Power Supply Cheap Realan Rgeek 24Pin 12V DC 450W Output Mini ITX Pico DC-DC ATX psu

[Piewalker]

I actually jumped on this particular 450w DC-ATX pico more than a month ago in mid-December 2019 when I first saw it on Amazon. After testing that first unit, I got more and I've been using them in 3 different builds with no problems: 2 different S4MINIs and an MC600. All are stable systems, even with overclocks. When in-game on all 3 systems, the watt-meter hovers between 350-400 watts and I've seen occasional spikes up to ~425w or so. It works.

• S4MINI #1 Silver: Zotac RTX 2070 Super Mini + ASUS STRIX X570-i + RYZEN 3700X (65w)
• S4MINI #2 Black: Gigabyte RTX 2070 Mini + ASUS STRIX x470-i + RYZEN 3700X (65w)
• MC600: Sapphire R9 Nano + Asus STRIX X470-i + Ryzen 7 2700X (105w)

For AC power in both the S4MINI #1 and the MC600, I actually use 2 different G-Unique bricks -- both using a single XT90 cable. I cut off the two 5.5 x 2.5 barrel connectors and soldered on a single XT90 male connector. This effectively merges the two cables into one. I felt I could do this since you can see the power inputs actually converge into one anyway at the entry point of the PCB -- that is, the two positive lines converge into the same point and the two negatives converge into a separate point.

Then, I wanted to split the load since the 2070 Super requires 8 + 6-pin PCIe connectors. I used a SATA to PCIe adapter for the 6-pin PCIe connector and the 8-pin PCIe connector that's already on the pico unit. I'm presuming they're on different rails, and even if they're not, I nonetheless wanted to split the load to the GPU because the connector wires are smaller gauge than I'd like. I didn't even want to attempt using a PCIe to 2X 8-pin PCIe adapter.

For AC power in S4MINI #2, I'm actually using those two 240w bricks, so that's AC-DC delivery each of which deliver power via a 5.5 x 2.5 barrel connector. I was skeptical of them at first but I was really surprised that they really do the job. And yes, obviously, using two bricks is not ideal. No brick is ideal. But I can live with this double brick option. I haven't traveled with them yet, but plan to. They're relatively small compared to say a big Dell 330w (or fake Dell 240w) and will fit in my travel backpack just fine.

I don't have an oscilloscope or the know-how to do more extensive testing on these units to see if say there's 1) excessive ripple noise, or 2) determine how the load is being distributed, or 3) what its max capacity and efficiency rating is, or 4) how the unit itself behaves thermally (like, is that aluminum heat-sink is sufficient or is there something else more optimal). Perhaps someone here is willing to do that type of testing and definitively answer these questions.

But I know enough to know that thicker device connector wires are needed. And an additional PCIe 8-pin connector would be very convenient. I know they may not want to encourage powering GPUs that require two PCIe cables like the 2070 Super, but the unit is clearly capable of it.

Thermals -- well, I choose to actively cool the plugin unit itself with a small 50 mm fan in each of my builds, along with another fan directly on the PCIe cables between the ATX unit and the GPU.

But, as far as I can tell based on actual usage, this 450w pico unit is the real deal and unless someone can come up with a compelling reason to discontinue using it, such as long-term component damage or something, I feel safe using it.

 

[Thehack]

I actually jumped on this particular 450w DC-ATX pico more than a month ago in mid-December 2019 when I first saw it on Amazon. After testing that first unit, I got more and I've been using them in 3 different builds with no problems: 2 different S4MINIs and an MC600. All are stable systems, even with overclocks. When in-game on all 3 systems, the watt-meter hovers between 350-400 watts and I've seen occasional spikes up to ~425w or so. It works.

