Saturday night question! Replacement power supply. Standard part?

If anyone sees this question tonight, I hope you can answer tonight,
because there is a hamfest early tomorrow, where I maybe could buy a
power suppply at a good price. I wish I had thought to ask earlier.
Sorry.


Do Dell computers use standard power supplies?

My friend is giving me his old Dell Dimension 4600 Desktop. He's been
told the power supply is no good.

I've recommended them but never had a Dell computer before. IIUC at
the start they were made entirely from standard parts, but I think I
heard there are some proprietary parts now. Is that so?

Is the power supply still standard?

It came with a 250 watt powersupply. I figure that size should be
good, but I suppose 300 watts would work also. And they're clever
enough now not to waste (much?) electricity?

Comments?

Even if it's not Saturday anymore, it woudl still be valuable to me.

Thanks.

On 8/14/2010 10:12 PM, mm wrote:

If anyone sees this question tonight, I hope you can answer tonight,
because there is a hamfest early tomorrow, where I maybe could buy a
power suppply at a good price. I wish I had thought to ask earlier.
Sorry.


Do Dell computers use standard power supplies?

My friend is giving me his old Dell Dimension 4600 Desktop. He's been
told the power supply is no good.

I've recommended them but never had a Dell computer before. IIUC at
the start they were made entirely from standard parts, but I think I
heard there are some proprietary parts now. Is that so?

Is the power supply still standard?

It came with a 250 watt powersupply. I figure that size should be
good, but I suppose 300 watts would work also. And they're clever
enough now not to waste (much?) electricity?

Comments?

Even if it's not Saturday anymore, it would still be valuable to me.

Thanks.

The Dimension 4600 uses a standard ATX12V form factor power supply.
Things to look out for, though, because not all power supplies are the
same. The 12V means that there are TWO connectors to the motherboard,
one 20-pin and the other 4-pin. If the 4600 has a SATA hard drive,
you'll need either a power supply with SATA connectors or a 4-pin Molex
to SATA power conversion cable.

The wattage rating is the MAXIMUM wattage the power supply is designed
to provide. if the computer wants less wattage, then the power supply
provides less and draws less electrical wall current.

The Dimension 4600 motherboard has a few proprietary features, but not
too many. The 3-pin connector for the ventilating fan at the back is
special Dell. So is the audio cable with the narrow connector to the
motherboard, leading to the front panel audio jacks. But the rest is
standard stuff... Ben Myers

On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 01:03:15 -0400, Ben Myers
wrote:

On 8/14/2010 10:12 PM, mm wrote:

If anyone sees this question tonight, I hope you can answer tonight,
because there is a hamfest early tomorrow, where I maybe could buy a
power suppply at a good price. I wish I had thought to ask earlier.
Sorry.


Do Dell computers use standard power supplies?

My friend is giving me his old Dell Dimension 4600 Desktop. He's been
told the power supply is no good.

I've recommended them but never had a Dell computer before. IIUC at
the start they were made entirely from standard parts, but I think I
heard there are some proprietary parts now. Is that so?

Is the power supply still standard?

It came with a 250 watt powersupply. I figure that size should be
good, but I suppose 300 watts would work also. And they're clever
enough now not to waste (much?) electricity?

Comments?

Even if it's not Saturday anymore, it would still be valuable to me.

Thanks.

The Dimension 4600 uses a standard ATX12V form factor power supply.
Things to look out for, though, because not all power supplies are the
same. The 12V means that there are TWO connectors to the motherboard,
one 20-pin and the other 4-pin. If the 4600 has a SATA hard drive,
you'll need either a power supply with SATA connectors or a 4-pin Molex
to SATA power conversion cable.

Thanks Ben. Thats' just what I need to know. Hamfests aren't as big
as they used to be, and I sometimes end up buying anything but what I
go there to buy, but there's still a pretty good chance someone will
have this.

Come to think of it, I looked up specs for this computer and they all
mentioned the power supply but none gave form factor. I still would
have had to look that up anyhow.

The wattage rating is the MAXIMUM wattage the power supply is designed
to provide. if the computer wants less wattage, then the power supply
provides less and draws less electrical wall current.

They are so clever.

The Dimension 4600 motherboard has a few proprietary features, but not
too many. The 3-pin connector for the ventilating fan at the back is
special Dell. So is the audio cable with the narrow connector to the
motherboard, leading to the front panel audio jacks. But the rest is
standard stuff... Ben Myers

I'll keep this list too. It's pretty short, and nothing I'll likely
want to change unless the fan stops running.

