Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

[SIDMX]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

Actually i don't know, it tested ok in a system based on celeron 420 1gb ram onboard video and only 1 hdd but when installed in another system: ECS AM2+ motheboard, Athlon 64 X2 7550, 7600GT VGA, 4GB RAM, 2 SATA HDD and a DVD-RW it shutdows immediately, I pulled the PSU out of the case and shorted it's 12V rail to test if the shutdown came from motherboard or PSU protection and was surprised to see that it really came from PSU.
What kind of mods you think can be done??

[Behemot]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

Short protection should have everything manufactured in last like 15 years, it is the most basic and I think also compulsory protection. It does not prove there is any over power protection though.

[SIDMX]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

.... It does not prove there is any over power protection though.

You're right, will test in the proper way when i get the time.

[Pentium4]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

Got yet another Allied here....and it doesn't look too shabby. Better than I'm used to from them. Full input filter (Minus an MOV) 4A rectifier, and what's probably realistically 330uF input caps. Unfortunately it has 13007 switchers but I have some 13009's I can replace them with. it also has a CEF02N6A MOSFET. the heatsink should be of adequate size. The transformer says ERL-35 but it looks more like a 33 to me...could be wrong though.

The actual rectifier ratings are 3.3V = 20A, 5V = 30A, 12V = 20A, and a thermally controlled DC brushless fan.

I was planning on replacing the input caps, the switchers, recapping it, and looks like a resistor needs to be replaced. It looks a little cracked but not broken....the thing does power up a computer with all voltages in spec (Barely) the 5V is around 5.22V. But a bulged 10V cap could be causing some issues. Also, when replacing the switching transistors would I be able to reuse the thermal pads?

[momaka]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

With some modifications it may do 350 W quite fine, 400 W max.

Yeah right. With no space for PI coils, good luck keeping the ripple in spec on the outputs. Even with good caps, I'd guesstimate around 200W is where the ripple will start going really bad.

The transformer says ERL-35 but it looks more like a 33 to me

It's a real 35.

ooks like a resistor needs to be replaced. It looks a little cracked but not broken....

May also want to replace the ceramic cap next to it with the same value poly__ (styrene/propylene/ester... etc.). I've seen those ceramic caps burn up in Allied/Deer/L&C PSUs. Not sure why.

Also, when replacing the switching transistors would I be able to reuse the thermal pads?

Yes.

[Behemot]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

Yeah right. With no space for PI coils, good luck keeping the ripple in spec on the outputs. Even with good caps, I'd guesstimate around 200W is where the ripple will start going really bad.

[SIDMX]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

Yeah right. With no space for PI coils, good luck keeping the ripple in spec on the outputs. Even with good caps, I'd guesstimate around 200W is where the ripple will start going really bad.

I've seen daughter boards in BC before so i don't see any limitation there, lacking a scope to test/confirm results is what really stops me to proceed right now.

[momaka]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

Well that's a DC to DC converter or perhaps synchronous rectifier PSU - obviously it won't have the same type of filtering as the cheapo half-bridge PSUs.

I've seen daughter boards in BC before so i don't see any limitation there

Yeah, if you go that route and add the caps and PI coils on the daughter board(s), then the ripple will likely be much less.

[Behemot]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

Well that's a DC to DC converter or perhaps synchronous rectifier PSU - obviously it won't have the same type of filtering as the cheapo half-bridge PSUs.

That's not it, try again.

[momaka]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

Ok, but my point is, this PSU looks like it's designed to use a totally different filter. I'm not saying you can't have a PSU with no PI coils and very low ripple/noise output. It just has to be designed for it - something that's usually not the case with cheap PSUs that are stripped from the PI coils because the manufacturer was too cheap and not because they designed them to work without any.

[Behemot]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

I told you that's not it, try away! Forget DC-DC stuff, you are looking for something else there.

[SuperDuty]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

Heden PSX-A830.

Just a little intro, Heden is a french brand famous here for the general poor quality of its products. They're more an importer/reboxer than anything actually. The worst power supply I had came from a Heden case I had bought in early 2005, but this thing held up pretty good for almost five years in my old rig (XP2200+, K7S8X, 9600Pro, 40Gb+200Gb). It was very silent too...but also very empty.
Here's a scary test from a few years ago about Advance and Heden PSUs (sister brands) : http://www.x86-secret.com/dossier-36...on_Noname.html

So here the thing, I'm not sure what to think about this one. Apart from the lack of PFC and the crap caps, it looks quite a lot better than any other Heden PSU I've had in my hands. Wires are 20AWG..

It seems like there is room for improvement.

[SuperDuty]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

EZ-Cool ATX-500 JSP "500W"

This is from a computer in found in the trash in the UK last november, it's much younger than the rig it was powering (XP2600+, FX5200, 80Gb).
Never head about this brand, must be a UK thing. The case is very flimsy. It's not too good looking inside, I wonder where the 300 watts are...oh wait it's 500 !! Caps are all Sapcon and Canicon.
The Amp ratings are ridiculous, they have to be fake.

[cheese007]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

No bridge rectifier but they sprung for pi coils?!

[c_hegge]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

EZ-Cool ATX-500 JSP "500W"

This is from a computer in found in the trash in the UK last november, it's much younger than the rig it was powering (XP2600+, FX5200, 80Gb).
Never head about this brand, must be a UK thing. The case is very flimsy. It's not too good looking inside, I wonder where the 300 watts are...oh wait it's 500 !! Caps are all Sapcon and Canicon.
The Amp ratings are ridiculous, they have to be fake.

I have seen an identical one here, so EZCool aren't just a British brand.

[Behemot]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

But seems like ExplodeGen is the OEM anyway. Seems like both can be transformed into half-decent 350-400W?

[c_hegge]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

^
It's a Sun Pro. If you gave it beefy enough parts (replace the transformer, switchers, rectifiers and caps) you could probably make it do 350W or so. As it stands, though, I doubt it would do much more than 250W, maybe 300W if you ran it inside a fridge.

[Behemot]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

Ah, yeah, the other one is ExpodeGen. I still confuse one with the other. But I still think it may do close to 400 W, it has ERL-35 transformer…

Anyway, do you think momaka gave up and I should tell him the secret?

[SuperDuty]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

So the Heden is at least semi decent and could be a good base for improvement ?

On the bottom of the PCB, there is this reference : PCA X-2006C V:A-15

The fuse is a T5A, which, according to the PCB markings, should be good for 180-240W units...hum.

[Behemot]

Re: Power supply build quality pictorial. part 2

Well, you can work with that, but you have to consider whether the resulting power of say 350 W safely is worth the effort. You can get loads of 400W Fortrons with bloated caps where you only recap them and have nice PSUs.