• S4MINI #1 Silver: Zotac RTX 2070 Super Mini + ASUS STRIX X570-i + RYZEN 3700X (65w)
• S4MINI #2 Black: Gigabyte RTX 2070 Mini + ASUS STRIX x470-i + RYZEN 3700X (65w)
• MC600: Sapphire R9 Nano + Asus STRIX X470-i + Ryzen 7 2700X (105w)

For AC power in both the S4MINI #1 and the MC600, I actually use 2 different G-Unique bricks -- both using a single XT90 cable. I cut off the two 5.5 x 2.5 barrel connectors and soldered on a single XT90 male connector. This effectively merges the two cables into one. I felt I could do this since you can see the power inputs actually converge into one anyway at the entry point of the PCB -- that is, the two positive lines converge into the same point and the two negatives converge into a separate point.

Then, I wanted to split the load since the 2070 Super requires 8 + 6-pin PCIe connectors. I used a SATA to PCIe adapter for the 6-pin PCIe connector and the 8-pin PCIe connector that's already on the pico unit. I'm presuming they're on different rails, and even if they're not, I nonetheless wanted to split the load to the GPU because the connector wires are smaller gauge than I'd like. I didn't even want to attempt using a PCIe to 2X 8-pin PCIe adapter.

For AC power in S4MINI #2, I'm actually using those two 240w bricks, so that's AC-DC delivery each of which deliver power via a 5.5 x 2.5 barrel connector. I was skeptical of them at first but I was really surprised that they really do the job. And yes, obviously, using two bricks is not ideal. No brick is ideal. But I can live with this double brick option. I haven't traveled with them yet, but plan to. They're relatively small compared to say a big Dell 330w (or fake Dell 240w) and will fit in my travel backpack just fine.

I don't have an oscilloscope or the know-how to do more extensive testing on these units to see if say there's 1) excessive ripple noise, or 2) determine how the load is being distributed, or 3) what it's max capacity is and efficiency rating is, or 4) how it the unit itself behaves thermally (like, is that aluminum heat-sink is sufficient or is there something else more optimal). Perhaps someone here is willing to do that type of testing and definitively answer these questions.

But I know enough to know that thicker device connector wires are needed. And an additional PCIe 8-pin connector would be very convenient. I know they may not want to encourage powering GPUs that require two PCIe cables like the 2070 Super, but the unit is clearly capable of it.

Thermals -- well, I choose to actively cool the plugin unit itself with a small 50 mm fan in each of my builds, along with another fan directly on the PCIe cables between the ATX unit and the GPU.

But, as far as I can tell based on actual usage, this 450w pico unit is the real deal and unless someone can come up with a compelling reason to discontinue using it, such as long-term component damage or something, I feel safe using it.

You can check how good it is by checking the voltage drop. Go through HWinfo or something, load up the PC, and check the 12v reading. The cheap ones, or the ones I would not recommend, would drop more than 0.4V. ATX specs recommend a 5% regulation, so anything up to 11.4V is okay actually.

The further issue is your two 5.5 barrels, are only safe up to 10A. I understand going a 1-2 amps above the rating, but there is 100% reason why any ac adapter oem worth their salt will put anything more than 120w (10A) on a different connector.

Anyways, keep these in mind. I've done more dangerous things in life than use under-spec wiring though. Haha.

 

[chx]

Necroing this thread, https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32855781435.html if one were to go with one of these to avoid the problems with barrel how would you power it?

Although I guess since it's just a single pair of wires it's not likely to help much, does it :/

 

[Piewalker]

I personally wouldn't use that type of Molex power connector. I prefer XT90. Here's how I did mine for one of my S4 MINI's. First, I purchased the "terminal hook" style interface, which seems to have more robust wiring than the barrel connector version and was easy to splice to large-gauge wires of my own, then use an XT90 connector to interface with the power supply. The 24-PIN pico DC-ATX I used is one of the same models we discussed earlier in the thread: RGEEK 450W 24Pin 12V UT1.5-4 Input Peak 450W Output Realan Mini ITX Pico PSU DC ATX PC Switch DC-DC ATX Power Supply - see it here at Aliexpress. They have 2 versions, the barrel connector and this terminal style.


