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    #1

    Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

    Hi, first post here.

    I know there are plenty of great sites testing PSU's, but they naturally have in mind using the PSU for what it was intended, namely being part of a fully functioning PC.

    I've been testing a bunch of motherboards lately, and would like to know of some recommended PSU's for the task.

    1) Of course, I need one that doesn't have a minimum load....sometimes for diagnostic purposes, I need to try to power on the motherboard without even RAM and CPU! I need to know that the symptoms I see are fully a problem with the motherboard and not with with the PSU.

    2) It doesn't need to be very powerful, I would think. After all, this testing is generally done with no hard drives, and a simple video card, and for short durations. The CPU is rarely under load...basically whatever it uses for poking around the BIOS or flashing the BIOS from a floppy or USB drive.

    3) It needs to be resilient. It may be hooked up to a bad motherboard every once in a while. I have no idea what the ramifications of that may be, but from reading here it seems that a high quality PSU will not be damaged, whatever nasty MB's might be attached to it.

    4) it needs to be compatible with lots of motherboards. It needs the 8-pin CPU connector, for instance, and shouldn't have odd incompatibility bugs like certain Antec PSU's had with certain Asus MB's.

    5) It doesn't need to be quiet. It's for short duration sessions. Quiet is nice, but not important.

    All that being said, I'm looking at jumping on a Corsair VX450W. If it's not good for benchtesting, then I have other uses for it, but if someone wants to comment specifically on the VX450W for this purpose, then I'd happily welcome the info.
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

    I use these, both for testing and in computer builds:

    http://www.hypermicro.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=PSAB001

    They come from a Sun Microsystems workstation (probably surplus), and have all your protections built in AFAIK. They're built like a brick ****house. Voltage on the rails is very well regulated too. Double layer PCB's, copper heat distribution plates, etc. It does use some OST caps, but I doubt those will cause a problem in this particular unit. And you can't beat the price.

    On some motherboards you do need to modify the P4 power connector. It somes with the 8 pin EPS connector. A bandsaw with a thin blade will cut that apart nicely if you're careful, then you can use them with any computer. Also be aware it does not have a PCI-E connector, so don't plan on using it with a high performance video card. I have soldered in a PCI-E connector though, and there are empty spots on the PCB.

    But if you don't want the extra work to make one of those work, I'm sure the VX450 would be fine. Although I'd buy a Seasonic.
    A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.

    Comment

      #3
      Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

      I'm not sure what to make of those Acbels. I bought a couple and the one I tried lost the 3.3v rail in about a week. The other unit makes the same scratching noises the first one did, but I haven't left it running long enough to watch it die yet. They give an impression of being well built but mine didn't last. I assume they're good for boards that rely heavily on the 12V lines, but as far as I can tell they can't handle boards that use other rails. It's probably a good PSU but definitely not universal.

      For older boards, I've had good luck with ebay lots of used PSUs. My last purchase was 4x 300W Fortron power supplies which work great, and I only paid about $30-$35 for all 4 of them. I think most buyers on ebay don't recognize the value of certain brands, and they tend to ignore stuff with lower wattage ratings. So if you find the right lot you can expect to buy it pretty cheap.

      There was an inexpensive HiPro 300W at newegg that I also found was pretty good, but last I checked I think they had raised the price on them. It was funny reading all the reviews from people who bought it as a temp while they sent their Antecs in for repair. They seemed to be caught off guard that it works as well as it does, and were unwilling to give it too much praise just because it was cheap.

      Regardless of PSU, get an extension adapter (20+4 preferably). Cut the locking clip off the extension so it's easier to unplug from the board. Using an extension protects the original connector from too much repeated abuse. If you need to adapt an 8-pin EPS to 4-pin, just get (or make) a 4-pin extension and plug the 8pin into that. Even if the PSU already has a 4-pin, an extension is still a good idea.

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

        I think that corsair will be fine. For benchtesting, i use silverstone psus (strider). They are cheap and relatively good quality. To eliminate the minimum load problem, i always use dummy load such this:



        so the minimum load wouldn't be a problem and i can use any decent psus (silverstone, fsp, etc) for benchtesting..

        Attached Files
        days are so short when you actually do something..

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

          Originally posted by gdement
          I'm not sure what to make of those Acbels. I bought a couple and the one I tried lost the 3.3v rail in about a week. The other unit makes the same scratching noises the first one did, but I haven't left it running long enough to watch it die yet. They give an impression of being well built but mine didn't last. I assume they're good for boards that rely heavily on the 12V lines, but as far as I can tell they can't handle boards that use other rails. It's probably a good PSU but definitely not universal.

