Replacing PS..What specs r important?

[Moki]

I am replacing a PS on my mom's system and am not an electrical genius. It's an L&C (on your "bad" list!) LC-250ATX but the other specs on the label concern me. (Should they?) I found a couple of 250W PS's but the other specs aren't the same as the old PS which is: Input 115v/6a, 230v/4a (50-60Hz) Output +3.3v/10a & +5v/20a max 135w, +12v/9a max 108w, -5v/.5a max 2.5w, -12v/.5a max 6w and +5vsb/.8a max 5w. How important is it that these match exactly the specs of a replacement 250W PS? If they must match exactly, how in the world will I find a replacement? And can I assume that all ATX PSs are 6x5.5x3.5 and have the fan opening, power plug and power switch all on one side as this one does? Thanks for sharing your expertise!

[Yuanji]

i'm pretty sure all the voltage specs are the same just minor differences. pretty sure all PSUs are universal. i'd look into this one http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...103-607&depa=0
mabye ask some other people for their advice but its pretty inexpensive 23 bucks

[sigmaseven]

This will give you everything:

http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=101151

[Larry E.]

Not to worry. ATX is what you need and you don't even have to have the same wattage. I think I would get at least a 300 watt. Just get a good quailty one, you don't have to worry about all those other specs. Those are just the maximum rated watts for that PS.

[Mesaeus]

There are a number of "rails" used in a psu. These are : 3.3V, +5V, -5V, +12V, -12V, +5vsb. If each of these rails in the new psu has the same or higher amperage (the number with an 'a' appended) as the corresponding rail in the old psu, then you have at least an equal but probably MUCH better psu. The rails on that old psu seem very, very low to me and I cannot really imagine that the new psu won't score better. The total wattage of a psu (like the 250 watt you have right now) is usually a sum of the 3.3V and 5 V rails, converted from A to Watt. What this means is that it's really a bad number to classify psu's with. It's all about the rails.

So I'd say just get a psu from the "good" or even the "undecided" list, you won't get a worse psu than is in there already. If you find a cheap 300W psu from a "good" brand, you can also use that.

And yes, any ATX psu will fit in a ATX case. That's why it's a standard.

[Hi Ho]

ATX is standard. No need to match specs. It's almost impossible to do that. I recommend an Enlight 300w. It is a good quality, quiet power supply at a low price.

[Moki]

Wow! Thanks for all the great info. I am also just beginning to build my own system, so any/all info is helpful. I do know that ATX is a standard, but I did find a few PSs that had NO power on/off switch. I know that probably really has nothing to do with the case configuration standards, but wanted to ask to be sure. So now I can purchase a PS with confidence...Thanks again!!

[Hi Ho]

The power switch on the PSU is not necassary. Some have one, some don't. The main use for it in a modern PC is that it's a good way to keep the PC grounded while working on it. You can plug it in and turn the switch off. If there is no switch you can simply plug it into a power strip and turn the switch off.