Resolved PSU Upgrade for HP System

Hi, back again with new post..

A customer of mine has the following HP system. 772C Pavilion.

If you go here: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...gory&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&product=83490

You will see the specs on the motherboard and my question has to do with power supply for it. She is upgrading it an I recommend a new, higher quality PSU.

Now I just spoke with a tech on the HP chat. I always have been lucky thru HP chat and most if not all issues are always resolved with them. Anyhow the tech tells me that the most this motherboard can support is 300W PSU. Is that really true? Are some boards created that way with a PSU limit?

I would really like to get her in the 400W range and that will be enough for her I think. If anyone can let me know if there is a limit I would appreciate it. I know it is an old system so there is only so much it can take.

I have been looking at newegg and the brand Athena Power. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817338009

I have purchased in the past PSU from them for 3 HP's and they always were reliable. Granted these were like the link shows, smaller PSU not the full sized ones. Unfortunately I am not in front of her machine so I am going to have to visit her and measure the unit to get the correct dimensions.

Thanks

 

Hi flynempire, My daughter had a problem with her comp recently and she brought it to me to fix. HP XL918 with a Micro PSU 180W. The PSU was faulty, so I bought a second hand 300W PSU (Standard ATX) and modified the rear of the case to install. It has reduced the space inside the case by approx 30mm.

All works OK and she has plenty of reserve power now. The standard ATX PSU (between 200W - 600W) are all the same physical dimensions. If you want increase the PSU to 450W, just be aware you may have to modify the rear of the case to allow for the plug/s /switch space as the smaller OE HP PSU generally only has the 3pin plug fitting.

I think that your HP Techo would be trying to encourage you to stay with HP equipment because they are dearer. To give you an example, the OE HP PSU for my daughters comp was around $190.00. The second hand 300W was $30.00! To answer your query about extra Wattage, it has been my experience so far that most of the PSU's produce 12v & 5v and lower voltages for the hardware and chassis and if you have more watts, it does not harm anything. Cheers Neil.

 

NO! That is totally false and that tech is totally clueless!

The Laws of Physics are clear, assuming everything is functioning properly, electronic devices draw what they need REGARDLESS the capability of the power supply. A PSU does not "push" its power, it delivers based on demand. If a computer, which consists of much more than just the motherboard (to include the drives, RAM, USB devices, and add-in cards) requires 293 watts for example, it will draw from the wall outlet, 293 watts (plus a little for PSU inefficiencies)! That's regardless if the PSU is a 350 watt PSU, 650 watt PSU, or a 1000 watt PSU.

I agree to use the eXtreme PSU calculator suggested above. If you use the default settings, you will likely be surprise how small of a PSU it recommends. Note its recommendation is for the minimum. To ensure a PSU will carry a user through years of quality service, and support future upgrades (more RAM, bigger graphics card, another drive, etc.) see my canned text below for suggested changes to the calc settings. Also note my comments about NOT using a cheap supply.

***

Use the eXtreme PSU Calculator Lite to determine your power supply unit (PSU) requirements. Plug in all the hardware you think you might have in 2 or 3 years (extra drives, bigger or 2nd video card, more RAM, etc.). Be sure to read and heed the notes at the bottom of the page. I recommend setting Capacitor Aging to 30%, and if you participate in distributive computing projects (e.g. BOINC or Folding@Home), I recommend setting TDP to 100%. These steps ensure the supply has adequate head room for stress free operation and future demands. Research your video card and pay particular attention to the power supply requirements for your card listed on your video card maker's website. If not listed, check a comparable card (same graphics engine and RAM) from a different maker. The key specifications, in order of importance are:

1. Current (amperage or amps) on the +12V rail,
2. Efficiency,
3. Total wattage.

Then look for power supply brands listed under the "Good" column of PC Mechanic's PSU Reference List. Ensure the supplied amperage on the +12V rails of your chosen PSU meets the requirements of your video card. Don't try to save a few dollars by getting a cheap supply. And don't count on supplies that come included with a case. They are often underrated, budget or poor quality models "tossed in" to make the case sale. Digital electronics, including CPUs, RAM, and today's advanced graphics cards, need clean, stable power. A good, well chosen supply will provide years of service and upgrade wiggle room. I strongly recommend you pick a supply with an efficiency rating equal to, or greater than 80%. Look for the 80 Plus - EnergyStar Compliant label. And don't forget to budget for a good UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation), as surge and spike protectors are inadequate.

 

Bill, thanks for explaining all necessary info on the PSU. I used my recent task as an example, and used a second hand PSU to keep the cost down for my daughter. It isn't exactly a new comp of high specs. Neil (Septuagenarian)

 

You do what you got to do, and you take your chances. Glad it worked and hope I'm still at it in 13!

 

Hi, I must apologize again for not responding much faster. These health issues I have take a toll some times. Please expect slow responses from me from time to time.

I thank you all for responses and you are right, even if I did have a 600W, it would not use it all and I knew that was nonsense about the limit. I ended up getting a PSU from Newegg. It is from Athena Power and I have used them in the past with good results. You see the HP uses those smaller PSU, not the regular ones we are used to. It is more rectangular in shape compared to square ones.

I forget if these are called micro or mini PSU. Anyhow, the other 2 times I used this brand and size the machine worked well. I got a 400W which is enough for the system. Has a 2.5Ghz P4, Geforce 4MX card, Modem, Hard Disk 120G, DVD Player and a DVD Burner. 1 Gig of memory, etc. This PC is about 5 years old.

So there you have it. I must mention one thing when it comes to cheap PSU. In the links one brand that is labeled bad is Bestec and in many non-clone machines I have come across this brand. Fortunately I have had nothing but good results with these PSU and they never failed me so I don't judge them bad.

I would not buy one though for my machines, I spend my money on a better PSU. I would only buy these for older units or cheap PC's that don't need much power. This PSU could handle that. I had two modern Gateways from 2008 that had these and they worked without a hitch. I have come across Bestec at least 10 times. They are popular with the major PC makers. Yes, I recall now that if any failed it was just one.

Sometimes I would replace with a better unit and just keep the Bestec for myself to include in a lower tier unit.

Cheers

 

Update to a resolved thread - HP Power Supply

Hi. I wanted to give an update. The machine was installed about 3 weeks ago at the clients house. She is very happy with the machine and so far so good. I ended up giving her a 200Gig Hard disk which I had as a spare and reimaged the system unto to there and it worked without a hitch.

The power supply works well and it fit perfectly inside. I know Athena Power is not one of the better known brands but for me it has always worked and it feels like quality when you hold them. I will send some pictures I took of the unit and the box so you can see and perhaps this can help anyone here who may have to give new life to an old HP unit or the like.

Regards,

Mike

 

I forgot to ask, can pictures be posted inside thread and replies or do I just link to them?