          For older boards, I've had good luck with ebay lots of used PSUs. My last purchase was 4x 300W Fortron power supplies which work great, and I only paid about $30-$35 for all 4 of them. I think most buyers on ebay don't recognize the value of certain brands, and they tend to ignore stuff with lower wattage ratings. So if you find the right lot you can expect to buy it pretty cheap.

          There was an inexpensive HiPro 300W at newegg that I also found was pretty good, but last I checked I think they had raised the price on them. It was funny reading all the reviews from people who bought it as a temp while they sent their Antecs in for repair. They seemed to be caught off guard that it works as well as it does, and were unwilling to give it too much praise just because it was cheap.

          Regardless of PSU, get an extension adapter (20+4 preferably). Cut the locking clip off the extension so it's easier to unplug from the board. Using an extension protects the original connector from too much repeated abuse. If you need to adapt an 8-pin EPS to 4-pin, just get (or make) a 4-pin extension and plug the 8pin into that. Even if the PSU already has a 4-pin, an extension is still a good idea.
          Really! I've used at least 8 of them in various builds and as replacements, without a single issue. I'll keep an eye on them though.
          A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

            Well, I grabbed an AcBel 530W 80Plus Certified Power Supply, Model FS7013. It was meant for a Sun Ultra 24 Workstation. I really couldn't find much info on it at all, but I got it for a really great price. Google search only brings up 9 hits! Best one is:
            http://www.memoryxsun.com/3002132.html

            Anyway, it looks like it has all kinds of funny connectors on it, but maybe that will be okay. As soon as I receive it, I'm going to crack it open and see what caps it uses

            I sure wish someone would comment on the minimum load requirement. I don't know that I would recognize a minimum load problem if I experienced one. And do too-low loads put undue stress on the PSU or MB?

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

              $498.98?
              is it solid gold??????????????

              Comment

                #8
                Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

                My god, yanz, what is that? Thanks for the pics...looks like you can hook it up and load your 12v and 5v...but what about 3.3v?

                @kc8adu...don't worry, I paid less than $30 for mine, and it's supposedly in new condition!

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

                  yea they are each for 12v and 5v load, bout 15-20W each (~30W total, iirc...)

                  i never found problems with too low load on 3.3v, im not sure why.. with too low load on 12v and 5v there could be anomaly in voltage rail output, but with 3.3v, never...
                  days are so short when you actually do something..

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

                    Originally posted by acstech
                    Really! I've used at least 8 of them in various builds and as replacements, without a single issue. I'll keep an eye on them though.
                    It's possible I just had a lemon, but the fact that the 2nd one makes the same strange noise when I plug it in makes me afraid to use it. FWIW the board that the first one died on was an ABit AN7 (late nForce2). I replaced it with a 300W and it's been running fine for > 6 months, so I'm pretty sure the board isn't abusive.

                    If yours have been running for a long time then they're probably fine. Mine died pretty quickly.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

                      Well let me see here:

                      A few are used in systems with Biostar Tforce 7025 boards and dual core processors, some having been operated for at least 6 months.

                      One is in a system with a Biostar TP35D2-A7 with a very overclocked E2180 and a 9600GT. Working fine after about 3 to 4 months.

                      One is in a system with an Abit NF7-M. That one's A-OK after a few months.

                      Then there are several that I can't seem to remember now.

                      So it's not like I don't have time on them. I don't know what the problem was with yours, but the ones I use work great. Are you getting them through Hypermicro?
                      A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

                        Originally posted by acstech
                        Well let me see here:

                        A few are used in systems with Biostar Tforce 7025 boards and dual core processors, some having been operated for at least 6 months.

                        One is in a system with a Biostar TP35D2-A7 with a very overclocked E2180 and a 9600GT. Working fine after about 3 to 4 months.
                        I'd probably try one again for newer boards like the above. They presumably are heavy on 12v, which is what the AcBels seem ideal for.
                        After the failure, I noticed the 3.3v amperage rating is pretty low, but still it shouldn't have died like it did. The PSU that replaced it is only rated slightly higher on 3.3v, and it was a pretty basic set of components. I can't believe I was pushing it.

                        One is in a system with an Abit NF7-M. That one's A-OK after a few months.
                        That board is probably not much different from the AN7. So it's encouraging to know it's working for you on that board. Mine gradually dropped voltage on 3.3v until it started to spontaneously reset about a week later. It was the only board that PSU ever saw.

