Here’s another reminder not to skimp on that PSU and to purchase one from a recognizable, reputable brand.
Over on the pcmasterrrace subreddit, a user by the name of “RedditCringe990” has shared photos of their Equites PSU after opening it up (which, by the way, can be pretty dangerous) and realizing that there was a mysterious block of iron fillings in there, apparently to make the unit seem more heavy and higher quality than it really was.
“lol if you’re gonna get anything brand name, it should be the PSU,” reads a top post from lordfappington69, prompting others to chime in about how a power supply is the most important part of a build, particularly for those who don’t enjoy house fires.
And as if that wasn’t bad enough, the photos from RedditCringe990 also provide a look at some of the PSU’s other components, which, according to some, are as laughable as the fillings themselves:
“That is not a 500W PSU. In fact, I’d barely call it a PSU,” explained Hattix.” It has no input protection, no output protection, doesn’t seem to have an OCP controller (you’d see the shunts) or anything a PSU needs. Heck, there’s no class-Y capacitor, no inrush limiting, and I’m fairly sure those two resistors aren’t discharge resistors.”
“If you add up its current output, it can do 168 watts on 12 V, 70 watts on 5V, and 43 watts on 3.3V, which gets you to 281 watts. This is a common total for a 250 wat PSU: Even its label says it is not 500 watts!,” they added.
“Best used with salt, a stake, and a lawyer. Do not use that PSU,” Hattix concluded, prompting someone else to say that “this guy PSUs.”
According to some of the listings for the Equites T500 that can be found online, this is a “500W” power supply that claims to offer the following features:
- 80 PLUS CERTIFIED
- INTELLIGENT TEMPERATURE CONTROL
- SILENT 120MM FAN WITH FAN GUARD
- 105°C INDUSTRIAL JAPANESE CAPACITORS
- PROTECTION FROM OVER CURRENT, OVER VOLTAGE, AND SHORT CIRCUIT
- BUILT & DESIGNED FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE
- RCM CERTIFIED
The PSU can seemingly be purchased for as little as $35, which might explain why there’s iron fillings in it, among other weirdness.