Hi Guys, Running out of power slightly in my system so I'm looking for a new power supply. This one (an Antec Smartpower II 500w) sounds like a good option but one of the reviews mentions that it may not be backwards compatible? I don't think I'll have problems but will this PSU work with my Gigabyte 2004RZ motherboard? Its a fairly old Socket A one... Cheers! Chris
I don't think it will, the board doesn't have the 4 pin P4, which means it will only use one of the rails. Look for something with a strong +5v rail.
Thanks bbq. Anyone got any suggestions? I'd like something that will be good for an upgrade in the future if possible! Budget of around £30-45. Cheers!
He's moaning that there's no -5V line. Big deal, neither has my Seasonic and it's running a socket 'A' Asus board no problem. Very few things need -5V these days (or even a few years ago). All modern supplies will have the extra 4-pins; like my Seasonic they're on a detachable bit and unclip for older boards. I can't see a problem, the extra pins just share the needed current out over an extra wire, only really needed with very high-current systems - you got dual processors? There are maybe better supplies (Seasonic) but Antec are OK IMO.
No dual processors here, just a 2800+ running a standard clock speed so no massive power requirements! The only reason I need a new PSU is because my 6600GT gets upset by the generic one I've got in there at the moment... I did think it'd be a bit strange for a manufacturer to produce a PSU thats not backwards compatible (its not as if Socket A is that old!) So d'you think I'd be ok with the one I linked to in my first post? Thanks for the advice guys, Chris
The problem with the 4 pin P4 (NOT the 24 pin), is that since your board does not use it, you can only use ONE rail. Try the Corsair VX 450. it's a bit pricier than most other psu's, but it's quiet, has a lot of power (suitable for future upgrades), highly efficient, and single railed.
