Small ATX PSUs

[Tannin]

Anyone know anything about smaller than standard ATX power supplies? I have a machine I need to replace the PSU in, that (curse it!) takes a more-or-less normal ATX PSU except that it is only 100mm deep instead of the standard 150mm. (I think a number of the vomit box makers use these too.)

What is this called?

Where do I buy one in Oz?

If I can at least find out the proper name for it, I can search the web to find a supplier.

Thanks guys!

 

[Cliptin]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=power+supply+form+factor

http://www.formfactors.org/formfactors/form_factors.htm

 

[Tannin]

Thanks Cliptin. I've been to formfactors.org already, and the site is useless for this sort of purpose. They have a goodly number of PDF downloads and they turn out to be full of arcane stuff about electrical interference specification for the EEC and precise distances between the screw holes (none of which matters unless you want to go into business making power supplies) but don't have a page anywhere which tells you what you need to know if you just want to buy one, as opposed to manufacture it. A very badly designed site, alas. I'll keep hunting.

 

[Cliptin]

Are you sure it's not an SFX PS? Standard SFX depth is 125mm to 140mm for ATX.

 

[Tannin]

I don't think so. Standard ATX measures 150 X 140 X 86mm, this one is 150 X 100 X 86. I've seen this size before from time to time, I think Compaq used to use them in their K6/2 mini-tower systems (and possibly still do). According to the ever-excellent PC Guide (which your slightly different Google search terms threw up, where mine didn't), SFX is 100 X 125 X 63.5. But that might just do, come to think of it. I could make up a bracket or fill in the extra space letf in the PSU cage easily enough. A bit sloppy, doing it like that, but if I can't find the right size, it might be best. I'm off to search for an Australian supplier of SFX PSUs.

 

[Buck]

Is this a PSU for Flex-ATX system or a ITX system? ITX systems only support VIA CPUs.

 

[Tannin]

It's one of the tedious smaller-than-ATX forms, Buck, probably Flex or Micro. (Aside from situations like this, I neither know nor care about the damn things - they are all pox. A big case is a good case. Except in the case where a small case is a good case, of course.) But I daresay it's Flex ATX, as it takes a standard smaller-than-ATX main board that also fits in a full-size ATX cse.

The system is a Palladine LCD PC, now out of warranty. They have an agency in Australia, but I'm working on the assumption that they will (as these sorts of places do) take forever to respond. I've started the ball rolling through my supplier, but I figure that the Lord helps those who help themselves. (Or at least those that ask for help on Storage Forum.) I want to have it back to my customer before Christmas if I can, cause if I don't, she will have to wait till the wholesalers open up again in the new year.

 

[Tea]

Answer Buck's question, you old fool! Yes, Buck, it's nothing that is VIA specific. It currently has a Duron 700 in it.

 

[Buck]

Interesting systems. Who makes the PSU or what does the label say on it?

 

[Tea]

CWT Channel Well Technology
Model: CWT-150SFX (PS3C)

Ths suggests that it is indeed an SFX form PSU, but the dimensions are wrong.

sigh

 

[Buck]

CWT lists this Model number under their Micro-ATX power supplies.

 

[time]

I'm back too late today, but I'll check with a supplier tomorrow that I think should have them.

 

[Tannin]

I emailed Palladine an hour or two ago, more in hope than expectation. To my surprise they replied right away, telling me that:

The power supply is a normal PSU with PSIII dimension. It should be available in most computer store. Have you contacted the company below :-
Impact Systems Technology Pty Ltd Tel : 02 9621 2999

If you are still facing difficult to locate one, kindly provide the serial no. of the Palladine and we will be able to support you.

In general I regard email support as unlikely to produce much of value, but in this case the fast response was great. (Nice to be in the same time zone as the supplier, for a change - they are based in Singapore.) Full marks to Palladine on this score.

I've never heard of PSIII before! I've seen them, didn't know the proper name till now. I'll call Impact Sytems in Sydney in the morning and it sounds as though they should have them. Till then, Time, hang fire please. I'm sure you have enough to squeeze into your day already. If I don't get anywhere, I'll get back to you.

I'll post again with the results of this.

By the way, the Palladine LCD PC is a beautiful little unit, really light and ideal for the lady who belongs to it. She didn't want the expense and fiddly nature of a notebook, but wanted to be easily able to swap locations. She spends a week or three at her beach house quite often, and just wanted to be able to carry the PC around. The LCD unit can be carried in one hand (even if you are elderly), has a 15" TFT screen, and the only extras she needs to take with it are power cable, keyboard, and mouse. Much easier than carting a tower and a monitor around.

Alas, the price you pay for the compact size is that they are hell to work on. Really, really difficult. I've had to completely disassemble it to get the old PSU out, and expect it will take me an hour or more to get it back together when the new one arrives. Such is life.

 

[James]

http://www.dansdata.com/lcdpc.htm

 

[Tannin]

Good link James. Thankyou. Let me summarise it with Dan's thoughts, edited more than slightly for length.

Cramming the tray back into the case ... is awkward. You have to fold the floppy and IDE cables under the motherboard plate, and plug in the motherboard power cable when the board's partially inserted ... it ain't no fun to work on ... it's solid enough, but there are sharp edges all over the place ... it'd be quite possible to shear something by carelessly reassembling the LCDpc ... Palladine claim that "the chassis design provides much easier access to all internal components than with traditional PCs", which is a bunch of hooey. Traditional PCs do not require you to drag cables through small gaps just to build a basic three-drive machine, and they let you access the RAM, cards and CPU for upgrade purposes ... if assembling PCs were my job, I'd much rather be assembling them in a bigger, conventional box ... annoying to work on compared with ordinary PCs. You don't want to do it. Trust me. If you know what you're doing, assembling your own LCDpc is not excruciatingly painful, but it's not easy ... not a computer a beginner should work on.

It's an interesting little beastie, this thing. I wouldn't mind using one all day. But count me out if it needs an upgrade, OK?

That's pretty much the way that I feel about it too.

 

[Cliptin]

I've never heard of PSIII before!

Me neither. Judging by the pictures here I don't think a standard SFX would fit.