Oh, you replied to the other post too. It's a great answer. I have
to get up at 7 for the hamfest, so I'll reply to that one tomorrow.

Thanks again.

On 8/15/2010 1:55 AM, mm wrote:
On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 01:03:15 -0400, Ben
wrote:

On 8/14/2010 10:12 PM, mm wrote:

If anyone sees this question tonight, I hope you can answer tonight,
because there is a hamfest early tomorrow, where I maybe could buy a
power suppply at a good price. I wish I had thought to ask earlier.
Sorry.


Do Dell computers use standard power supplies?

My friend is giving me his old Dell Dimension 4600 Desktop. He's been
told the power supply is no good.

I've recommended them but never had a Dell computer before. IIUC at
the start they were made entirely from standard parts, but I think I
heard there are some proprietary parts now. Is that so?

Is the power supply still standard?

It came with a 250 watt powersupply. I figure that size should be
good, but I suppose 300 watts would work also. And they're clever
enough now not to waste (much?) electricity?

Comments?

Even if it's not Saturday anymore, it would still be valuable to me.

Thanks.

The Dimension 4600 uses a standard ATX12V form factor power supply.
Things to look out for, though, because not all power supplies are the
same. The 12V means that there are TWO connectors to the motherboard,
one 20-pin and the other 4-pin. If the 4600 has a SATA hard drive,
you'll need either a power supply with SATA connectors or a 4-pin Molex
to SATA power conversion cable.

Thanks Ben. Thats' just what I need to know. Hamfests aren't as big
as they used to be, and I sometimes end up buying anything but what I
go there to buy, but there's still a pretty good chance someone will
have this.

Come to think of it, I looked up specs for this computer and they all
mentioned the power supply but none gave form factor. I still would
have had to look that up anyhow.

The wattage rating is the MAXIMUM wattage the power supply is designed
to provide. if the computer wants less wattage, then the power supply
provides less and draws less electrical wall current.

They are so clever.

The Dimension 4600 motherboard has a few proprietary features, but not
too many. The 3-pin connector for the ventilating fan at the back is
special Dell. So is the audio cable with the narrow connector to the
motherboard, leading to the front panel audio jacks. But the rest is
standard stuff... Ben Myers

I'll keep this list too. It's pretty short, and nothing I'll likely
want to change unless the fan stops running.

Oh, you replied to the other post too. It's a great answer. I have
to get up at 7 for the hamfest, so I'll reply to that one tomorrow.

Thanks again.

If you are somewhere in the Boston area and you do not end up with a
power supply from the hamfest, get in touch. I have plenty of Dell
power supplies, some 250w, others 305w, remaining from when I sold off
parts of older, slower Dells than yours. Not expensive, either... Ben Myers

"Ben Myers" wrote in message
...
On 8/15/2010 1:55 AM, mm wrote:
On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 01:03:15 -0400, Ben
wrote:

On 8/14/2010 10:12 PM, mm wrote:

If anyone sees this question tonight, I hope you can answer tonight,
because there is a hamfest early tomorrow, where I maybe could buy a
power suppply at a good price. I wish I had thought to ask earlier.
Sorry.


Do Dell computers use standard power supplies?

My friend is giving me his old Dell Dimension 4600 Desktop. He's been
told the power supply is no good.

I've recommended them but never had a Dell computer before. IIUC at
the start they were made entirely from standard parts, but I think I
heard there are some proprietary parts now. Is that so?

Is the power supply still standard?

It came with a 250 watt powersupply. I figure that size should be
good, but I suppose 300 watts would work also. And they're clever
enough now not to waste (much?) electricity?

Comments?

Even if it's not Saturday anymore, it would still be valuable to me.

Thanks.

The Dimension 4600 uses a standard ATX12V form factor power supply.
Things to look out for, though, because not all power supplies are the
same. The 12V means that there are TWO connectors to the motherboard,
one 20-pin and the other 4-pin. If the 4600 has a SATA hard drive,
you'll need either a power supply with SATA connectors or a 4-pin Molex
to SATA power conversion cable.

Thanks Ben. Thats' just what I need to know. Hamfests aren't as big
as they used to be, and I sometimes end up buying anything but what I
go there to buy, but there's still a pretty good chance someone will
have this.

