Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

[KeriJane]

It's been awhile since I messed around with a PSU.

So recently, I happened across enough parts to put together a spare system. All set and running and just needing a small case.

Frys had a case just the right size! A Raidmax R4 complete with SFX PSU... Cheap!

I figured on buying a PSU anyway.
So I ordered up a nice used Sparkle PSU from eBay.

just for laughs, I dusted off the KerriProductions PSU tester and scope and extracted the Raidmax RX-300W from the case.

My hunch was right. Single-speed fan howling away, blowing very, very warm air out.
Voltages pretty OK, lets look at the ripple.
5vsb got crazy ripple under a 1/2 amp load...something like 60mv
3.3 and 5v not too bad.
12v not horrible, maybe 60mv at 8A / 96w.

But at a total load of maybe 160w, this thing is HOT. No chance of slowing the fan down a little.

No way am I using this turkey... wait for the Sparkle to arrive.

So apart it comes. Really, really horrible soldering and a very dark trace by a resistor. With less than 30 minutes run time! Uh oh. It just earned the title "Time Bomb".
China's Finest Caps.
ChengX 25v on the 12v, Yicon on the 5vsb and various ChengX and Chmec elsewhere. Most have an ESR around .03-.05Ω (new)

Just for laughs, I thought why not waste a few perfectly good PWs in this thing?
I made sure to bridge the burnt trace with a lead.

Back on the scope and no big difference, really. 5vsb slightly better, 12v slightly worse under load.
The big difference is under load. Much less heat coming out of this time bomb... it might actually survive!

Still, I didn't feel that pushing this "300w" PSU much past the halfway point would serve any useful purpose. Why do I want to see huge ripple and stink up the house when it blows?

So the Sparkle arrives. A whole world of difference. Great voltages, great ripple, very little heat and noise, even well over 200w. Mostly Teapo caps. Fantastic soldering. It was under $30 shipped, used, new are under $50.


The system is happily running Ubuntu. Maybe I'll try the Win8 disc on it.



Here's some pix.... sorry, I didn't take inside pics.

[momaka]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

The low-end Raidmax units are bottom-of-the-barrel Sun Pro. They are the nastiest shit I've ever seen. I have a Raidmax RX-380K (Sun Pro KY-480ATX) PSU - it's not even worthy of a testbench PSU for testing basic electronics. Board is quite baked under the MOSFET and rectifier areas. I say pull out the PWs - they weren't mean for such crap. There's plenty of better low-end PSUs out there that are better than these low-end Sun Pro units.

sorry, I didn't take inside pics.

[Scenic]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

no PCB shows? aww

[momaka]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

Yeah, I guess the lack of internal PSU shots pretty much killed all interest in this thread. At least we get to see the KeriJane Productions PSU load tester in action .

[Scenic]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

*shots

the awkward moment when you realize it took you 3 days to notice a typo in your own post..

[pfrcom]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

Unusual these days to see a manufacturer showing their corporate motto on their labels

But there is Raidmax's in Keri's first picture - the three letter acronym in the bottom right hand corner

[Agent24]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

My friend gave me a dead Raidmax PSU a while back. I think there was an exploded resistor somewhere.

But the best(?) part - the TOP side of the board looked like it had been attacked with a soldering iron by a blind person.

There were components with soldering-iron-tip-shaped dents melted in them, and drops of solder everywhere. Real crap work.

[b700029]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

My friend gave me a dead Raidmax PSU a while back. I think there was an exploded resistor somewhere.

But the best(?) part - the TOP side of the board looked like it had been attacked with a soldering iron by a blind person.

There were components with soldering-iron-tip-shaped dents melted in them, and drops of solder everywhere. Real crap work.

Raidmax = Powmax?

I remember seeing pictures of the little kids who assemble these things on Powmax's site years ago. Maybe one of them just got a little curious. If you want I can go look for them, I think I saved them somewhere.

[Agent24]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

Raidmax = Powmax?

I remember seeing pictures of the little kids who assemble these things on Powmax's site years ago. Maybe one of them just got a little curious. If you want I can go look for them, I think I saved them somewhere.

Maybe they are Powmax, I have no idea.

Yeah, why not post the photos?

[b700029]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

Found 'em!

Damn, they're cute. Not so sure I'd trust them to build a PSU properly though

[Agent24]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

Not so sure I'd trust them to build a PSU properly though

I wonder if they even know what "PSU" means, or is the job requirement just "stick the right thing in the right holes most of the time"

[shovenose]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

Found 'em!

Damn, they're cute. Not so sure I'd trust them to build a PSU properly though

HOLY SHIT IS THAT FOR REAL???

this is a joke right?

[c_hegge]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

Raidmax = Powmax?

Not quite. Raidmax usually use Sun Pro as their OEM for lower end stuff, and Powmax use Leadman. However, Leadman are partially owned by Sun Pro and sometimes use similar designs.

[Agent24]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

HOLY SHIT IS THAT FOR REAL???

this is a joke right?

Most photos I've seen from Chinese electronics factories look like this, at least, the ones they put on their websites.

[kc8adu]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

so will you test to failure?
a raidmax isnt good for much else.
well maybe for basketball practice shooting for the can.dont worry they still work fine for that even after loss of smoke.
or my favorite use.hand/arm exercise crushing them.
hey more room in the can!

[PeteS in CA]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

shove, the ladies you think are your age or younger might be 20- or 30-somethings with kids who could be your younger siblings. There are many Asian people at the company where I work, and I wouldn't trust my guesstimates of their age to be better than +/- 10 years (based on the ones I've gotten to know).

[Rulycat]

Re: Raidmax RX-300W PSU / Time Bomb

Most photos I've seen from Chinese electronics factories look like this, at least, the ones they put on their websites.

Thing is, working at these factories for many poor Chinese is actually a "good" job. That's why you see massive queues for Foxconn. Having said that I was reading in a recent Economist about "the end of cheap china" as it was called, the wages in China are on average rising 10%+ a year for this sort of work. China won't remain this way forever.