Fake PFC Made of Cement

[quantumfall]

I know some PC PSUs are built to a price but this is crazy  http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/blog/Hantol-PSU-Fake-PFC-Made-of-cement/220

[nanofrog]

Reminds me over-sized metal cans over undersized transformers, where the empty space was filled with sand or something to make buyers believe there was a hefty PSU section (early '80's IIRC).

[mikeselectricstuff]

This Fake Dell PSU had a bunch of metal strips to add weight.

[quantumfall]

You have to wonder why we have any standards at all when this crap gets into the market.

[saturation]

Although other countries counterfeit, China has taken it to new highs.  Good photo from transformers or coils in SMPS, found in the OP links:

[G7PSK]

Wonder how much they save by making a coil with all those lamination's and then making the winding's from cardboard cant be much the labor is about the same or even more the amount of copper is not that much and coils do not need to be copper many are made of aluminium, it can only be cents on each unit, and one certainly does not want jail time in China. 

[firewalker]

You can buy/steal/recycle rejected part from factories and use them in such a way.

Alexander.

[quantumfall]

We do it with politics and finance

[AlphZeta]

Wow, I am speechless...

In general, I don't have problems with products that cut corners to save cost---as long as they don't try to hide anything. But this really got you wonder how far they can push....

[quantumfall]

It would be interesting to know how much of this there is.  If its in the 1KW PSU for $35 stuff its buyer beware, common sense.

Its when it gets in the critical stuff we need to really worry.

[AntiProtonBoy]

It's funny and infuriating at the same time. Feel sorry for the poor bastards, that get sucked in by this.

[Rufus]

as long as they don't try to hide anything. But this really got you wonder how far they can push....

Chinese mentality. It looks OK and still works, not quite as well as it should, but, this design improvement doubles our profit margin and we think it would be quite unreasonable for you not to accept it.

[nanofrog]

In general, I don't have problems with products that cut corners to save cost---as long as they don't try to hide anything. But this really got you wonder how far they can push....

Problem is, most doing this sort of crap do seem to do their very best to hide it.     

[M. András]

i can imagine the R&D cost of these fake stuffs

[Pentium100]

PFC in a PC power supply does not really matter, though if the PFC coil is fake, the rest of the power supply is most likely not very good either.

[T4P]

PFC in a PC power supply does not really matter, though if the PFC coil is fake, the rest of the power supply is most likely not very good either.

Actually nowadays as power supplies get bigger but remain ATX size , they need more efficiency , to avoid big heatsinks and a massively loud fan at the same time .
Like i have seen actual 95% in decent supplies . but yeah PFC does matter and if it is fake , no doubt about the caps 
actually 1000W is a nominal figure seen in power supplies nowadays and at 95% 1000W is of course 50watts heat .
And now 1500W supplies are getting mainstream and as they get closer to the max 110V power of 16amps(i think) they need to keep it down
( And by the way , what is the max current you lovely folks from the states getting at the plug ? )

[AlphZeta]

( And by the way , what is the max current you lovely folks from the states getting at the plug ? )

If I remember correctly, building codes dictate the maximum allowed current for the home 120 outlet to be 20Amp.

[ejeffrey]

If I remember correctly, building codes dictate the maximum allowed current for the home 120 outlet to be 20Amp.

It depends on the wiring.  12 gauge copper for 20 amps, 14 gauge for 15 amps.  Most new installations are 20 amps, but there is still a lot of 15 amp wiring out there.  The outlets are the same in either case, and always rated for 20 amps, but the fuses/circuit breakers have to be chosen to match the wire gauge.

[rsjsouza]

Here in the US the wiring varies on the age of the house. Mine has 15A breakers.

Back in Brazil the standard also mandates 15A for regular outlets, but depending on the region of the country the system is either 110V or 220V (single phase, 60Hz) - thus different classes of power.

[T4P]

I see , thanks , no wonder power supplies that are designed for the entire world is limited to 1650VA power draw .

[siliconmix]

This Fake Dell PSU had a bunch of metal strips to add weight.

you could work a few hf amateur bands with that tx 

[PStevenson]

I've given up being annoyed by that stuff, now I just find it funny - I however feel the need to take my computer apart and check.

[mariush]

Romania .... here as far as I remember, the wall sockets are 230v 10A, the power strips are pretty much the same.

I wouldn't trust the wires inside the walls to carry that much in older houses though.

The Americans with their puny 110v... I feel sorry for them.

[RJSC]

Portugal 230V @ 16A (3.68 kW) maximum per outlet , but the code allows up to 8 outlets on the same 16 amp circuit, so, if you draw 16A on one outlet, you cant draw anything else on the remaining outlets who share the same breaker.

It a pitty though that most houses only have a 15A contract... The power company circuit beaker always flips before the individual circuit brakers do. 

Here we have to pay monthly for what they call "Available Power" even if you don't use a single kWh! It's insane!
Then off course, on top of that Availability Tariff you pay per kWh used.

Here is the table:
Power              Price (Month)
1.15   kVA        2.29€
2.3     kVA           4.03€
3.45   kVA        5.33€
4.6     kVA        6.92€
5.75   kVA           8.50€
6.9     kVA        10.09€
10.35 kVA        14.85€
13.8   kVA        19.60€
17.25 kVA           24.36€
20.7   kVA           29.12€

What other countries use this "available power" billing scheme?

[slateraptor]

Romania .... here as far as I remember, the wall sockets are 230v 10A, the power strips are pretty much the same.

I wouldn't trust the wires inside the walls to carry that much in older houses though.

The Americans with their puny 110v... I feel sorry for them.

Where's Romania again? Oh, that's right...