I got a typical platinum-rated server power supply that's very common with mining rigs, the HP 1200W DPS-1200FB-1 A Platinum (900W for 120V input) or HP 1200W DPS-1200SB-A CS PLATINUM PLUS (900W for 120V input). You can get these for less than $30.00 on eBay.

I also got a commonly-used breakout board that interfaces with the PSU gold finger and has 12V and Ground terminals. The one I got is GIGAMPZ -- the one with an ON/OFF switch, but there are a bunch of different breakout boards for that model.

And I used some vinyl carbon fiber style covering and hot gunned it to the PSU. I'm perfectly fine having this style of PSU because I don't have pets or small children in the house and I love that for less than <$30 I can power a decently-powerful gaming system with an RTX 2070 Super MINI. AND it's 80 Plus Platinum. Used, sure, but the fan isn't loud AT ALL because the power draw is 400-500W, so about half of what it's rated for. The brick will still get toasty after a couple hours of gaming, but it's fine. From a 120V US Outlet, it's essentially a super high quality 900W 80 plus platinum power supply with over-voltage protection. Very happy I went this direction because it powers the X570 + Ryzen 3700X + RTX 2070 Super perfectly.

In my S4MINI setup below, you can see I simply wired the PSU via XT90 connectors -- an XT90 splitter with a direct power supply to the GPU (ZOTAC RTX 2070 Super MINI) and the line directly powers the RGEEK 24 PIN PICO DC-ATX unit. It's been very stable this way. I previously tried feeding the GPU from the output connectors on the Pico unit, but I had crash after crash. Direct 12V power to the GPU is best with the caveat that as long as the PSU switch is ON, the GPU only is also ON. I simply power everything on from the PSU and pressing the power button wired to the motherboard simultaneously and I've never had bad sync problems. This way the GPU can get its power directly from the PSU without having to go through the PICO first.

 

[innovandrew]

What's the quality though? I'm all for cheaper components, but there is definitely a line to draw when powering a couple hundred dollars worth of equipment.

I thought the same about the 250W one they make, so I ordered one and tried it out. The seller sent electrical design info on request.

Once it was in my hand I realized it looks a lot cheaper than it feels.

I absolutely whipped it through stress tests and tried very hard to push it over the edge. It remained stable in hours of hammering and was not getting too hot at all.

Then I bought a bulk dozen and it officially replaced the PicoPSU 150/160XT as the standard. I'm given no choice, because mini-box can for some reason not make one with an 8-pin CPU connector. No motherboard in sight with 4 pin anymore.

I have sold several PCs with these. The first was almost two years ago. Not a single problem yet.

I don't know about the 400W, if I needed that power, I'd be budgeting a lot more for it.

But for a 65W TDP i5 system, the 250W product they make is better than neatly everything up to and including the $60+ PicoPSU, with I reiterate, do not have the connectors today's boards require. The 250W solved a market problem. It's prices vary wildly too. $25 on Alibaba. $40 on Amazon if you need it any sooner than a month.

 

[Thehack]

I thought the same about the 250W one they make, so I ordered one and tried it out. The seller sent electrical design info on request.

Once it was in my hand I realized it looks a lot cheaper than it feels.

I absolutely whipped it through stress tests and tried very hard to push it over the edge. It remained stable in hours of hammering and was not getting too hot at all.

Then I bought a bulk dozen and it officially replaced the PicoPSU 150/160XT as the standard. I'm given no choice, because mini-box can for some reason not make one with an 8-pin CPU connector. No motherboard in sight with 4 pin anymore.

I have sold several PCs with these. The first was almost two years ago. Not a single problem yet.

I don't know about the 400W, if I needed that power, I'd be budgeting a lot more for it.

But for a 65W TDP i5 system, the 250W product they make is better than neatly everything up to and including the $60+ PicoPSU, with I reiterate, do not have the connectors today's boards require. The 250W solved a market problem. It's prices vary wildly too. $25 on Alibaba. $40 on Amazon if you need it any sooner than a month.

