Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

[370forlife]

Originally Posted by Agent24

I'd guess by the PCB silkscreen number 'LCxxxxxx'

Shhhhhhh.

[Pentium4]

Imagine how quickly a Hipro would cook JPCON caps...They already roast Teapo caps because of their slow spinning fans and poor efficiency. (Regardless, I love Hipro)

That still looks like a decent PSU.

[Wester547]

I don't really think Hipros are that inefficient. They are certainly very overbuilt for all that inefficiency, most of the time. They don't run hot enough to cause discoloration, anyway, like select cheapos do. As for slow spinning fans, I have noticed that the 200W-250W models seem to have less assertive fan controllers than the 300-400W models, but that's understandable.

[Majestyk]

I opened one of my old Enermax PSUs today, an
EG365AX-VD
made in 2004.

It was working in a system that operated in a very clean environment so dust has never been an issue for this PSU.
It has been runniung for several years so I was wondering abóut the condition of the components.
Have a look at the pictures. I think this Enermax was built quite well and tidy. (Active PFC wasn´t a must in 2004.)
There´s even a Hitachi HP3 in the primary section and the filtercaps in the secondary section are all "JP CE-TUL", a brand / type often to be foung in Enermax PSUs but I never found a bulged or defective one.
I remember Enermax had a good name back in those days and this PSU seems to be a credit to the species.

[stj]

that's a quality design!
i love the way they even sleeve that wire & run it through the sinks instead of just jamming it down the edge!!

a friend has an old "Enermax Bue", i wonder if it's that good inside?

[Majestyk]

I love the classic layout with just one reasonably regulated 80mm fan, ceramic standoffs for components that get hot and proper extruded alloy fins instead of simple cut and bent plates.
Look at the tricky fixation for the little sub-pcb that has a notch fitting right between two fins.

[larrymoencurly]

Originally Posted by Majestyk

I opened one of my old Enermax PSUs today, an
EG365AX-VD
made in 2004.

...in the primary section and the filtercaps in the secondary section are all "JP CE-TUL", a brand / type often to be foung in Enermax PSUs but I never found a bulged or defective one.

I have the same PSU with the same capacitors, also none bulging. It also has no bleeder resistors in the high voltage section, so even if I unplug it overnight, pressing the power button makes the fan turn slightly.

I had an ECS P4S5A motherboard with JP CE-TUR? capacitors that mostly leaked and bulged.

[ben7]

Originally Posted by larrymoencurly

I have the same PSU with the same capacitors, also none bulging. It also has no bleeder resistors in the high voltage section, so even if I unplug it overnight, pressing the power button makes the fan turn slightly.

I had an ECS P4S5A motherboard with JP CE-TUR? capacitors that mostly leaked and bulged.

Huh, it should have bleeder resistors, or else the capacitor's may not be sharing the full voltage equally... which would result in one getting too much voltage and failing. I think someone else had that happen on here.

[kc8adu]

not sure how that could happen.
the +5stby section would drain the input caps quickly.

Originally Posted by larrymoencurly

I have the same PSU with the same capacitors, also none bulging. It also has no bleeder resistors in the high voltage section, so even if I unplug it overnight, pressing the power button makes the fan turn slightly.

I had an ECS P4S5A motherboard with JP CE-TUR? capacitors that mostly leaked and bulged.

[Majestyk]

The Enermax EG365AX-VD only has one 400V filtercap in the high-pot section so bleeder resistors or varistors aren´t a must.

Only If there are two capacitors in series resistors / varistors are essential to keep the voltages in balance.

[Behemot]

But those are balance resistors, bleeder is for discharging after it is unplugged from the grid, isn't it.

[Majestyk]

If there´s a resistor of let´s say 180K in parallel to each of the two capacitors (that operate in series), then these resistors can both balance the DC at each capacitor and discharge it after powering off.
Often there´s an additional varistor (VDR) parallel to each capacitor. The varistors can do the balancing much better and protect the capacitors from operating at too high voltages due to asymmetries but the varistors can´t do the discharging right since they have a high resistance at the lower voltages that occur after powering off.

[Majestyk]

Speaking of build quality...

I opened a Delta Server PSU today, that is a couple of years old but still unused. It is constructed as a sandwich with one board at the top and another at the bottom. The air for cooling passes right through the middle.
As you would expect from Delta, the components are of excellent quality and only Tier1 suppliers! Strictly Nichicon and Rubycon capacitors, heavy alloy cooling blocks, loads of coils and toroids, a proper shielded filter for the mains connection... See for yourselves and imagine a world where all PSUs are built this way:

[PeteS in CA]

As Mrs. S in CA would call it, that really is beautiful power supply "porn". Looks like late 2008 build.

[larrymoencurly]

Originally Posted by Majestyk

The Enermax EG365AX-VD only has one 400V filtercap in the high-pot section so bleeder resistors or varistors aren´t a must.

Only If there are two capacitors in series resistors / varistors are essential to keep the voltages in balance.

It turns out I have a different PSU, a EG-365P-VD, and I can't find any bleeders for the big 680uF, 220V caps in it.

[Majestyk]

That´s quite strange.

If you have two primary capacitors with 680µF each and they operate in series then you need some resistors and / or VDRs in parallel to each capacitor to hold the DC balance "in the middle" if the two caps get unmatched due to aging. Otherwise one of the caps could operate at 260V the other one at 180V for instance. That would be a problem since they are rated for 220V.

Maybe there are two varistors hidden somewhere?

[Behemot]

Originally Posted by Stefan Payne

Here something you could get for 14,95€ in Germany right now...

Finally got 50 of them, review comi'n up.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Originally Posted by Pentium4

Imagine how quickly a Hipro would cook JPCON caps...They already roast Teapo caps because of their slow spinning fans and poor efficiency. (Regardless, I love Hipro)

Sounds like the SmartPower series! Where apparently, the fan controller for one of the fans, is prone to failing.
It's a suspect in the bulged Fuhjyyu cap case! (in my 2005 Antec SmartPower 2.0 500W PSU) It's a shame, Antec!
(not to get confused with that early-1990s Kris Kross song, which I got in my head now, LOL!) ("It's a shame!")

[Behemot]

Originally Posted by Behemot

Finally got 50 of them, review comi'n up.

http://diit.cz/clanek/delta-electron...b-recenze-test

Final resolution: 100,5 % (it's actually not 0-100 but the mathematical ℝ set). Lowest ripple I have seen EVER, great voltage regulation, great efficiency from 100 W up, great overload, nothing but japanese caps.

[Pentium4]

You're right. Wow, that ripple suppression is phenomenal. Interesting though the way it raises and lowers with the load. Good review Behemot