Topic: I need help with a new PSU

[gpw11]

I was playing Gish this morning (after playing drunk last night), and then my pc sort of just clicked and turned off.  I'm about 99% sure this was because of the PSU going.  It was really hot, the fan had been making noise for a while (I figured it was about to go, but hoped it would last a few months until I got a new pc), and there was a pretty acrid smell coming from the case.  It also sort of explains some things about memory errors I was getting with different sticks of ram.

So, anyways, I'm probably going to be getting a new PSU today, but are most power supplies compatible with both SATA and IDE?  My current system is all IDE, but I want to get a power supply I can throw in my next system as well, which will  obviously use SATA.  Is there a SATA to IDE adapter I can buy or something so I'm not buying two different  power supplies in a period of a few months, are most psu's compatible with both, or am I pretty much screwed?

I know the 20/24 pin connector won't be an issue as most are dual compatible.

[sirean_syan]

I don't actually remember the SATA power plug being any different than IDE.

In any case, it's hard for me to imagine any new power sujpply not supporting both. SATA is new enough and more or less the standard now while IDE is simply too widespread to not include. You'll probably be fine.

[PyroMenace]

How can you tell if your PSU went dead anyway?

[gpw11]

Well, I assumed it did because I could hear the fan whining for a while now, so it was apparent that it was about to go.  Then all of a sudden my pc turned off and a horrible smell filled the room.  I thought about it and hadn't heard the fan whining in a bit so I put two and two together. 

I went and bought a Sparkle 450W one for $70, and I can use that in my next system.  All good now, and yeah, they do have all the connectors.

[PyroMenace]

Yea, I only asked cause that sounds like what happened to my friends computer. Though I was thinking the processors went dead or something with the motherboard, never could tell though. But his computer just shut off and he smelled something bad afterwards. I could try putting in a new one since that would be a whole lot easier to figure out as its less expensive.

[scottws]

For any future PSU I get it will be one from Antec.  I've always heard good things about them and they aren't too expensive.

[Quemaqua]

Yeah, my last couple have been Antec.  High quality stuff.  I've got a 550W now, I think.

[gpw11]

Yeah, I was originally going to go Antec, but the helpful people on the boards at ncix.com recommended I go Fortron/Sparkle over Antec for what I was looking for.

[scottws]

http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=24500

Oooh... a silent 500W power supply!  Definately something I'll look for for my next system.  I want my next system to be quiet.  My current one is very loud.

Expensive though.  $160 at Newegg.

[PyroMenace]

I didnt know PSUs had a problem with being loud. I thought it was mainly from CPU fans.

[scottws]

My current PSU is pretty loud.  I have the case and CPU fans turned down pretty low and they aren't too bad and I'm getting ok temps.  At this point my PSU is definately the loudest set of fans.  It does have 3 of them...

It's kind of ironic considering the PSU's model name is the "Stealth" (from Vantec).

[PyroMenace]

Heh, one of my friends used to have one of those Tornado heatsink fans, it was like one of the best fans on the market, but holy shit was it loud. I mean I've read reviews about how the noise was, but actually being next to a machine that used it... you could swear you were in an airplane.

[scottws]

I have the same fan.  Hence the reason I bought a fan control (I bought them at the same time).  Yeah, it's loud but you can bring it down to managable levels.