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$20 if you make me a 6' Molex cable. $10 for recommending a better solution.
superboyac:
So there you go. Those numbers still don't tell me everything, but enough to say that there are situations where power can insufficient. But again, for the most part, you will be fine. Same with me. I was fine for the most part, but the situation came up where I probably approached the limit and a random spike/dip caused a problem. That's why I never want to cut it that close. I'm perfectly happy with my new 300W power supply for my two HD's. I know I'll always have enough juice, and if it's overkill, I really don't care. The thing with power is that you only consume what the actual demand is. So if I have a 300W power supply, but I'm only using 20W of it, then I'm not being wasteful or anything. I'm only drawing 20W from the power company. So knowing that, I'd rather overshoot than try to get a right fit. Of course, this attitude is partly due to the fact that I've already experienced my previous problem. Normally, I just use whatever brick comes default.
4wd:
So if I have a 300W power supply, but I'm only using 20W of it, then I'm not being wasteful or anything. I'm only drawing 20W from the power company.-superboyac (July 27, 2009, 04:37 PM)
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Not quite :)
Because the efficiency of your typical switchmode PSU depends on the output power load you might find that your 300W PSU is only running at 50%-60% efficiency at a load of 20W - so your actual input power might be around 40W from your power company.
When you get up near the full rated capacity of the PSU then you start to get near an 80%, (or more with the right PSU design), efficiency.
The 80 Plus Program is trying to get manufacturers to use better switchmode designs:
The 80 PLUS performance specification requires multi-output power supplies in computers and servers to be 80% or greater energy efficient at 20%, 50% and 100% of rated load with a true power factor of 0.9 or greater. This makes an 80 PLUS certified power supply substantially more efficient than typical power supplies and creates a unique market differentiation opportunity for power supply and computer manufacturers.
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But even if the 300W PSU in your external has a 80Plus sticker on it, it's still not running at that because the 20W load, (6.7% of full load capacity), is well below the requirement for 80% efficiency at 20% load, which is 60W.
Thus a lower rated PSU would actually be more efficient.
superboyac:
OK, 4wd, you got me! I know about the 80 Plus, i was just hoping nobody was going to call me out on it.
Here's the thing. I don't care about that stuff primarily. My top concern is that the hard drive works, environment be damned. I really don't care if my little PSU uses more than optimum power. If I need to be a little wasteful to get my setup to work, so be it. I'll let the manufacturer's worry about the regulations and stuff. It's not my job (at least not at home...at work is a different story).
To be truthful, it's not that I don't care. This is just the solution for me, that's all. My "efficiently sized" power supply wasn't enough. I tried looking for a cable, or larger brick, etc. to replace the existing one. I couldn't find one that was affordable. However, I found a 2-bay drive just like the one I had for an extra $20. It happened to have 300W supply. Do I care? No. Why? Because my hard drive will work. So I got it. It could have been a 100W or 500W supply, I still would have gotten it for that price. My goal is a working hard drive.
Innuendo:
superboyac, for some reason people seem to be obsessing about this 300W power supply. When I buy something like this the only two concerns in my mind are that it works and that it looks good sitting next to my other PC gear on my desk. I don't care about PSUs on devices like this unless internet reviews start popping up saying something is "woefully inadequate" or the like.
My thoughts on Granite Digital are I compliment you on your taste, good sir. Granite Digital has been around forever. It's just that most of us haven't heard of them because they are almost exclusively a Mac vendor & you can tell by the way all their stuff blends in with the styles of Mac Pros. And if something seems odd in a few of their designs chances are it was done to cater to their Mac customers because there was some kind of need for it.
As for me, although I really like the looks of Granite Digital's stuff I'm not going to buy anything of theirs as I know it will be the first step down a slippery slope towards me buying a $600 silver aluminum Lian-Li or Silverstone case.
superboyac:
As for me, although I really like the looks of Granite Digital's stuff I'm not going to buy anything of theirs as I know it will be the first step down a slippery slope towards me buying a $600 silver aluminum Lian-Li or Silverstone case.
-Innuendo (July 28, 2009, 09:51 AM)
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AHH!! This case is SO sexy. I need to get it:
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