[mythtv-users] OT: Hardware purchase question for eventual HD Mythtv system

[Brian Wood]

On Sunday 24 May 2009 12:40:44 Marvin Match wrote:
> On 22 May 2009 at 9:31, Brian Wood wrote:
> > I, and others, have said it before, but:
> >
> > The PSU seems to be the first place makers and vendors skimp in order to
> > reduce costs. This is in large measure because most users (present
> > company excepted) don't know or care much about it.
>
> This is SOOO true. On a recent build into an HTPC case I had occasion
> to change the PS out because I needed an 8-pin CPU power connector.
> Upon removing the "450 watt" PS that came in the case from the case
> manufacturer I just happened to notice that it had a label pasted
> over a label. After peeling off the top label, lo and behold, the
> label underneath identified it as a 400 watt unit.
>
> Wasn't neccessarily a bad PS, but definately a cheapie. I wonder what
> it really is?
>
> I replaced it with the smallest Corsair 80+ PS I could find that had
> an 8-pin CPU plug. This new Corsair 400 watt unit wieghs more than
> twice as much as the original "450 watt" PS and it's dead-quiet.

It reminds me of the days when stereo amplifiers were rated as something 
like " 700 watts IHF Peak Music Power", which was a fancy way of saying it 
was about a 15 watt amp. They would use an external power supply to drive 
both sides, since the included supply couldn't even drive one side. Then they 
used terms like "music power" which have no technical meaning, and 
rate "peak" power.

Even the better ones would use terms like "Watts RMS", which is meaningless, 
you can have an RMS volt, or an RMS ampere, but not an RMS watt (maybe that 
would be an RRMMSS watt?). The correct term would be "average power", but 
they couldn't use that, that would have actual technical meaning.

You're right that the supply you mentioned may well have worked OK, but they 
certainly didn't spend any extra money to make sure of that.

Then there was V-Tech back in the early 90s, they were selling "33 Mhz. 486" 
machines. Intel cut off their supply of 25Mhz. chips, saying they didn't list 
any 25Mhz. products for sale. They were clocking 25Mhz. units to 33Mhz, and 
covering the chip with a sticker that said "removal voids warranty", so to 
prove you had been cheated you had to void your warranty.

Oh well, life goes on.

-- 
beww
beww at beww.org