Help with upgrading power supply

@bigcurmudgeon pcpartpicker has about a gazillion listings!

@lisaviolet True, there’s a lot to sift through - it’s basically every PSU available today. What PCPartpicker is good for in particular is filtering down options, but you’ll still have some manual sorting to do. For example, there are sliders for price, efficiency, wattage, etc. Once you get the filters set to what you want, take a look at the listings and sort by reviews or popularity. Pricier brands like seasonic might seem unreasonable price-wise when compared to other brands, but their warranties are top notch.

At the end of the day, it’s all a little bit a roll of the dice, unfortunately. I’m currently on an 850w Corsair that I bought in 2012 or 2013. Hopefully you can find your own unicorn as well! As long as you’re not pushing your PSU to the max 24/7, it should last you for a while.

@bigcurmudgeon What do you think of this one (thermaltake 850W)? (I have $57.88 in Amazon gift cards which will help with the cost.)

No Corsair over 750W on amazon that’s non modular. (This one is 750W.)

The jump from 460W to either of those would be nice.

@bigcurmudgeon Amazon link for corsair.

https://amzn.to/4iQ3xxJ

@lisaviolet Knowing nothing else, I’d be partial to the Thermaltake because of the higher number of positive reviews and the gold rating, whereas the Corsair is only rated bronze (not as efficient).

Looking around a little (I’m on my big screen now, not just a phone!) I’d tend to steer you toward this Thermaltake: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BF3YF9KY. It’s got better capacitors, better high-power GPU support, 10 year warranty (vs 5 on the other one), and is fully modular. I know you weren’t in love with the modular concept, but it really just keeps your machine tidier and improves airflow. It’s also smaller than the Dell one you’re RMAing.

Edit: better pricing over at the egg: newegg
Other, more different edit: If the connectors on the modular are what is going to cause you grief (reading other comments here), then your original TT is still a solid choice, I’d say

@bigcurmudgeon @lisaviolet
As far as PSU teirs. Corsair over thermaltake generally.
But because they both subcontract/slap their brand on stuff… Hard to say what’s technically better. Corsair CX level is their base. But most manufacturers don’t do non modular now.

When I was building my first PC with my money in like 2003 ish. No one was really doing reviews/some random 500W garbage PSU was fine. And nothing ever exploded… Your not going to be stressing it.

your main issue is will it fit. And it’s not complete garbage. Which both of those are probably fine

@bigcurmudgeon @unksol

Thanks for your advice. I’m going with the non modular TT.

@lisaviolet @unksol Glad you found something. I tend to overcomplicate in the name of perfection (it’s my super power!), but as unksol said, we’re really splitting hairs at this point. Let us know how it goes!

@bigcurmudgeon @lisaviolet pcpartpicker is the best website!

@bigcurmudgeon @ChompyGator @lisaviolet it’s great for options and price. I’m pretty sure it’s a version of the one we were using on the high schools t1 line in 2002 but it’s got some nice compatibility stuff as well.

We were doing pricewatch in the early 2000s.

https://web.archive.org/web/20050601004321/http://www.pricewatch.com/

Which is how I ended up with some no name PSU cause I knew what parts I wanted and power I needed but. IDK if they really had branded PSUs. Wasn’t a thing I recall.

And. I mean. I needed to save money for this
/image thermaltake xaser 5

Weighs a metric ton. Still in the back of a closet. At the time. One case forever. Had l the drive trays/rails. Looked “cool” at the time it seemed like a solid plan since I got also afford the rest of the parts I wanted.

@bigcurmudgeon @ChompyGator @lisaviolet
Correction xaser 3. Knew that didn’t look quiet right. Had to check the closet

/image thermaltake xaser 3 blue

@bigcurmudgeon @ChompyGator @lisaviolet

ummm… Mods @werehatrack or @narfcake

Can you change pricewatch .com up two levels to just pricewatch. Or maybe remove it and just leave the webarchive link? I should have realized the domain would have been bought out and typing it that way would create a link. The web archive is accurate.

The current one is redirecting.

