Yousuf Khan wrote:
On 6/19/2010 1:57 AM, Robert Myers wrote:
The computer store is a fair drive, so I bought both a replacement power
supply and a very low end video card. I don't like replacing power
supplies, so I tried the video card. Works like magic. I'll replace the
power supply if I get around to it. I mostly run the box remotely and I
don't need fancy video. As far as warranties are concerned, I can't
imagine what circumstances would make a warranty repair worth my time,
so I don't worry about it.

Maybe when you pay for installed upgrades, you pay for an upgraded power
supply. Since the memory was added to this box with no further testing,
it's easy to imagine that boxes might be shipped with upgrades such that
the power supply is often marginal or inadequate.

Anybody have any insight?

I can quite imagine that an OEM box would have the bare minimum power
supply specs require. I mean this must be one of several reasons why an
OEM box is cheaper than any box that you can put together yourself. You
probably would buy a PS with a little bit of extra margin in it, and
it's likely that you probably couldn't even buy a PS as low as what's in
an OEM box.


I had previously noted the puniness of power supplies on OEM boxes, but
not by overloading them to the point where the machine wouldn't run. I
don't think that upping the RAM by 50% and adding a HDD causing a power
supply overload is a reasonable expectation.

Something else about this machine that is shaved very close is the
thermal design. It will not run for long with the side cover removed.
That wouldn't surprise me if the side cover included a duct, but there
are only holes strategically placed in the side panel. The CPU has an
enormous heat sink, but no fan of its own!

Robert.