You can use a 4 pin cpu cable in the 8 pin motherboard just fine.

There is no difference between 4 and 8 pin usage unless your cpu uses more than 200w.

 

[Jello]

Yeah. if you're running a 65W CPU you don't need all 8 pins of the EPS(?) connector. Even some Z170 itx boards came with only 4 pin connectors, and those were boards that allow overclocking.

 

[titk]

@Piewalker i know im a little late to the the party but i have been beyond frustrated trying to use any ac-dc options with my rgeek 450w. For more details i have a watercooled lazer3d lz7 i am currently working on, and my computer resets when under any load past ~300W resulting in the event 41 kernel power notification. With the rgeek 450w i have tried 2x dell DA-2 bricks in parallel as @REVOCCASES has done in the past, and that didn’t work, issue remained. Then i triens 600, 800, and 1200W 12v SMPS ac-dc units like the ones you showed and OP used, and issue still remains. My specs are rtx 2060, r5 5600x, 32gb ddr4 3200mhz, 2x m.2 drives, 1 case fan, and a aorus x570i. And i have been having this issue prior to watercooling aswell.

 

[Thehack]

@Piewalker i know im a little late to the the party but i have been beyond frustrated trying to use any ac-dc options with my rgeek 450w. For more details i have a watercooled lazer3d lz7 i am currently working on, and my computer resets when under any load past ~300W resulting in the event 41 kernel power notification. With the rgeek 450w i have tried 2x dell DA-2 bricks in parallel as @REVOCCASES has done in the past, and that didn’t work, issue remained. Then i triens 600, 800, and 1200W 12v SMPS ac-dc units like the ones you showed and OP used, and issue still remains. My specs are rtx 2060, r5 5600x, 32gb ddr4 3200mhz, 2x m.2 drives, 1 case fan, and a aorus x570i. And i have been having this issue prior to watercooling aswell.

The rgeek "450W" is more like a 250W unit. You can tell it's not engineered correctly because it uses 2x barrel connectors. Barrel connectors are limited to 10A, so 2 x 10A x 12V = 240W. I would never rate this as a "450W" as stock. You get what you pay for, especially with companies that have a track record of advertising a very generous rating. I would expect that the main issue with this one, is that you got the low end of their rating. There are a lot of variables when assembling PCBs. Usually you would design a safety factor built in, and then you'd de-rate it down to what it can able to safely and reliably work at.

I also would not recommend using 2x PSU unless they were designed for parallel load balancing.

 

[Overtek]

450W..... for 0.00000001 nano seconds.

As you will hear again and again, they are beyond over specified.

I load tested one some years ago and it didn't make its power load rating before it coughed and died.

I expect as your load increases the output voltage is dropping to low and hence what happens happens.

I see a similar thing load testing an ENP-7520 200W Enhance flex atx psu. At 265W load and above we see output voltage start to drop before psu protection shuts that down.

Maybe try a long pico box psu?

 

[titk]

The rgeek "450W" is more like a 250W unit. You can tell it's not engineered correctly because it uses 2x barrel connectors. Barrel connectors are limited to 10A, so 2 x 10A x 12V = 240W. I would never rate this as a "450W" as stock. You get what you pay for, especially with companies that have a track record of advertising a very generous rating. I would expect that the main issue with this one, is that you got the low end of their rating. There are a lot of variables when assembling PCBs. Usually you would design a safety factor built in, and then you'd de-rate it down to what it can able to safely and reliably work at.

I also would not recommend using 2x PSU unless they were designed for parallel load balancing.

Then what would you recommend for my case? i was very much aware about the two 10A limit connectors and that is as to why i replaced them with one that can support the Current. see below for my case and space constraint for psu, i do have a SF450 as a spare PSU that i was previously using in the lazer3d LZ7 but removed due to space constraints now that i am watercooled. I have seen the products you offer and would any of those work for my case? my last resort would be keeping the sf450/sf600 under the desk and using extension cables through the back of the case.