Getting the Best Buy on a Power Supply @ [H]

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
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Getting the Best Buy on a Power Supply - Best Buy has certainly stepped up its game in the last few years when it comes to better servicing the DIY computer builder or upgrader. But is Best Buy doing you a service a disservice by selling you its own computer power supply?

Our best suggestion to the hardware enthusiast is this. If you end up at Best Buy and have to buy a power supply then and there, you are best sticking to the brand names of Antec, BFGTech, and Thermaltake that Best Buy happens to carry. You will likely “over pay,” but that is a far cry better than getting “under delivered” in terms of the power supply that you will have plugged into all that hardware that cost you your hard earned cash. For the rest of you, if you catch your buddy with a Rocketfish or Dynex PSU stuffed in their case at the next LAN you attend, make sure he is properly ostracized after giving them a link to this review.

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You'd think a major retailer like Best Buy would take some steps to insure quality--but if you think about it, bad power supplies are probably the hardest thing for an average consumer to troubleshoot and therefore will drive the most sales of extended warranties and Geek Squad visits. Unintended side effect?
 
That is a crazy price for a "400" watt PSU that doesn't even push spec :eek:

I almost got some of these, Glad you went over these Kyle. Saved some of my folding boxen from a fiery death ;)

(edit to stay on topic, sorry Kyle)

 
Please keep this thread on topic. Let's not turn it into a "why I hate BB" thread.
 
The only thing I can say about these 2 PSU's is....

DO NOT WANT!!!

I do have to mention, though, that I am using a 500w PSU from a Dynex ATX Mid-Tower Case that I bought for $30 and I've had no issues with it....although honestly I'm only pulling about 100w from the unit with a diskless E2180 folding :rolleyes:
 
The only thing I can say about these 2 PSU's is....

DO NOT WANT!!!

I do have to mention, though, that I am using a 500w PSU from a Dynex ATX Mid-Tower Case that I bought for $30 and I've had no issues with it....although honestly I'm only pulling about 100w from the unit with a diskless E2180 folding :rolleyes:

Might be a good idea to swap with an Antec earthwatts when they are sale before.... well you know ;) That is 100+ watts constant 24/7 From what kyle showed is the review. That's probably a 300 watt max PSU that came with the case and for sustained use.... I'm not sure I'd trust it.
 
i couldn't even read past the intro tag-line, can someone help me understand it?

"But is Best Buy doing you a service a disservice by selling you its own computer power supply?"
 
Great article. I hope you do more reviews like this. In an age where magazines and web publishers are more interested in ad revenue than editorial credibility *coughcnet it's nice to see investigative reporting such as this. Thanks for looking out for us!
 
$164 for the 700w? I just bought a 'hardocp gold seal of approvaled' PCPnP 750w silencer for $139... I'm surprised there isn't some sort of eletronics commitee that should authenticate the claims of all power supplies..

When stamps in the PSU say '650w' and its being sold as a 700w.. Even that alone is false advertising... Lets not forget a fire hazard, or at least a computer risk..

Is there anywhere you guys report to on these types of issues? It would be really cool if Bestbuy saw the 'low quality' of their retail product and recalled them.
 
I've never used those power supplies myself, but I did handle a Dynex 400watt PSU at one point and it looked like junk to me at the time. It seemed light for a 400watt unit.

Generally if a PSU isn't heavy enough to flatten a squirrel its' junk. :D
 
I do have to mention, though, that I am using a 500w PSU from a Dynex ATX Mid-Tower Case that I bought for $30 and I've had no issues with it....although honestly I'm only pulling about 100w from the unit with a diskless E2180 folding :rolleyes:

I haven't done a review for that unit yet but I do have a dead one here that I got from a case combo. Since it is not a stand alone unit I probably won't publish a review of it, but it is not a good unit.
 
Great Review I really liked this line "hodgepodge of scrap metal bolted together in some sort of Frankenstein-like". This review will save me from buying one in an ER Replacement and making the customer wait or pay next day air.

Of course when was the last time I went to BB? I know I have forgot more than Geek Squad. I trained the guy who trained them (New Horizons CLC) and he could not work on his own computer. I can't image they are that great. But they do provide service for some.

Thanks again for the great review!

DM
 
I have one of the Dynex PSU's in my HTPC, and have been happy. However, I paid Employee price for it. Also, I am pulling VERY little power through it (see sig for stats). I have a rocketfish one laying around too, so I may just switch the two and pitch the 400, as I just don't want it to blow up. PLUS the htpc is attached to a 42" plasma...
 
The "Dynex and Rocket Fish" have huge profit margin for best buy. The 80.00 power supply is about 26.00.
 
i always figured the dynex power supplies at FS/BB would be an abomination but i didn't think they would be THAT bad! great review though:)
 
Great Review I really liked this line "hodgepodge of scrap metal bolted together in some sort of Frankenstein-like". This review will save me from buying one in an ER Replacement and making the customer wait or pay next day air.

