rojovision wrote on 2021-03-11, 06:00:You make some good points. I certainly wasn't expecting it to be some kind of deal of the century - the low price and minimal 1 […]
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darry wrote on 2021-03-11, 03:28:- Brand that is practically unknown EDIT :they have exactly on PSU model on that site and have had it since 2016
- No 80 Plus e […]
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rojovision wrote on 2021-03-11, 03:02:
Anyone ever used one of these? Link
Context: I'm researching power supplies for a Pentium III Win 98 build, and it's my understanding that the 3.3V / 5V rail amperage can be a potential issue on modern PSU's. The Stratus 400W claims to have a fairly respectable 28A and 36A on the 3.3V and 5V rails respectively, which I imagine is plenty for even the most demanding P3 build with room to grow to something like a Voodoo 5500 for the GPU. At time of writing the units are reasonably priced as well through their eBay store (linked on their spec page above).
- Brand that is practically unknown EDIT :they have exactly on PSU model on that site and have had it since 2016
- No 80 Plus efficiency rating
- no load distribution info provided (if you were to max out all rails simultaneously, you would get 477W, so there are load distribution limits, but they are not disclosed)
- Marketed based on 400W "max" rating and a 300W "average" . Translation : don't try to draw more than 300W consistently or who knows...
- Uses meaningless info in description such as "Energy Star Efficiency"without specifying any kind of rating or logo
- No UL certification No UL file number, just a UL logo . Whether that is legitimate or is anybody's guess
EDIT : - It weighs 1.04 Kilograms according to an amazon.ca seller . That is less than 2.3 pounds . a 20 year-old Antec ATX PSU like the PP-303x weighs 5.07 pounds . A current 300W Seasonic SSP-300SFB PSU weighs 2.6 pounds . That is no guarantee, as lighter high quality PSUs do exist (higher efficiency ones dissipate less heat, require less cooling and hence can use smaller/cheaper/lighter heatsinks). Conversely unscrupulous PSU manufacturers have been known to weigh down their PSU casings with cheap filler (concrete or something else cheap and heavy) to give an impression of quality .
Reviews here don't look too great :
https://www.amazon.ca/Dream-Power-Supply-Comp … customerReviews
With all due respect, what do you expect for 35 $US .
TLDR : I would not touch that with a ten-foot pole . EDIT : None of this means this PSU is necessarily bad, dangerous or unusable, just that there are very few hints to judge it by. Someone qualified would have to buy one and disassemble/test/review to know more . At the very least a photo of its internals would give a good idea to someone qualified .
EDIT : corrected typos
You make some good points. I certainly wasn't expecting it to be some kind of deal of the century - the low price and minimal 1 year warranty tell a certain story. I figured I'd just ask to see if anyone had taken a chance on one.
The company is also (or was at one time) apparently a PC repair shop of some kind according to their 'about' page so I assumed this was a rebranded unit, as they often are. I've been having a hard time finding an old power supply that I feel like I can trust, even after browsing some old threads. The old PSU's from the era might blow up at any time, and the new reasonably priced ones might also blow up at any time, or don't fulfill the right power requirements. As for the Amazon reviews, they aren't great or terrible, but the sample size is very small. Plus I think it's wise to take any Amazon rating with a grain of salt - anecdotally I feel like many people leave useless reviews, both good and bad, for a number of different reasons such as not knowing how to use what they bought properly or being offered gifts to leave a review, not to mention the fake ones.
Given the price I might pick one up anyway. However, I don't know much about disassembling a PSU safely for a picture or how to tell the good innards from bad.
I agree that is likely either made to order and branded accordingly or, IMHO more likely, a ready-made model that can be bought in lots with whatever branding/packaging is desired.
You have a good point about some online reviews being pointless . My "favorites" are when the reviewer is basically demonstrating to all in his review that he bought the wrong product (in spite of the seller's description) and somehow tries to blame the seller or product for his own ignorance/laziness/inattentiveness/stupidity while making a spectacle of himself to anybody and everybody with more than 2 working brain cells . Fun stuff .
You also have a point about sample size . That said, people tend to complain when things go wrong more than they tend to take the time to praise when they are happy (at least that has been my experience). So even with such a small sampling size, such a high number of complaints is noteworthy if not statistically conclusive, IMHO .
If you are not comfortable opening a PSU, I respect that, and would definitely NOT want you to do anything that makes you feel unsafe . That being said, it's usually four screws and the top comes right off . The only dangerous things are the large capacitors (they may still have a dangerously charge if the PSU was plugged in recently ). These can only be dangerous if their leads (or something connect) are touched . Never open a currently mains connected PSU .
In an ideal world, recommending an affordable and suitable PSU would imply suggesting a used vintage properly specced unit from a reputable brand . Unfortunately, the ideal time frame for those units overlaps with the "capacitor plague", so practically any used PSU from that era should be inspected and possibly re-capped (new capacitors installed) by someone qualified .
The solution that I chose is to throw money at the problem . I purchased a new Corsair RM850x (good reputation, design/manufacturing/reviews, high quality components) . It is overkill on the 12V side, but the 3.3V/5V side can provide up to 150W which is enough for my needs and even allow a safety margin . With the load I will be putting on it, that PSU might outlast me, or at least my interest in the hobby. I imagine I will have developed other interests/priorities by the time I am committed to an assisted living facility, vicariously surviving between diaper changes and pureed meals as I ramble on to anybody and nobody about the "good old days" as my sense of self, will to live and ability to think slowly leave me and soften my resolve, not unlike air seeping out of a slow flat tire (maybe there's a metaphor in there somewhere, or maybe it's the wine and COVID weariness talking) .
Getting back to the subject, other than a bad PSU itself failing, my fear is that a really crappy one might take out the whole system or start a fire . My paranoia is high on that front .
EDIT : Belatedly added important missing word .