The fun of getting old on the Internet/enshitification. Sigh

{Vmod: Above post has been edited.}

I suppose also electrical engineering from Purdue. I don’t think of it that way. In the context. Cause first thought is. Is it a good computer PSU and is it the right wattage range/price.

Then we can get into looking at the circuit board if we want which. Is not for most people. Deap dives should still be there but corporate media killed anantech and tomshardware… Ugh.

@lisaviolet
So. Kinda need the specific model dell you have. There are numerous power supply form factors if it’s a standard case. If your lucky it’s just a small form factor but still standard ATX.

Dell used to also have custom built non standard PSUs. With their own pinouts. I think they at least stopped that a decade ago. But. It’s dell. So. Have to be sure

Technically a good 460W should be able to handle that gpu ok. But depending on the CPU. And I wouldn’t consider dell OEM PSUs to be “good” anyway so. Swap it out would be good

@unksol Dell XPS 8930

Manual

I hope these links work for you.

A fella on the Dell forums said to get a non-modular ATX PSU.

“It should be a standard ATX PSU, so you should be able to find a non-modular one that works, if that’s what you prefer. Just confirm the dimensions of old vs new PSU.”

I’m just clueless about quality of the different companies.

@lisaviolet ok. You don’t technically need a non modular one. But because it’s a prebuilt dell with tight space. They can get away with a tighter wiring curve than a modular one can do just because of the connectors. Seeing the issue…

But most after market quality supplies are going to have at least some modular connections. Just how it is. Only OEMs do that kind of thing.

However there are micro ATX supplies and SFX and both of those should probably work even with modular connectors because of the reduced depth.

They don’t normally advertise the power supply dimensions+ the connector.

Can you post a pic of the PSU in the case? Might also need measurements of the current PSU because. Dell likes to do custom things to cut cost. Because they are so large they can.

General PSU sizes/form factors curtosy of Silverstone. Thinking a micro ATX would work even if modular but we would need to actually check dimensions plus the case/clearance
https://www.silverstonetek.com/en/tech-talk/10055

@lisaviolet whoops missed the links. Checking if they have the needed info. But you might still have to measure it. They didn’t tend to tell you something this specific and that doesn’t look atx

@unksol Okay. Now I’m gonna take a nap. (Body is getting used to diabetic drugs, yay!)

I had to move a cat to do this and she wasn’t very happy about it. I’m not going to put the damned thing back together until I know I don’t need to do anything else.

Sorry it’s so dark, it’s early enough that the sun isn’t hitting that side of the house yet and the lights didn’t quite reach.

My latest shirt design

5.5" long

A smidge under 6" wide

The room that’s left over

My graphics card

@lisaviolet yea looks pretty tight. I’ll try and find something. I had like half the cats on me earlier. One just. Had their paws then their head on my foot like he just wanted to randomly touch me. Was a pile. Cats be catting.

@unksol I found two that would work, they’re in my response to @bigcurmudgeon above.

@bigcurmudgeon @lisaviolet @unksol You took that tee shirt photo with your hands behind your back!?
Also “bigcurmudgeon” is such a great username.

@Kyeh
Timer.

@Kyeh @lisaviolet @unksol Lol thanks. I’m just embracing my inner grumpy old man!

My mother in law used to have a Samsung phone that was supposed to take pictures every time you said “capture”. The feature was great in theory: instead of having to set the timer for every picture, you just set the phone up and say “capture”. However, it never worked that way in reality. Most of our family group pictures from that era are of all of us cracking up at her yelling “CAPTURE!” over and over again in increasing volume and anger till the phone decided to take a picture. Timer is a much better way!

@bigcurmudgeon @lisaviolet @unksol
I don’t take pics of myself much so never thought of that.

@Kyeh I don’t take many, but I found the timer is my friend.

@lisaviolet Maybe it could help me with the tattoo pics.

@bigcurmudgeon @Kyeh @lisaviolet hmm … My interal thing is what is the best for the price. And how long will the search take. But sometimes you have to let it go. Or reanalyz money vs time. For most of us peasants time should matter more…

@nasman6 it’s modular. I want non-modular.

@nasman6 The one noted is the one I’m returning.

@lisaviolet pictures?

There should be a tab or hook at the plug part of the cable near the motherboard that you have to depress (or twist if the cable is rounded).

