PicoPSU vs basic internal PSU reliability? \ VOGONS

PicoPSU vs basic internal PSU reliability?

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First post, by 386SX

Posted on 2021-08-24, 11:34

386SX Offline

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Hello,

I'd like to ask your opinion about PicoPSU with a cheap external 60W 12V power supply compared to a usual basic (in this case a CoolerMaster 500W MasterLite) PSU for a low power computer, from a reliability point of view on the possibility that something might fail at the power supply source to save what is connected.
I understand the PicoPSU depends on the quality of the external power before anything else, but what happens if the external 220V-12V psu fails and gives ipotethically higher voltage peaks? Do the PicoPSU have some fail proof logics to defend the mainboard? Because I suppose even a cheap PSU like the mentioned should have some modern logic for safety while I'm not sure how the other works in a bad case scenario.

Thanks.

Reply 1 of 2, by SteveC

Posted on 2021-08-24, 11:58

SteveC Offline

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I don't know about the safety but I use a PSU similar to a PicoPSU (300W 12v to ATX one of these https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07D71R … e?ie=UTF8&psc=1) with a nice chunky 10A 12V PSU brick (one of these https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08BJRN … 0?ie=UTF8&psc=1) as a replacement PSU for my IBM PS/2 Model 70 and it works perfectly so far!

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Reply 2 of 2, by BitWrangler

Posted on 2021-08-24, 13:14

BitWrangler Offline

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Gah, no real specs can I see, 300W means nothing with these, could be 298W passthrough and 1W on 3.3 and 1W on 5. It's probably more of course, but you can't compare them unless you get the right info.

Edit: found one that looks identical, 216W are on 12V, so since you're already got 12V to put into the thing, it really feels like you're only getting an 84W supply.

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