Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

[Lukeno1]

First things first, this PSU is no longer running my computer - switched to a CIT 450W, which may not be a brand name, but has a quite nice extra power cushion over the 320W-ish my computer needs. No problems to report so far.

Now, my old Bestec ATX0300P5WB, a 300W PSU, (I have a heavily-tweaked Dell Inspiron 531, so it came with it originally) is two years old and was right on the power limit - I knew it was struggling because I was getting file transfer rates of 600 kb/s, and kept getting random lag patches! I haven't got a picture yet, due to not having attacked the PSU's case with a screwdriver, but is white gunk in several places a sign of impending capacitor failure? I'll get a screwdriver tomorrow and take a picture of it.

[stj]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

no, the white is RTV high voltage rubber sealant.
it's often used to hold tall parts in place or to stop things touching something.

[370forlife]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

The white stuff you are seeing is glue that was used to hold parts down during assembly. I believe the only 2 transistor 5vsb circuit bestec is the ATX-250-12E. The 250-12Z and the 300W ones aren't. It should be fine.

It looks like CIT brand is just another name for Colors IT. They make junk psu's made by a unknown manufacturer. It is probably actually a lower watt psu than the bestec.

The bestec may just have failing caps. If it never shut off while running your computer you were not overloading it as they will run just fine at their full rating, otherwise if you loaded it past 300W (or more likely has a OCP trip point at about 350W or so,) it would shut itself off to prevent damage. If it never did this, your problem is either caused by something else or the caps are going bad in the bestec.

[ratdude747]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

and it can dry and turn conductive, shorting stuff. but you have the white, not the yellow, so this is less of an issue.

[c_hegge]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

I believe the only 2 transistor 5vsb circuit bestec is the ATX-250-12E. The 250-12Z and the 300W ones aren't. It should be fine.

IIRC the Worstec ATX-300-12E also has the killer 5vsb.

[everell]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

IIRC the Worstec ATX-300-12E also has the killer 5vsb.

I have never seen a Bestec ATX300-12E with the killer 5vsb. Picture please.

I do have a couple of the Bestec ATX300-12E with a pwm chip in the 5vsb. These are not the killer circuits.

[momaka]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

The CIT 450W PSU sounds just as suspicious if not worse.
Also, please elaborate on your "heavily-tweaked" computer. Does it have some high-end video card? If not, I doubt you're overloading the PSU. Actually even with a high-level video card, it still wouldn't go anywhere near that 300 watt mark (at most only the 12v rail will be overloaded).
More watts doesn't mean much anyways. These days it's the current on the 12v rail that is important and of course the brand of the PSU. A known 300 watt power supply is much better than a 800 watt no-name.

[Lukeno1]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

I ran several power calculators that all were over 300W. I've also seen no performance issues with the current PSU, I read plenty of reviews where people have been running this PSU without a problem. The graphics card is a GeForce 8600 GTS, I have 3 hard drives, an extra case fan, an Athlon64 X2 3800+ CPU, one DVD-RW drive, the multi-card reader, 4 sticks of RAM. The 12v is a higher ampage on this one than the previous PSU. I know for a fact that the Bestec is either on the way out, or simply not strong enough, as I said in the first post, due to major performance issues - it never shut off, but the computer was running at a stupidly slow speed, even after a reinstall. One review in particular mentions replacing a 300W PSU, also from a Dell, with one of these - he had also highly modified his computer. Only one really poor review of a failed unit, which went instantly - I bought mine a month back, no problems (the other was an idiot moaning about not having a 20 pin connector, when it stated that you could just slide the 4 others off...)

[370forlife]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

Power calculators will always over calculate. They do it on purpose as to leave about 40% comfort room in the rating of the psu.

I would venture to guess you are not really pulling more than ~250W at full load. If you were pulling more than 300W, I would say that the CIT psu would blow up. No I'm not kidding. You should pop open the bestec and see if they caps are bad or what brand they are, they can fail without showing it. They *may* be the problem, or for some reason that configuration just doesn't agree with that bestec. You should invest in a good quality ~400W psu for your system, and return the "450w" CIT psu if you can.

[Lukeno1]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

Even if the computer isn't pulling what the calculator was reporting, the Bestec simply is either broken or not powerful enough, and this one is working fine. I'm not expecting to be running this computer for too much longer - long term, I'm going to replace it with a custom-built unit anyway.

[everell]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

Sounds like you have pretty much decided what you are going to do......but as a matter of forum interest, I hope you will take a screwdriver to that Bestec case and post some pictures of what is inside.

If the new power supply is working well for you now, might as well leave it alone. Like the old proverb.....if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

[Lukeno1]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

That's exactly what I'm thinking everell! And since I forgot to get the screwdrivers out today, and I'm busy sorting something else at the moment (ie my computer after it got screwed up, totally un-PSU-related), I'll do so tomorrow.

[goodpsusearch]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

you could also post photos from the outside of your new psu (label, fan side, etc) and maybe some people here have it and give us an idea about the inside of it and its component and design quality

[momaka]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

I know for a fact that the Bestec is either on the way out, or simply not strong enough, as I said in the first post, due to major performance issues - it never shut off, but the computer was running at a stupidly slow speed, even after a reinstall.

If PSU is the problem, system will be either unstable (i.e. crash under heavy use) or won't boot at all. Motherboards don't really have any mechanism to make the CPU and RAM underclock when power is insufficient.

[ratdude747]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

CIT sounds like a crap brand to me. pics please.

[Lukeno1]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

If PSU is the problem, system will be either unstable (i.e. crash under heavy use) or won't boot at all. Motherboards don't really have any mechanism to make the CPU and RAM underclock when power is insufficient.

I never said anything about those! Why can't people actually read what I bloody wrote? The system was unstable and had major transfer speed issues on the hard drives, which have been fixed with the new PSU. Still no pics of the Bestec as I've had enough fun getting the computer running, and I'm not taking out and taking apart the current PSU as I'll probably break it, and it's nigh-on impossible without disassembling the entire computer.

[stj]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?

hard drives are sata arent they.

[370forlife]

Re: Bestec ATX0300P5WB - impending failiure?



Pretty good psu if you ask me. 12v doesn't budge.