@pakopako Thanks, it’s out. I guess I just wasn’t wiggling it enough.

@lisaviolet 2 in a Room to the rescue again.

Well, it looks like the optical drive connects directly to the motherboard. But what about that 9 (front i/o panel) to 3 (front USB) to 4 cable? That 4 connection had plugged directly into the optical drive, next to the SATA connector.

Red/orangey cable is from the motherboard to the optical drive. The little spot below that is where that #4 was going in.

@lisaviolet I think the main connectors are fine. The 4 vs 8 is standard just MOAR POWAR. some CPUs need it some don’t. They are designed so that even if it’s not a split connector you can put it on and leave the other 4 hanging. Should just slide in.

PCIE vs CPU connections look similar.

Dell used to do A totally evil thing where they used the standard ATX 24 pin connector with a different pinout. So you could plug in a standard ATX and fry the board. But yours should be fine

I have no idea what those last two are. Must be custom dell. But it’s just 12V.

I’m sure Brian could cut the connectors off the old one and splice them into an unused 12v on the new one. Will obviously void the new PSU warranty if you cut a wire though. But. Shouldn’t cause an Actual problem. Could get sata power extension and cut that so you don’t have to cut the psu cable. Basically make your own adapter

@unksol Most of the cables are labeled, which makes it easier, for sure.

It’s up and running except for the dead chassis fan (new one getting here monday) and the internal optical drive (to be determined).

This old lady is beat.

@lisaviolet lol my new build from 2010 died a few months ago. I bought all the parts but couldn’t get the motivation to spend an hour to put it together. Then windows license BS then. Lol but I get it. Used to be fun for me. But fighting to fix your own stuff. Right to repair is a thing

@lisaviolet Can’t really tell from the pics, but it’s probably just a combo cable and you can likely replace it with separate cables. The 4 pin kind of looks like an old school floppy drive power connector and the 2 pin is either for a remote LED or eject button. Do you have a clear pic of the rear of the drive?

KuoH

@kuoh I thought I’d posted one. I’ll do that tomorrow. To put icing on the cake, the chassis fan died.

When I reopened it up then put it back together, the Ethernet wouldn’t work, disabled it, reinstalled software, still no joy. I kept getting a message there was no cable.

I pulled the cable out. It fucking wasn’t connected to anything. I then used the one I thought I was using and worked.

I’m just done. Brian says “you love doing this”.

No, I love it when it’s finished. New chassis fan will be here monday.

@kuoh Okay, here it is. The bottom is the connecter in the image above, the “P4” goes into that slot.

The orangey read cable connects to the motherboard, this little guy comes from the PSU.

@lisaviolet You should be able to use a splitter cable like this or one with an SATA power connector if you prefer. You could also just get a cheap external USB optical drive.

KuoH

https://www.amazon.com/Extension-Female-Serial-Optical-Burners/dp/B08FY5RZD3

@lisaviolet Oops, that looks more like slim SATA, this adapter might work.

KuoH

https://www.amazon.com/Slimline-pin-SATA-Female-Cable/dp/B0056OB8GK

https://www.lindy.co.uk/sata-and-sas-cables-combined-connectors-explained-i64

@kuoh That looks interesting. I see where I would pull out the other cable in the OD, one new cable for both the data and power slots, but where would I attach it?

Right now, the orangey/red cable is connected to the MB. The slot below that is for the little cable that comes out of the PSU. Two cables, two different places to plug it in.

Is there an adapter that would plug the one you linked to into one of the SATA cables coming out of the new PSU?

This is the cable from the old PSU - it’s in three stages. (Crappy photo above.)

@kuoh I think this would work. 6 pin to 15 pin.

(Now I want a new dvd player - stupid because I already have two external optical drives.)

@lisaviolet The second one I linked converts to normal SATA, but the wrong gender it appears, strike 2. Hopefully this one will do the trick.

The wider side will be for normal SATA power from the new PS and the other will be for normal SATA data, which should be the orange/red cable in your photo.

KuoH

https://www.amazon.com/Slimline-Female-Convertor-Adapter-DVD-ROM/dp/B00S6I9D7E