Come to think of it, I looked up specs for this computer and they all
mentioned the power supply but none gave form factor. I still would
have had to look that up anyhow.

The wattage rating is the MAXIMUM wattage the power supply is designed
to provide. if the computer wants less wattage, then the power supply
provides less and draws less electrical wall current.

They are so clever.

The Dimension 4600 motherboard has a few proprietary features, but not
too many. The 3-pin connector for the ventilating fan at the back is
special Dell. So is the audio cable with the narrow connector to the
motherboard, leading to the front panel audio jacks. But the rest is
standard stuff... Ben Myers

I'll keep this list too. It's pretty short, and nothing I'll likely
want to change unless the fan stops running.

Oh, you replied to the other post too. It's a great answer. I have
to get up at 7 for the hamfest, so I'll reply to that one tomorrow.

Thanks again.

If you are somewhere in the Boston area and you do not end up with a power
supply from the hamfest, get in touch. I have plenty of Dell power
supplies, some 250w, others 305w, remaining from when I sold off parts of
older, slower Dells than yours. Not expensive, either... Ben Myers

Hey Ben, Not to horn in on mm's thread, but if you ever run across a PS for
a Dimension 8100 Model No. PS-5251-1D DP/N 03E466 the one with the
proprietary 24 and 20 pin MB connectors shoot me an email, and I will buy it
from you. Still haven't found one on eBay that I am willing to pull the
trigger on, just cheap I guess, and no one warrants that they work. Thanks,
Pat pat conover at comcast dot net

On 8/18/2010 8:52 AM, Pat Conover wrote:
"Ben wrote in message
...
On 8/15/2010 1:55 AM, mm wrote:
On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 01:03:15 -0400, Ben
wrote:

On 8/14/2010 10:12 PM, mm wrote:

If anyone sees this question tonight, I hope you can answer tonight,
because there is a hamfest early tomorrow, where I maybe could buy a
power suppply at a good price. I wish I had thought to ask earlier.
Sorry.


Do Dell computers use standard power supplies?

My friend is giving me his old Dell Dimension 4600 Desktop. He's been
told the power supply is no good.

I've recommended them but never had a Dell computer before. IIUC at
the start they were made entirely from standard parts, but I think I
heard there are some proprietary parts now. Is that so?

Is the power supply still standard?

It came with a 250 watt powersupply. I figure that size should be
good, but I suppose 300 watts would work also. And they're clever
enough now not to waste (much?) electricity?

Comments?

Even if it's not Saturday anymore, it would still be valuable to me.

Thanks.

The Dimension 4600 uses a standard ATX12V form factor power supply.
Things to look out for, though, because not all power supplies are the
same. The 12V means that there are TWO connectors to the motherboard,
one 20-pin and the other 4-pin. If the 4600 has a SATA hard drive,
you'll need either a power supply with SATA connectors or a 4-pin Molex
to SATA power conversion cable.

Thanks Ben. Thats' just what I need to know. Hamfests aren't as big
as they used to be, and I sometimes end up buying anything but what I
go there to buy, but there's still a pretty good chance someone will
have this.

Come to think of it, I looked up specs for this computer and they all
mentioned the power supply but none gave form factor. I still would
have had to look that up anyhow.

The wattage rating is the MAXIMUM wattage the power supply is designed
to provide. if the computer wants less wattage, then the power supply
provides less and draws less electrical wall current.

They are so clever.

The Dimension 4600 motherboard has a few proprietary features, but not
too many. The 3-pin connector for the ventilating fan at the back is
special Dell. So is the audio cable with the narrow connector to the
motherboard, leading to the front panel audio jacks. But the rest is
standard stuff... Ben Myers

I'll keep this list too. It's pretty short, and nothing I'll likely
want to change unless the fan stops running.

Oh, you replied to the other post too. It's a great answer. I have
to get up at 7 for the hamfest, so I'll reply to that one tomorrow.

Thanks again.

