[Insaneman1731]

I have a Dell Dimension 5100 and I beleive the power supply went up in it. I was wondering what replacement models will work. I suppose what voltage I need, pin connector...whatever else there is. Thanks.

[Jonathon28]

I'm not sure if this is true but don't Dell use reversed polarity on their power supplies, meaning the wires are ordered differently which would cause extreme damage if a normal atx psu is attatched. They use a non-standard psu and motherboard. However, this was a few years ago, I think it has changed since. Maybe someone else could confirm?

Also are your hard drives and Optical drives SATA or IDE? As they have different power connectors?

[Insaneman1731]

Damn, I didn't think it was going to be this hard. I just need the cheapest thing that will work. I have no idea what I have.

[slipend]

How old is the computer?

Also, have a look inside the case. Are there thin red cables or big fat "ribbon" cables. Depending on these will depend on what Power Supply you should get, although most power supplies cater for both.

[Hybr!d]

Dell don't use standard PSUs, you can fit a generic one but you will need to adapt the rear of your case.

If you want an original call Dell or have a look on eBay.

[Insaneman1731]

Computer is only like 2 years old. I do not know what is looks like because I do not have the computer with me at this time. So a normal one will not work? If not, can someone link me to one off newegg or something that will work for cheap?

[AscottW]

Alright. You have no idea how many hours I've spent on that question. All I wanted was a straightforward answer b/c I was updating my Vid Card and needed to replace the factory power supply.

First off, there's no "power supply type a, b, or c". Power supplies are not standardized like communication ports such as USB, PCI, PCIe, AGP, COMM, ISA, etc. There's a loose bunch of standard-like connections to your motherboard, but no quantifiable standard.

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/power/sup...erboard-c.html

This will explain everything. You may want to print off (in color) this page. or, like me, do it the hard way. (look at the screen, study the diagram and compare to your mobo's (motherboards) power connector (it will be the wire running from the power supply to your mobo).

After 3 or 4 hours of searching (Yes, I am one determined bugger) I finnaly found that I had an SFX type connector.

From what I've read, generic or factory PSU (Power Supply Unit) can be replaced with another one that you don't HAVE to order direct from your PC's manufacturer. Just use caution and research what your doing. Cuz, a fried mobo costs a LOT more than a couple hours of research.

Hope I helped!

The best of luck to ya'
Cheers!

PS, if you could, please pass this information on to others who are having the same trouble....it did get annoying looking at Google page after Google page and not getting anywhere.

[alex]

Originally Posted by AscottW

Alright. You have no idea how many hours I've spent on that question. All I wanted was a straightforward answer b/c I was updating my Vid Card and needed to replace the factory power supply.

First off, there's no "power supply type a, b, or c". Power supplies are not standardized like communication ports such as USB, PCI, PCIe, AGP, COMM, ISA, etc. There's a loose bunch of standard-like connections to your motherboard, but no quantifiable standard.

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/power/sup...erboard-c.html

This will explain everything. You may want to print off (in color) this page. or, like me, do it the hard way. (look at the screen, study the diagram and compare to your mobo's (motherboards) power connector (it will be the wire running from the power supply to your mobo).

After 3 or 4 hours of searching (Yes, I am one determined bugger) I finnaly found that I had an SFX type connector.

From what I've read, generic or factory PSU (Power Supply Unit) can be replaced with another one that you don't HAVE to order direct from your PC's manufacturer. Just use caution and research what your doing. Cuz, a fried mobo costs a LOT more than a couple hours of research.

Hope I helped!

The best of luck to ya'
Cheers!

PS, if you could, please pass this information on to others who are having the same trouble....it did get annoying looking at Google page after Google page and not getting anywhere.

Insaneman: Sorry, just seen the thread.

Ascott: Very very good post. Thanks very much.

[AscottW]

No problem. I hope you found what you needed.