                        Then there are several that I can't seem to remember now.

                        So it's not like I don't have time on them. I don't know what the problem was with yours, but the ones I use work great. Are you getting them through Hypermicro?
                        Yes, I got mine from hypermicro. The bad one is still good outside of 3.3v, so I could still use it on a board that doesn't have any connection on the 3.3v rail (I've encountered some boards like that). The 2nd one is still basically unused, because I don't have any boards that I expect a different result from and I'm hesitant to risk ruining it.


                        Have you noticed, when you plug in one of your PSUs but don't have much (or any) load on it yet, does it make a periodic buzzing noise? Both of mine do that. The frequency is about 2 buzzes/sec when plugged into the wall by itself, and gets faster when connected to a motherboard in standby. Just curious if that's normal.

                        I should try to record a .WAV of it sometime, but I'm not sure if the mic will pick it up.

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

                          Nope, mine are totally silent.

                          I can't believe these are bad units. Sun Microsystems used them in their Java Workstation W1100z, and W2100z. http://www.sun.com/desktop/workstation/w2100z/index.jsp

                          Then again, maybe those systems didn't use 3.3v?
                          A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

                            I'm putting together a machine for my niece, and ran into something that might explain my problem with those AcBels. I noticed that when I swap my ti4200 video card into her machine, the 3.3V rail dropped to 3.15v. With an old PCI card installed, it's 3.31v. That was on a different PSU (not AcBel), but it demonstrates the point.

                            Seems maybe my ti4200 card guzzles the 3.3v rail. Or maybe they're all like that.
                            I don't yet have any other compatible AGP cards to test, so I don't know if that card is abnormal.

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

                              Maybe the AC Bels don't have Over Current Protection?

                              If you draw more current than the supply can handle for an extended period it's not if it's when it will fail.

                              Or it could just be a fluke I don't know.
                              Last edited by Krankshaft; 10-24-2008, 10:06 AM.
                              Elements of the past and the future combining to make something not quite as good as either.

                              Comment

                                #16
                                Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

                                Even a good generic SMPS have a current sensing circuit to trip on overcurrent but steady 60-80% load of rated watt should not have blow out a PSU if done right.

                                Either this current sense circuit is left out or poorly designed.

                                Cheers, Wizard

                                Comment

                                  #17
                                  Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

                                  Hi All,

                                  Am just starting out testing Motherboards so have been searching the forum to find what PSU and other hardware is recommended. Came across this thread.

                                  Question: Would be interested to find out what acstech recommended in post "I use these, both for testing and in computer builds:".the old link http://www.hypermicro.com/index.aspx did not work.

                                  Am also wondering if any new recommendations since original post in 2008?

                                  Thanks

                                  Ken

                                  Comment

                                    #18
                                    Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

                                    I use a thermaltake tr2 430. it works, never had one die on me in the 5 computers i've used it on, anywhere from a a64 3400+ 939 5 years ago, to a c2d 8500 /w a gtx 260 2 years ago
                                    Cap Datasheet Depot: http://www.paullinebarger.net/DS/
                                    ^If you have datasheets not listed PM me

                                    Comment

                                      #19
                                      Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

                                      Originally posted by KenOlson View Post
                                      Hi All,

                                      Am just starting out testing Motherboards so have been searching the forum to find what PSU and other hardware is recommended. Came across this thread.

                                      Question: Would be interested to find out what acstech recommended in post "I use these, both for testing and in computer builds:".the old link http://www.hypermicro.com/index.aspx did not work.

                                      Am also wondering if any new recommendations since original post in 2008?

                                      Thanks

                                      Ken
                                      For testing I prefer a server based PSU.
                                      They are more robust and you are less likely to smoke it connecting to an AFU mobo.
                                      Also tend to have really long wires.
                                      .
                                      Mann-Made Global Warming.
                                      - We should be more concerned about the Intellectual Climate.
                                      -
                                      Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
                                      - Dr Seuss
                                      -
                                      You can teach a man to fish and feed him for life, but if he can't handle sushi you must also teach him to cook.
                                      -

                                      Comment

                                        #20
                                        Re: Recommend a PSU for Benchtesting Motherboards

                                        Hi PCBONEZ,

                                        Thanks for the server PSU tip.

                                        Have an old Gateway 2000 NS-7000 Server that the PSU works but have never checked Mfr & Model.

                                        Did search but did not find any info about PSU. Will have to take apart.

                                        Ken

                                        Comment

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