Best power supply
 

Alright here is something right up this places alley:
You see I need to replace the power units in both my computer and another.
Our problem: Bestec
I have heard all over the place that they have limited lifespans and can fry a hard drive, its a bit late for the other computer as I am more then sure the hard drive is probably wasted on her but I am hoping the mother board has been spared.
Now most likely I can probably attempt to recover the hard drive and hopefully worse case scenario on it only the OS is wiped, I am not sure on the condition of either or but fingers crossed I can make it running again with a new power supply.
My own computer is still probably in the safe zone as bestecs have a five year lifespan but still I want to replace both of them and work from there.
So yeh, there is my situation and any suggestions are welcome.

Moved: This thread is more suitable in General and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

Mod Note: Not really a Linux technical question.

still I need help though.
lets just get to the bottom line of the matter:
I just want a decent one at a decent price.
my hopeful price range is anywhere from $20 (as i know they can come that cheap) to $80
I dont want to go over $100 but if its needed then its needed... if its any more then $200 forget it as I can get a new computer for that.
I just need one that works and is of relative good condition.

Two examples:

$40 at 430 Watts:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817153023

$110 at 600 Watts:

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16817341001

Both are reliable. Check around on newegg for good ones. Also --

Wattage calculator

Might help.

Just make sure you check the pins will plug into the motherboard, and that it will fit your case.

it should be a non issue, but when I go out and shop for this thing i will bring the older power unit with me so I can ask around.

When you're asking around, don't get a supply from CompUSA or such unless you have done the research to see if the supplies at those places are reliable for the prices they give you. Sites that sell supplies such as newegg have tons of user feedback that you can read. They post both positives and negatives, which are useful to know.

well actually comp is one of the first places I will go to, along with best buy as I will get some information from the geek squad.
Sure they dont know anything other then apple and windows but they do know their parts normally.

I've heard some really bad things about Geeksquad. At the same time, I've found that big computer superstores (PC world etc) are bad places to buy computer components. They're usually expensive and not especially good.
You should look one up on newegg... it'll probably be much easier, and you'll probably get a better deal.

Second
 

I second all of "Student"'s recommendations. ThermalTake power supplies are very rugged and reliable, NewEgg typically has good pricing and delivery is quick. You can sometimes get lucky at your typical big box electronics retail store, but I don't bet on that with my own stuff.

well I am going to try the normal computer superstores in either case as I want to see in store prices and brands as well, but I am a smart shopper.
My local comp usa is fairly decent and so is the best buy so thats why I am going there before I do any online purchasing.

How about this... while browsing the local stores, write down what information you can about the supplies you are interested in (the affordable ones, or ones you think will be just enough power, etc). Then when you go back home look up those models with google, on this forum, newegg, and possible hardware complaint sites (definitely read what people complain about on these). I know this sounds like a lot of work just to get a silly power supply, but in fact it's not silly. You want a supply to last you at least 3 years, better 5. If a supply breaks too soon, it could short circuit something on the motherboard (if you're not lucky). And you want to make sure that you get the best price for the supply you buy, right? You might actually find a better deal in a local store than online, sure. Just look around and use all the resources before purchasing one.

Second, make a note of which places offer the best warranty, RMA'ing, replacement options, etc. In case the supply you choose does actually fail, you'll have a fall back option to not have to do all of this over again ;). Again, I feel like I'm a newegg promoter, but they list their own warranties along with the warranties that the manufacturers provide for parts (all on the one product page). If you're lucky newegg will give you a year, but many of the manufacturers will give you 3-6 years of warranty.

Smart shopping helps a lot. Hope this helps!

:)

How much wattage do you need? I've heard good things about SeaSonic, Zalman, and Antec (Especially the EarthWatts line).

I've always been a big fan of PC Power & Cooling power supplies, but they're quite pricy. Plus, they just got bought out. Not sure how that'll affect the quality of future products.

Myv experience says that Antec is a hands down winner over every other manufacturer.

The easiest way to shop for power supplies is to pick up the box and look at the number of certifications that are listed on it.

Reality is that unless you have a schematic, are a power engineer, and have lots of time, you are not going to identify the good supplies from the bad using any criteria at all other than name brand reputation and reviews. You can, however, gain a good indication of what is and what isn't good by looking at the acceptance labels from the certification agencies.

Generally speaking, more certification acceptance translates into a better quality power supply.

You should see the backward-R of the Underwriters Labs, and also stickers from the German, the Japanese, the Norwegian, and all the other cert agencies. A supply that has 6 or 7 cert labels on it is probably a good supply, regardless of price.

A supply with only one or two cert stickers (almost all will have UL certification) is probably a bad supply, regardless of brand name. I know that Best Buy is selling some Antec supplies at a premium price with only 3 cert labels; I just went shopping for a new supply a couple months back and chose to avoid those Antecs for that reason.