New power source for old retro PC (Socket A)
New power source for old retro PC (Socket A)
I'm searching for a new PSU that provides at least 25A on both 5V and 3.3V rails to support older equipment, but I haven't located any options yet.
Wut?! Hört ihr nicht? Es hat doch einen normalen ATX-Stecker! Alte Systeme nutzen einfach 20 Pins statt der ganzen 24, deshalb haben PSUs die 20+4-Anschlüsse. Und der Athlon 2000 ist ja neu genug, um auch 24-Pin-Module zu haben – die zusätzlichen Pins sind eigentlich für PCIe, das hätte man damals schon haben sollen. Oh, der Fazit ist klar: Jede PSU sollte das können.
Previously, it was common to use a significantly larger PSU to achieve the required +5v and 3.3v, but the situation has deteriorated. The current 2800w SuperFlower only provides 120w, whereas the 2000w PSUs from five years ago were at least 150w. If you're not in the USA, it seems the standard advice from Segotep ATX-500 or LC Power LC6560GP3 is still accessible abroad.
The mobo supports both 20-pin and 4-pin connectors for the CPU, but this isn't my main issue. The problem lies in how older systems rely heavily on 5V and 3.3V rails, whereas contemporary systems draw most power from a 12V supply, which modern power supplies are designed to accommodate.
The LC6560GP3 seems interesting for the 5v & 3.3v rails, but I’m worried it could be a low-cost power supply, since I haven’t heard of this brand before.
If you're open to purchasing used or refurbished, previously larger Corsair TX650 and TX650-M models typically offered 30A at 5V with combined 170W capacity. The most recent versions reduced this to 25A and 130W. This is similar to older 1600W–2000W power supplies from about five years ago, which usually delivered around 38–47A at 5V. The best approach is to test it out. Many inexpensive power supplies either fail to operate properly under sufficient load on the 12V line or cause the voltage to rise dangerously when the 5V line is heavily loaded. These options may seem cheap, but they are often unreliable in such situations.