If you are somewhere in the Boston area and you do not end up with a power
supply from the hamfest, get in touch. I have plenty of Dell power
supplies, some 250w, others 305w, remaining from when I sold off parts of
older, slower Dells than yours. Not expensive, either... Ben Myers

Hey Ben, Not to horn in on mm's thread, but if you ever run across a PS for
a Dimension 8100 Model No. PS-5251-1D DP/N 03E466 the one with the
proprietary 24 and 20 pin MB connectors shoot me an email, and I will buy it
from you. Still haven't found one on eBay that I am willing to pull the
trigger on, just cheap I guess, and no one warrants that they work. Thanks,
Pat pat conover at comcast dot net



Yep. I remember. And you know that several other models share the same
power supply? ... Ben

"Ben Myers" wrote in message
...
On 8/18/2010 8:52 AM, Pat Conover wrote:
"Ben wrote in message
...
On 8/15/2010 1:55 AM, mm wrote:
On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 01:03:15 -0400, Ben
wrote:

On 8/14/2010 10:12 PM, mm wrote:

If anyone sees this question tonight, I hope you can answer tonight,
because there is a hamfest early tomorrow, where I maybe could buy a
power suppply at a good price. I wish I had thought to ask earlier.
Sorry.


Do Dell computers use standard power supplies?

My friend is giving me his old Dell Dimension 4600 Desktop. He's
been
told the power supply is no good.

I've recommended them but never had a Dell computer before. IIUC at
the start they were made entirely from standard parts, but I think I
heard there are some proprietary parts now. Is that so?

Is the power supply still standard?

It came with a 250 watt powersupply. I figure that size should be
good, but I suppose 300 watts would work also. And they're clever
enough now not to waste (much?) electricity?

Comments?

Even if it's not Saturday anymore, it would still be valuable to me.

Thanks.

The Dimension 4600 uses a standard ATX12V form factor power supply.
Things to look out for, though, because not all power supplies are the
same. The 12V means that there are TWO connectors to the motherboard,
one 20-pin and the other 4-pin. If the 4600 has a SATA hard drive,
you'll need either a power supply with SATA connectors or a 4-pin
Molex
to SATA power conversion cable.

Thanks Ben. Thats' just what I need to know. Hamfests aren't as big
as they used to be, and I sometimes end up buying anything but what I
go there to buy, but there's still a pretty good chance someone will
have this.

Come to think of it, I looked up specs for this computer and they all
mentioned the power supply but none gave form factor. I still would
have had to look that up anyhow.

The wattage rating is the MAXIMUM wattage the power supply is designed
to provide. if the computer wants less wattage, then the power supply
provides less and draws less electrical wall current.

They are so clever.

The Dimension 4600 motherboard has a few proprietary features, but not
too many. The 3-pin connector for the ventilating fan at the back is
special Dell. So is the audio cable with the narrow connector to the
motherboard, leading to the front panel audio jacks. But the rest is
standard stuff... Ben Myers

I'll keep this list too. It's pretty short, and nothing I'll likely
want to change unless the fan stops running.

Oh, you replied to the other post too. It's a great answer. I have
to get up at 7 for the hamfest, so I'll reply to that one tomorrow.

Thanks again.

If you are somewhere in the Boston area and you do not end up with a
power
supply from the hamfest, get in touch. I have plenty of Dell power
supplies, some 250w, others 305w, remaining from when I sold off parts
of
older, slower Dells than yours. Not expensive, either... Ben Myers

Hey Ben, Not to horn in on mm's thread, but if you ever run across a PS
for
a Dimension 8100 Model No. PS-5251-1D DP/N 03E466 the one with the
proprietary 24 and 20 pin MB connectors shoot me an email, and I will buy
it
from you. Still haven't found one on eBay that I am willing to pull the
trigger on, just cheap I guess, and no one warrants that they work.
Thanks,
Pat pat conover at comcast dot net



Yep. I remember. And you know that several other models share the same
power supply? ... Ben

Nope, didn't know that one. Which models? This is also one of the short
lived and very expensive RAMBUS memory models. Strike 2, one to go and it's
outta here! Pat

Hi!

Nope, didn't know that one. Which models?

I'm pretty sure the OptiPlex GX400 uses the same supply. Other candidates
*might* include Pentium II and Pentium III Dimensions or even Precision
workstations.

I have a few OptiPlex GX400 systems with the odd 1.3 GHz Pentium 4 CPU. (One
is pushing a 1.7GHz CPU.) Outside of some processor cooling fan issues and
the fact that the previous owner lost the CPU cooling ducts (fixed with
cardboard and a glue gun), they're not bad systems.

