Need a TFX PSU replacement

[tddk25]

Anybody know the cheapest TFX PSUs that aren't bomb alternatives? I don't need the greatest PSU as it will be powering an extremely simple & not-too-regularly used plex server that has an old core 2 quad (like a modern Celeron/Atom). It's in a Gateway SX2800 prebuilt btw.

 

(Edit: I found this PSU from Apevia, but I've heard that their reputation is kinda all over the place, some PSUs being solid, some makeshift bombs. Do you know if this is a solid PSU or makeshift bomb? https://www.amazon.com/Apevia-TFX-AP300W-Standard-Power-Supply/dp/B00LPTY2HM/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1YIPH87AIF4J1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.h2Uu_1g6sIEWJC3Bv7igMoDCvb7kQ2pOw51ugohiNjrcbxXM2XTNZNYK98_g7eBT0tfatNUMfZF8jHTflWDCLw.lTVGTElGI5YSNDNRjjzGfXXYfvEvotUtFEUmtACa8cA&dib_tag=se&keywords=TFX+psu&qid=1705021935&sprefix=tfx+psu%2Caps%2C138&sr=8-5)

Edited January 12 by tddk25

[itsabearcannon]

Go with Silverstone:

https://www.silverstonetek.com/en/product/power-supplies/?filter=TFX_Flex_ATX

 

Their PSUs are GENERALLY reliable on the whole and usually aren't bomb-level even at their worst, although that comes with the obvious caveat that you can never say with certainty that any PSU manufacturer's reputation can be applied to any single product of theirs.

 

The FX500 80+ Gold rated one did get a good review from Anandtech for $150:

 

https://www.anandtech.com/show/16222/the-silverstone-fx500-flexatx-500w-psu-review

 

But it is on the pricier side: https://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Technology-Flex-ATX-Supply-SST-FX500-G/dp/B08JGF6NC1/

 

Cheap on a power supply means lower quality, especially when it comes to oddball form factors like TFX or 1U. You get what you pay for, and if you pay $40 for a TFX power supply you're asking for bomb-level quality.

They do make a cheaper 300W version for $70 that's 80+ Bronze, assuming it's compatible with your parts, but it's based on a much older platform that's six years old at this point so many retailers may just have "new old stock" left:

 

https://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Technology-Computer-Connector-SST-TX300-USA/dp/B07PR7NVWX/

 

 

[tddk25]

4 hours ago, itsabearcannon said:

Go with Silverstone:

https://www.silverstonetek.com/en/product/power-supplies/?filter=TFX_Flex_ATX

 

Their PSUs are GENERALLY reliable on the whole and usually aren't bomb-level even at their worst, although that comes with the obvious caveat that you can never say with certainty that any PSU manufacturer's reputation can be applied to any single product of theirs.

 

The FX500 80+ Gold rated one did get a good review from Anandtech for $150:

 

https://www.anandtech.com/show/16222/the-silverstone-fx500-flexatx-500w-psu-review

 

But it is on the pricier side: https://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Technology-Flex-ATX-Supply-SST-FX500-G/dp/B08JGF6NC1/

 

Cheap on a power supply means lower quality, especially when it comes to oddball form factors like TFX or 1U. You get what you pay for, and if you pay $40 for a TFX power supply you're asking for bomb-level quality.

They do make a cheaper 300W version for $70 that's 80+ Bronze, assuming it's compatible with your parts, but it's based on a much older platform that's six years old at this point so many retailers may just have "new old stock" left:

 

https://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Technology-Computer-Connector-SST-TX300-USA/dp/B07PR7NVWX/

 

 

Thanks these all look like good options! If these end up being out of my budget, would getting the same PSU unused/refurb that came with the Gateway off of Amazon or Ebay work as well, or would it be risky?

[itsabearcannon]

8 hours ago, tddk25 said:

Thanks these all look like good options! If these end up being out of my budget, would getting the same PSU unused/refurb that came with the Gateway off of Amazon or Ebay work as well, or would it be risky?

Depends on how old the Gateway is. The one thing you never want to cheap out on is a PSU, I'll say that much. That Gateway is 10 years old, so the best you'd find for the same PSU is the same 10 year old power supply likely pulled from a new one, and I absolutely would not recommend buying a 10 year old power supply.

 

But why are you trying to salvage a 10-year-old prebuilt in the first place by spending $50-$75 on a new power supply, since you're not going to find a decent quality one much cheaper than that? For sub-$100 you can get a refurbished Optiplex off eBay that will have all the components working and be much newer, more power efficient, and way more performant than a Core 2 Quad machine....

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256340893211

 

This listing, for example, absolutely drubs that old Gateway for the same $75 price as a new quality power supply.

[tddk25]

4 hours ago, itsabearcannon said:

Depends on how old the Gateway is. The one thing you never want to cheap out on is a PSU, I'll say that much. That Gateway is 10 years old, so the best you'd find for the same PSU is the same 10 year old power supply likely pulled from a new one, and I absolutely would not recommend buying a 10 year old power supply.

 

But why are you trying to salvage a 10-year-old prebuilt in the first place by spending $50-$75 on a new power supply, since you're not going to find a decent quality one much cheaper than that? For sub-$100 you can get a refurbished Optiplex off eBay that will have all the components working and be much newer, more power efficient, and way more performant than a Core 2 Quad machine....

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256340893211

 

This listing, for example, absolutely drubs that old Gateway for the same $75 price as a new quality power supply.

We just had the machine laying around collecting dust so I figured we could use it, and we had already replaced the hdd with a new ssd. We were finding a new psu because sometimes it has started to make a buzzing noise during use. But ig it would be more worth it to get an optiplex off of Amazon than risk our safety with a cheap psu.... Thanks for your help!