Power supply Hook up Help Please! "F_Panel"

[Jim 5]

Hooking up a new power supply. All is fine except there is one connection on the motherboard that my new power supply can't seem to connect to.

The old power supply had a thin white and black wire with a 3 prong female connection that connected to a 3 prong male on the corner of the motherboard labelled "F_Panel".

My new power supply doesn't have the equivalent wire/connector though there is a similar looking wire with a 4 prong female connector (only 2 thin wires attached). Do I need an adaptor?

Old power supply is an Enermax Liberty 500 and the new one is a BFG Tech ATX 12v 2.2 GS series 550.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Colt45ws]

Thats a fan connection, you dont really need it. Its only so the PS fan can be monitored by the M/B.

 

[Jim 5]

I kind of thought it was the front panel on/off switch. I'll try to fire it up.

 

[Jim 5]

Thanks Onmo. Typing this email on my newly powered up computer. Thought I would get more than 4 years on a power supply. I had asked them to build the computer with a good one. I guess "Enermax" must not be that good.

 

[Colt45ws]

Yeah. I like PC Power & Cooling and I bought a Cooler Master not too long ago that is really well built. I think they both have 5 year warranties. I cannot remember.

 

[OVERKILL]

Enermax PSU's were decent, at one point they were considered excellent.

I recently swapped out my 680W Thermaltake for a 750W Corsair. The 680 is now powering a friend's system.

 

[Jim 5]

Here's a question,

Let's say you have a system that needs no more than a 500 watt PSU. Will buying a 750 watt PSU result in longer PSU life?

If so, why? Only thing I can think of would be cooler running.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Jim 5
Here's a question,

Let's say you have a system that needs no more than a 500 watt PSU. Will buying a 750 watt PSU result in longer PSU life?

If so, why? Only thing I can think of would be cooler running.


Cooler running, and the higher-end PSU's often have "better" components inside.

 

[tmorris1]

A power supply will run at peak efficiency near it max power rating so it is best to fit the supply to the load.

You also have to look at more than just the total power rating because this is the total power available on all voltage rails. One supply may have a much higher rating on the 5V or 12V lines than the other.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: tmorris1
A power supply will run at peak efficiency near it max power rating so it is best to fit the supply to the load.


I size PSU's based on the MAX draw the system can produce based on the components used, and then oversize a little bit to accommodate potential upgrades such as additional hard drives which could be added at a later date.

Most systems consume a small fraction of their peak power for the vast majority of their use. My video card draws 180W under peak load, my CPU likely draws in excess of 200W (overclocked Quad-Core) under peak load, I run five hard drives, again, more load. And when you power on the system, all those drives are being spun up, which again, draws more power.

But during normal use, my system is likely only drawing ~150W. But it has a 750W PSU. Because if I'm gaming, the computer will consume ~500W easily and I like to have a buffer.

I would much rather have an "excessive" PSU that can easily handle a load spike and may be less efficient during most circumstances, than a PSU that is run close to max load to optimize efficiency, but may not be able to handle a high-load event properly.

Many newer PSU's actually are the most efficient at 1/2 draw. My Corsair is this way.


Quote:
You also have to look at more than just the total power rating because this is the total power available on all voltage rails. One supply may have a much higher rating on the 5V or 12V lines than the other.


This is true. And most PSU's give the listing of available power on those rails on the side or top of the unit.

An example (for the OP) would be the listing for my Corsair:

Total Power: 750W
DC Output:

+3.3V - 30A
+5.0V - 28A
Max combined Wattage: 180W

+12.0V - 60A
Max Wattage: 720W

And it gives an efficiency curve as well:
750W: 81%
325W: 84.5%
130W: 81%

On a 230V feed, it is even more efficient:
750W: 85%
325W: 86%
130W: 83%

 

[nthach]

BFG uses HEC or Seasonic PSUs from what I've read. Just use a 80 Plus rated PSU with good caps and you're fine.