William

On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 12:07:43 -0400, Ben Myers
wrote:

On 8/15/2010 1:55 AM, mm wrote:
On Sun, 15 Aug 2010 01:03:15 -0400, Ben
wrote:

On 8/14/2010 10:12 PM, mm wrote:

If anyone sees this question tonight, I hope you can answer tonight,
because there is a hamfest early tomorrow, where I maybe could buy a
power suppply at a good price. I wish I had thought to ask earlier.
Sorry.


Do Dell computers use standard power supplies?

My friend is giving me his old Dell Dimension 4600 Desktop. He's been
told the power supply is no good.

I've recommended them but never had a Dell computer before. IIUC at
the start they were made entirely from standard parts, but I think I
heard there are some proprietary parts now. Is that so?

Is the power supply still standard?

It came with a 250 watt powersupply. I figure that size should be
good, but I suppose 300 watts would work also. And they're clever
enough now not to waste (much?) electricity?

Comments?

Even if it's not Saturday anymore, it would still be valuable to me.

Thanks.

The Dimension 4600 uses a standard ATX12V form factor power supply.
Things to look out for, though, because not all power supplies are the
same. The 12V means that there are TWO connectors to the motherboard,
one 20-pin and the other 4-pin. If the 4600 has a SATA hard drive,
you'll need either a power supply with SATA connectors or a 4-pin Molex
to SATA power conversion cable.

Thanks Ben. Thats' just what I need to know. Hamfests aren't as big
as they used to be, and I sometimes end up buying anything but what I
go there to buy, but there's still a pretty good chance someone will
have this.

Come to think of it, I looked up specs for this computer and they all
mentioned the power supply but none gave form factor. I still would
have had to look that up anyhow.

The wattage rating is the MAXIMUM wattage the power supply is designed
to provide. if the computer wants less wattage, then the power supply
provides less and draws less electrical wall current.

They are so clever.

The Dimension 4600 motherboard has a few proprietary features, but not
too many. The 3-pin connector for the ventilating fan at the back is
special Dell. So is the audio cable with the narrow connector to the
motherboard, leading to the front panel audio jacks. But the rest is
standard stuff... Ben Myers

I'll keep this list too. It's pretty short, and nothing I'll likely
want to change unless the fan stops running.

Oh, you replied to the other post too. It's a great answer. I have
to get up at 7 for the hamfest, so I'll reply to that one tomorrow.

Thanks again.

If you are somewhere in the Boston area and you do not end up with a
power supply from the hamfest, get in touch. I have plenty of Dell
power supplies, some 250w, others 305w, remaining from when I sold off
parts of older, slower Dells than yours. Not expensive, either... Ben Myers

I'm actually invited to a wedding in about two weeks in the Boston
area, but the mother of the groom is someone who really doesn't expect
me to come. We only know each other from a newsgroup and she invited
everyone on the newsgroup.

Even the power supply isn't enough to tip the balance.

It was cloudy and even rainy this morning (written a week ago, on
Sunday), so turnout of vendors wasn't that good, but I did see one
power supply, maybe new, and in a perfect conditino box. It didn't
give a form factor, other than ATX iirc, and it was only 225 watts,
not 250 as the thing had originally, but I might have been tempted if
you hadn't gone over the connectors with me. It didn't have the right
mobo connectors.

Maybe half of the hamfests around here have stopped, but there's
another in 6 weeks.

My friend sent the computer from NYC on Monday, UPS ground, no extras,
and it arrived in Baltimore on Tuesday, and it takes a SATA drive. I
think I have one but I may have to clean the whole place to find it.

Thanks again.

"William R. Walsh" m
wrote in message ...
Hi!

Nope, didn't know that one. Which models?

I'm pretty sure the OptiPlex GX400 uses the same supply. Other candidates
*might* include Pentium II and Pentium III Dimensions or even Precision
workstations.

I have a few OptiPlex GX400 systems with the odd 1.3 GHz Pentium 4 CPU.
(One
is pushing a 1.7GHz CPU.) Outside of some processor cooling fan issues and
the fact that the previous owner lost the CPU cooling ducts (fixed with
cardboard and a glue gun), they're not bad systems.

William

Yep, I forgot about the GX400, which also comes up on Ebay as compatible
with the 8100. Pretty reliable machine, right up until the PS and/or MB
went. PS is the main suspect to me, also easier and cheaper to replaced
than the MB. Thanks, Pat