Advice on buying a power supply for a G5 mod

[2-4-5 Trioxin]

I already have a power supply, but I'm looking to upgrade to a quieter one in the near future. My plan is to move its components into the G5 power supply box (after I gut it), but I was wondering if there was anything I should look for when buying one. All of the PSU mods I've seen seem to have modular plugs on them, and I was wondering if it was something that would be advisable to go with in my search for a PSU.

These are the two I'm looking at now:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171036

I'd like to hear what you guys think. I'm not going with a higher wattage since I don't need a ton of power to run my machine. I'm already running a 550 watt, and the only hardware upgrade I have any interest in is adding a SSD, which it could easily handle. I'm mainly looking for one that's best for my mod that also comes at a good price. It stinks having to leave my beautiful new G5 mod open with the PSU sitting next to it.

 

[tippmann32503]

I did/am doing the same thing. I bought the OCZ 600w modular (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817341017) and it fits just fine. Im still working on fastening the boards (psu and modular panel) down, but that's just a matter of actually getting it done. I rewired the original power socket onto it to replace the black one and removed the switch as well. I know some people have kept the switch and outlet and just wired up an extension cord, but those are just options which are up to you. I'm hoping to get my post of the work up on here, but been way too busy lately. If you've got questions, just let me know.

 

[2-4-5 Trioxin]

I just bought the one you have. I figured I'd do the safe thing and get one that I know will fit into the G5 PSU case (and because I got a great deal for one on eBay with my eBay bucks). Thank you for your input.

 

[tippmann32503]

No problem. I modified some standoffs to get it to the exact height that I was looking for, but that's really not a difficult thing to do at all (provided you've got a decent pair of hands to work a sander with lol).

 

[2-4-5 Trioxin]

I plan on cutting a hole in the top plate for a 120mm fan, but I'd also like to get those 60mm fans on the front side of the PSU case working. Should I just modify the wires (if so, I'd like suggestions on the best way I should go about it) or can I just stick some generic 60mm fans on there without modding?

 

[tippmann32503]

I didn’t keep the stock fan on the PSU, only because I wanted to keep it as original looking as possible. That being said, I replaced the stock fans on the front with a pair of silenx’s (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835191005), and am putting 2 more on the back end inside the housing to move the air as much as possible since I didn’t have that honking 120mm fan on the top. Since I was greatly reducing the CFM, I knew that I would need the fans to be running at full blast to try and match the original fan output as much as possible so fan control wasn’t going to be an issue for me. That being the case, the fans are still dead silent running at full blast so that makes things even better.

However, since you’re planning on keeping the stock fan on the top (which is also pretty quiet), I doubt you’d even need the other fans if you choose to go that route.

 

[2-4-5 Trioxin]

One last question (thanks for being so helpful). The PSU has a blue and brown wire soldered onto the board, the blue one is next to an "N" which I'm guessing means neutral, and a brown wire is next to an "L" that probably means live. I'd like to keep the original plug socket that came with my G5 PSU, but I'd like to know more about its wires. The green is clearly the ground wire, but it also has one black wire and one white wire. I don't want to peel off the heat-shrink just to see which prong they're attached to, so I was hoping you would know which one is the live wire. I've read that the black wire is the live one in the US scheme, but I just wanted to see what you had to say on the matter. Also, the gauges of the wiring of the two PSUs are different. The G5's PSU was 450 watts, and the wires are a bit thinner, and the 600 watt OCZ PSU has thicker wires. Can I just connect them, or do I absolutely have to swap out the thinner wires on the G5 PSU side?

 

[eelhead]

Have a look at this thread viewtopic.php?f=76&t=58061

Also you can leave your socket be and run a jumper to the G5 socket. There is enough room on the inside there to hide it and I do believe they sell the three prong male plug with an open wire end that is color coded for you to hook up to the G5 socket.
If that is what your trying to figure out.

Also see here for more info,
viewtopic.php?f=76&t=41145

 

[tippmann32503]

The difference in gauges is directly related to the amount of amps that they are rated to hold. You can attach a lower gauge (bigger wire) to the smaller PSU, but not vice versa. Since the G5 is only a 450, I would solder the original wires from your OCZ straight to the G5 outlet. I was lucky in the fact that both of the PSU's were 600W, but if you're only going to reuse the socket, it **shouldnt** be a big deal.

In regards to which pole you should connect the brown and blue wires to, the brown one should be soldered to the left pole if you were inside the psu looking out. I made sure to keep the ceramic capacitors attached as well.


*This is my disclaimer to you-I can't be held responsible for any electrical work that you do. This is just based on my experiences, and what I have done/would do in your situation.

 

[2-4-5 Trioxin]

I've run into another issue while trying to de-solder the two PSU plug receptacles. The iron I bought won't even make a dent in the crap they put on both of them. This is the tool I'm using: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062731

Do I need something more powerful?