Exclusive Interview with PC Power & Cooling Founder

49 Comments

View All Comments

• tynopik - Monday, February 11, 2008 - link

  well I had 1 y-splitter burn out (you can see the black marks) and it only had 2 devices (hd/fan/some combination thereof) attached to it
  
  a couple others had problems where if you jiggled the cables at all, they would lose connection and suddenly your HD would power down

• tynopik - Monday, February 11, 2008 - link

  but regardless, is it really that expensive to add a handful more connectors to these supplies?
  
  is there any reason you have to get a 620w supply just to get 10 connectors?

• mindless1 - Monday, February 11, 2008 - link

  Intermittent connections are why higher quality splitters are needed, and also why PC Power & Cooling doesn't like modular connectors.
  
  No it wouldn't be so expensive to add another lead but most systems don't need that many and someone is bound to come along and suggest it creates more clutter to have to tuck away the unused cable, or that it be modular which brings us back to the potential problem with adding connectors.
  
  Really I think you only need higher quality Y splitters, and to inspect the contacts in them before use to ensure they make a good tight fit. Also, if an unused connector on a PSU is contaminated by dust or other environmental agents, it may need cleaned off before plugged into anything, even directly to a drive not just if a y-splitter were used.
  
  If you really need 10 connectors then a 600W PSU may not be such a bad idea, as fans already have pass-through connectors in many cases so you're really talking mostly about hard drives and if you have anywhere near 10 that is a non-trivial spinup current requirement, suppose that's 20A did you really want to pick a PSU with a maximum current rating so close to the continual power on current requirement?
  
  If you have that much to power, it's only prudent to pay for a PSU that has enough connectors, look at it as a matter of % of total system cost instead of just trying to go cheap, as we all know trying to go cheap has an effect on most parts you buy, not just the PSU.

• tynopik - Monday, February 11, 2008 - link

  > Intermittent connections are why higher quality splitters are needed
  
  high quality splitter, now there's an oxymoron ;)
  
  > also why PC Power & Cooling doesn't like modular connectors
  
  well presumably, the modular connectors would be of higher quality than these $0.15 splitters
  
  > as fans already have pass-through connectors in many cases
  
  . . . which are basically 'cheap' splitters (which is saying something)

• Zoomer - Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - link

  I would like to see more sata power cables. It is a royal pita to use these splitters and converters.
  
  If they don't need the extra cables ever, a pair of scissors would do the trick.

• HOOfan 1 - Monday, February 11, 2008 - link

  His Mtyhs answers are more like "this is the way we do it so naturally it is better" than "this is the best way, so that is what we use"

• poohbear - Monday, February 11, 2008 - link

  chris, u dont have the pencil neck geek look. i refuse to read your articles anymore dam it. i dont need no hip guy telling me about technology! for shizel!

• JarredWalton - Monday, February 11, 2008 - link

  Maybe we should post pictures of the rest of us to make you feel better? LOL

• b_wallach - Monday, May 9, 2011 - link

  I noted that one post mentioned the 80 cert issue. I started using PC P&C Power supplies back when cyrix made cpu's and still have that one working in my cousin's kids computer. I took note then while looking into power supplies that PCP&C's power supplies were the only ones out there that were industrial rated supplies. This meant that you bought one for a system that if it went down it cost your company a LOT of money. Even way back then they were the top of the line power supplies.
  Each one I bought is still working today and I don't have glitch issues when putting computers together because they have the cleanest power output. They keep their voltage and current stable under heavy fast loading where cheaper ones will dip and give owners fits trying to find out why their computers lock up every now and then. I also note this with people who buy new high wattage video cards. This is also a problem I don't have to tear my hair out trying to find out why because having a stable clean power supply is one of the most important parts of any computer and can cause the worst troubleshooting nightmares when they are the culprit.
  I've got a 750W in this computer, very low noise, can not hear it unless I put my ear up to it. The only time I've seen noise problems was because of the case design caused poor air flow and/or restricted air getting to and through the power supply cleanly. I am VERY worried about their takeover no matter what the new owners say. I've seen the results of top of the line products get raped by larger more money bottom line folks than I care to think about but one I will mention because it should be a well known company to any electronic minded person. The company was called Fluke ind... They were the last word in testing equipment and made the best hand held units for years. Then they got bought out by Danahure (I only know how that company called but not sure about the spelling).
  A good friend of mine was a electronic engineer there and watched them go from top class to radio shack quality in components installed and reliability. They are now junk for the most part. they make kind of good stuff but nothing like they used to. Most of their mfg. got moved to china and it's just a sad story. I hope hardware sites keep a eye on PC Power to make sure they stick to the high quality and overkill components that make them a almost bullet proof power supply and their noise output levels stay almost nill.
  But I do worry. But I still have not seen any reason to stop using them over the rest out there.