy, but its near the bottom under video card and ram.

 

[Susquehannock]

ok i wrote down the voltage high, low, and average for when it's overclocked (at my current limit stable overclock) and when it's at base voltages and speeds.

results:

overclocked 12v rail: 11.43 - 11.80 avg = 11.63
stock 12v rail: 11.61 - 11.73 avg = 11.68

Your 11.43v is low, but still above the 5% range. (11.40 - 12.60)
7-10% is where you really begin to have problems.

I see that you don't have a MultiMeter.
If you are only using a software tool like MbM5
don't go out and buy a new PSU until you get some
REAL measurements with a MultiMeter.

My 12v rail fluctuates a fair ammount in MbM5.
But with the DMM the rails on this Fortron 400w rarely
change more than 0.02v.

 

[Mico]

I agree 100%. A lot of time motherboard voltage readings are skewed. Borrow one from a friend, or buy one, but don't bother opening the PSU or buying a new one until you can confirm that those readings are real.

 

[Zippykid9]

ok thanks guys. i think i can probably get my hands on a mulitmeter reasonably soon.

 

[Jibby]

thats really wierd cuz my allied 400 watt (i know its crap) is holding up all the way up to 2.0 vcore i tried 2.1 and i get 2.03 ;(