Of course when was the last time I went to BB? I know I have forgot more than Geek Squad. I trained the guy who trained them (New Horizons CLC) and he could not work on his own computer. I can't image they are that great. But they do provide service for some.

Thanks again for the great review!

DM

Well Best Buy in store technicians don't do much beyond installing upgrades. Anytime they've got actual repair work to do beyond a software fix they send it to their centralized service center. When I worked at the service center there were some good technicians there but the in store techs were all pretty bad.

On another note, I always enjoy the power supply reviews. They are good for finding out which units are worth my attention if I am in the market for a PSU and the bad reviews like this one are always good for a few laughs. It is beyond me how a company could produce such crap and make outlandish claims about its' wattage.
 
Well Best Buy in store technicians don't do much beyond installing upgrades. Anytime they've got actual repair work to do beyond a software fix they send it to their centralized service center. When I worked at the service center there were some good technicians there but the in store techs were all pretty bad.

On another note, I always enjoy the power supply reviews. They are good for finding out which units are worth my attention if I am in the market for a PSU and the bad reviews like this one are always good for a few laughs. It is beyond me how a company could produce such crap and make outlandish claims about its' wattage.
I work at BBY, as both GS and computer sales. While I love it as a job, the results of this review are pretty bothersome. I will be printing and linking this to my managers, maybe we can get some of them off the shelf... especially the Dynex.
I will also be linking it to Blueshirt Nation, the BestBuy networking site.

Thanks for the review!!!
 
Well Best Buy in store technicians don't do much beyond installing upgrades. Anytime they've got actual repair work to do beyond a software fix they send it to their centralized service center. When I worked at the service center there were some good technicians there but the in store techs were all pretty bad.

Not all are bad, I was a instore tech (2nd job and wanted discount). But they do hire many teens with little or no experience. Most will grab a Dynex or Rocketfish first. When I was working there I would usually grab a Antec.

Oh the the GSC has many issues..like not returning ac adapters,formating a drive when requested not to, replacing hdd when asked not to (even if the hdd works fine), losing laptops, suppose to fix an issue only to find the same issue on its return and not contacting customer on est approval and shipping the product back and 2-4 week turnaround time.
 
Not all are bad, I was a instore tech (2nd job and wanted discount). But they do hire many teens with little or no experience. Most will grab a Dynex or Rocketfish first. When I was working there I would usually grab a Antec.

Yes and while certainly over priced the Antec's, BFG's, etc are certainly better choices when at BB.
 
I have one of the Dynex PSU's in my HTPC, and have been happy. However, I paid Employee price for it. Also, I am pulling VERY little power through it (see sig for stats). I have a rocketfish one laying around too, so I may just switch the two and pitch the 400, as I just don't want it to blow up. PLUS the htpc is attached to a 42" plasma...

id pitch them both and pick up and Corsair 450W

from that review nether should be trusted for any PC thats going to on lot and with any real load
 
I had to get a Dynex 400W power supply two years ago. I was on a trip to Canada and had a dying computer, and Dynex was the only choice at Future Shop (owned by Best Buy). Being two years ago the model was a DX-PS400W for $100. I thought it was a ripoff, but there were no other options. They had only one power supply in the whole store.

It did bring the P4 Willy back to life. A year ago it was moved to a Prescott system. Now it's just been replaced because the power supply is unstable and generating memory errrors. So it lasted two years in lightly loaded systems.
 
I wouldn't buy these PSUs (I use Seasonic and PC Power&Cooling) but I have bought a couple of Rocketfish cables for my stereo and the build quality is good and better value than Monster Cable products.
 
Interesting read. I used to work at Best Buy, and I was using a case I bought from them with included power supply branded "Allied."

Granted, I never had a problem with the PSU, Best Buy brands (dynex, rocketfish) are generally cheaper in all categories throughout the store compared to certain known brands (Sony, Samsung, Antec, etc) for a reason.
 
Allieds while top tier Deer/Solytech are still Deer/Solytech so you would want to pass on that as well ;)
 
Wow, its amazing that these things would even exist. I find it hard to believe that anyone who knows enough about putting a PSU into would actually buy one of these things.

Unfortunately, Best Buy is becoming something a a monopoly in brick and mortar computer retail. With the demise of CompUSA, CircuitCity dying, there's not much left on a large scale. There are the local retailers, but they often carry little in stock.

We're forced to do online purchasing, which isn't bad at all, it would just be nice to have a local place to deal with that wasn't trying to kill your PC!:p
 
IMO, BB should have to replace every failing '400W' Dynex for free, considering it is not even a merchantable product for 300W. 'Big box' companies will continue to do this until it is shown that it does not pay. So far, it has paid to screw the consumer like this, and has paid well.
 
