Small form factor PSU, suggestions?

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Kiwibro

69 posts

Master Geek
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#156051 17-Nov-2014 20:10

Hi all, for 2 years my HTPC has been running with a 300w power supply.It has never skipped a beat but I want to upgrade the psu before the smoke comes out of it, and my ssd etc etc.My problem is it is very hard to find a TFX/small form factor psu. I really want one 400w or over. I don't want to change my inwin case as it fits perfectly inside an old radiogram. Any suggestions?? Or am I screwed? Thanks again!

SirHumphreyAppleby

2939 posts

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#1177577 17-Nov-2014 20:41

You're probably going to have to import one. About 18 months ago I got a fanless 1U ATX power supply from http://atxpowersupplies.com/ because I couldn't find anything suitable in NZ, and 3D printed a bracket to fit my case. I've checked, they don't list a 400W TFX, but they may be able to source one.

There are some listed on Amazon, so that may be a good starting point for feedback and possible models. (Link to PSU with bad feedback removed)

shermanp

357 posts

Ultimate Geek
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#1177602 17-Nov-2014 21:38

Will the case take SFX PSU's?

If so, Silverstone makes SFX units up to 650W

Kiwibro

69 posts

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#1177633 17-Nov-2014 21:57

Oh I like the look of the SFX, I will have a measure up! Thanks heaps!!

shermanp

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#1177637 17-Nov-2014 22:04

They are Pint size little units compared to ATX!

I've got a silverstone 450W 80Plus Gold unit in my build. powering an AMD 7970...

Sideface

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#1177638 17-Nov-2014 22:05

Kiwibro: Hi all, for 2 years my HTPC has been running with a 300w power supply. It has never skipped a beat but I want to upgrade the psu before the smoke comes out of it, and my ssd etc etc....

Why do you need 400w? My small form factor HTPC runs cool with a 150w PSU.

Sideface

Kiwibro

69 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 1

#1182463 24-Nov-2014 22:28

Sideface:
Kiwibro: Hi all, for 2 years my HTPC has been running with a 300w power supply. It has never skipped a beat but I want to upgrade the psu before the smoke comes out of it, and my ssd etc etc....

Why do you need 400w? My small form factor HTPC runs cool with a 150w PSU.

Wow thats tiny! What processor do you have? I have Ivy I5. I used power calculator and figured out that I am using approx 80% of my wattage. I have a fairly new SSD boot drive and I dont want my PSU to fry it!

Mighty Ape

Shop now at Mighty Ape (affiliate link).

Sideface

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#1182562 25-Nov-2014 09:11

Kiwibro:
Sideface:
Kiwibro: Hi all, for 2 years my HTPC has been running with a 300w power supply. It has never skipped a beat but I want to upgrade the psu before the smoke comes out of it, and my ssd etc etc....

Why do you need 400w? My small form factor HTPC runs cool with a 150w PSU.

Wow thats tiny! What processor do you have? I have Ivy I5. I used power calculator and figured out that I am using approx 80% of my wattage. I have a fairly new SSD boot drive and I dont want my PSU to fry it!

I have two small form factor servers - both have been running reliably, cool and quiet for more than a year.
Both are using 80plus micro ATX power supplies supplied with the cases.

"BIG BROTHER" (300 watt PSU)

Intel i3 Sandy Bridge CPU, standard cooling
6 x 6TB WD red HDDs + 40GB SSD for the OS
Rocket RAID card <<< RAID card set to stagger start-up of the HDDs and reduce switch-on surge

"LITTLE BROTHER" HTPC (150 watt PSU)

Intel Haswell i5 with standard cooling (runs at 30 degrees C)
2 x SSD drives
no graphics card

Sideface

D.W

747 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 91

#1182574 25-Nov-2014 09:28

Unfortunately < 300w isn't always an option depending on the case form factor. I couldn't find an SFX PSU locally that was < 300w, and the Silverstone 450w was the smallest modular option.

Kiwibro

69 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 1

#1183697 26-Nov-2014 22:44

Thanks for the info sideface. That's an awesome server setup. That's my next project. I have now a brand new in win 80plus 300w to keep me going until I find a SFX unit (if I can). Thank you all for your input!

AACTech

34 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#1199608 18-Dec-2014 05:53

Go with Seasonic. "They are one of the oldest and most reputable computer PSU designers, manufacturers and retailers. Today, their products are held in very high regard by experts and enthusiasts. The company has their own retail range but they also serve as an ODM for many other well-known brands."