Perpetual power trouble!!!

[minotaur]

I live in an area with chronic power problems. Outages and voltage fluctuations are common and I have lost two computers (blown capacitors, fried processors) to the surges and brownouts. I used an APC UPS (ES 500) on my last pc and it died before the pc (ACP guy says it needs a new PCB) I have a central voltage stabilizer which protects the household appliances and a Microtek inverter for power backup. I now have a Microtek UPS (600 watt) and a surge protector. In spite of this my computer suffers power failures. I have a Cooler Master Elite 330 Case and the PSU is the stock CM 400 watt power supply. How can I protect my computer? Sorcerer, Faun, Ico Ishu, Cilus please suggest.
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i7-920 Intel WX58BP Motherboard 4 gb ram Radeon 5750
1TB WD Black 500GB WD Blue 250GB WD blue Samsung P 2250 monitor

 

[abirthedevil]

and there i was thinking i had the worst power situation possible guess yours bests mine

good PSU's have lots of protection measures for such situations and if your psu is survived all that and let your components take the fall id look at the PSU

anyway the components you mention in your sig, is the CM400 good enough to begin with? CM xtreme power psu's have an xtremely crappy reputation

 

[minotaur]

What shall I replace the CM 400 with? Will a different PSU be enough to protect the PC? I was under the impression that it was primarily the job of the UPS to regulate power to the PC and protect the components.

 

[ico]

well, if you are talking about the computer configuration mentioned in your first post, running it on a CM 400w PSU is a disaster.

I was under the impression that it was primarily the job of the UPS to regulate power to the PC and protect the components.

But the thing is, this PSU will actually take more power from the UPS than required as it isn't efficient at all.

 

[minotaur]

Sorry was away for the holidays...

@ ico....
So what do you suggest. i would also like to upgrade to a Radeon 58XX series graphics card and atleast a 2TB HDD in the near future.I have a budget of around 5k. Which PSU should I opt for? Also are Belkin surge protectors worth it? I was looking at their Gold Series 8-Socket Surge Protector which sells for 1.9k around in Planet M.

 

[Faun]

^^This article might help you selecting PSU.
PSU articles - Overclock.net - Overclocking.net

Corsair, Antec, Seasonic are good brands.

Calculate power requirement from this link:
Antec Power Supply Calculator

You may need to supplant that UPS with 1.1KvA (APC or similar) for better reliability on powerouts.

 

[ico]

Seasonic S12II Bronze 520w - TheITWares - SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W
Should be 4.3k inclusive of delivery.

Consider going for a Radeon HD 6870 or 6950.

Also, can you be more specific about the PSU you have - exact model? and is your Microtek UPS 600 watt or 600VA??

You have to multiply VA rating by the Power factor to get the watt rating. Personally, I would never go for any UPS less than 800VA.

 

[vickybat]

corsair vx550 @ 4.7k is also a very good option. comes with 5 years warranty.

For ups , apc 1kva @ 4.5k will suffice.

 

[ico]

corsair vx550 @ 4.7k is also a very good option. comes with a 5 year warranty.

A few issues here and there: *www.thinkdigit.com/forum/pc-compon...ir-new-vx-tx-series-build-quality-issues.html

Still reliable though.

 

[minotaur]

@ico
its a 600 VA Microtek Heritage + UPS
the current PSU is CM Elite Power 400W

@ Faun, Vickybat

I called up microtek and they sent a technician now who put something in the UPS which he says will regulate the fluctuations better. I dont think I want to get another UPS especially APC as I had a bad experience with them ( the ES 500 is just lying idle after blowing the PCB. It got busted on an older, less powerful system. I don't want to waste money trying to repair it) I feel the Microtek UPS has been able to handle fluctuations better.

 

[coderunknown]

a 600VA UPS won't be able to handle the load of HD6870-6950. and will give a few seconds backup or won't give backup at all. so, do consider a good UPS. get APC. its reliable. most of us use APC for years now. it from experience, it gives far less problem than the other brands.