Thanks for the review. I have never liked Best Buy for the following reasons...

1) Rebates suck - always have, always will
2) Inconsistent inventory - "better buy two because they will stop carrying it soon"
3) I have witnessed on more than one ocassion their sales people blantantly lying to make a sale or extended warranty sale - "Yeah, this video card has a 1024bit memory interface" "Well if you want to run MS Office you need to buy the faster processor." "You NEED the gold plated Monster brand HDMI cable for 1080P"
4) Geek Squad - "Let us install your AV product for you - $$$"
5) Their coupons have so many exceptions they are not really coupons - "10% off any purchase except for 90% of what we sell"

wtd.gif
 
Dugg! Thanks for the review guys. :)

"Completely destroying our Variac."

That had to hurt. First time I've read about a PSU destroying a Variac.

It's truly disheartening to see many manufacturers producing PSUs that don't live up to their assigned / advertised specifications. I wish there were more regulations in place to keep companies like Huntkey / Dynex from inundating the market with products such as these. But, maybe that's just wishful thinking.
 
Generally if a PSU isn't heavy enough to flatten a squirrel its' junk. :D
ROFL! Don't give Paul any ideas! I heard some other websites use that exact method to test their power supplies. ;)

I bought two of those $20 Dynex cases with the 500W PS, guess I should junk those for something else. Anyone know a good, inexpensive, decent alternative PS for something like a C2D E2xxx/E4xxx series basic system?
 
I'm surprised they are even allowed to produce this product seeing as it does not live up to it's wattage capacity, and has not certifications to prove it can do what it says it does. Is there a ruling body out there that oversees, and (supposed) to prevent this kind of crap hitting the market?
 
I am writing a customer review for these PSUs using some of [H]ard|OCP's findings.

The Dynex has a 3.9 rating out of 5 right now. Lets see if we can lower that.

Here is my submitted review:
reviewdynexde6.png


Best Buy will not allow me to give the product less than 1 star. :(
 
Great reviews, as usual. I'm glad we have sites that provide reliable PSU reviews aside from the "I plugged it in and don't see an issue. A+++WillBuyAgain!" stuff I see from other sites.

I'm glad there's a Radio Shack down the street from me that has a ThermalTake section. It makes it much easier (though not cheaper) when I need a PSU for a quick build or troubleshooting.
 
It's nice that someone finally reviewed some of these store branded PSUs. I've always thought they were dodgy products and this just goes to prove they aren't worth the price you pay for them. Thanks for doing this review!
 
I work for BestBuy as well.

- on the positive side -
We typically use these power supplies to replace bad ones for customers under manufacturer / service plan warranty. i.e. Gateway ships their quad cores with 300w. I would bet that they are around the same quality as many of the factory default PSU. I honestly haven't seen a history of failure with these power supplies.

- negative side -
They are overpriced and they do have a hefty markup. They are made for Bestbuy by a 3rd party Chinese manufacturer low quality. I bet that there are dozens of power supplies identical to this sold under other names besides Dynex / Rocketfish.

- bottom line -
For a gamer or a PC enthusiast we do not recommend that customers purchase these power supplies, these will power a mid to low end machine fine.


Typically these Power Supplies are the cheapest in the store.
Pay a little bit more and get a Antec / Corsair PSU
I personally still do a lot of shopping at Newegg, though Best Buy is getting better at carrying name brand components Thermaltake, Corsair, Antec etc.

* Thanks for the review I will let managers etc know as well.
 
I work for BestBuy as well.

- on the positive side -
We typically use these power supplies to replace bad ones for customers under manufacturer / service plan warranty. i.e. Gateway ships their quad cores with 300w. I would bet that they are around the same quality as many of the factory default PSU. I honestly haven't seen a history of failure with these power supplies.

I'd wager a factory Dell or Gateway PSU is better than these pieces of crap.

- negative side -
They are overpriced and they do have a hefty markup. They are made for Bestbuy by a 3rd party Chinese manufacturer low quality. I bet that there are dozens of power supplies identical to this sold under other names besides Dynex / Rocketfish.

Probably so.

- bottom line -
For a gamer or a PC enthusiast we do not recommend that customers purchase these power supplies, these will power a mid to low end machine fine.

I disagree. These things are a potential fire hazzard. Granted the bulk of them might be ok but there are going to be people out there that will put them in a machine that needs 400watts worth of power or more and they won't be getting what they paid too much for in the first place. Selling a cheap PSU like that doesn't do what it is supposed to do is just not right.
 
Probably a dumb question, but on the Rocketfish 700, why did you overload the 3.3V & 5V rails on test 4? The spec states 3.3V+5V is 170W max, but I calculated your combined load to be 187.8W ((16*3.3)+(27*5))
 
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