A Question Of Voltage

[HerrBobo]

Hi All,

I have moved from Europe to the US. After several months of being PC'less I had a brain wave! Why not ship my PC from home to here! Fast forward to now and my PC is sitting in my bedroom. It looks like it survived the trip pretty well. Nothing looks broken or out of place.

Having said that, it will not turn on. I never considered that the US uses 110v to Ireland's 220-240v so I need to by a step up converter. This is proving quite hard to find, but after much search I think I found a place that will convert the 120v in the wall to voltage I need. The issue is that on the back of my pc there is a sticker saying "230v AC Only" All the converters I have seen are rated 220v or 220/240v.

Is ten volts less or more either way going to make a difference? The power supply is 780w if that helps.

Thanks guys!

 

[BoogieManFL]

I doubt 10 volts would make a big difference, but I'm not positive about that so I'd research it more. You could also consider buying a new power supply.. That should work. If you do, don't buy a cheap one. Cheap power supplies are crap. Look for a mid-priced one with good ratings.

Also, if I recall some power supplies have a switch on the back of them that will swap between the two voltage standards. Check on the side inside the case if you don't see one on the back.

Hopefully someone with first hand knowledge can help.


Check out www.newegg.com - they probably have whatever you need either way.

 

[Smooth Operator]

No it makes no difference, your PSU was designed to handle those fluctuations and iron them out. Power lines will always come with a certain percentage of deviation which is why all devices are made to work within the expected range of voltage.

 

[Trippy Turtle]

It should be fine but I wouldn't be comfortable with more any more than 10 volts difference.
I know with laptop chargers and stuff the voltage can be a little off but the current must be exact.

 

[CpT_x_Killsteal]

Have you flicked the little I O switch on the back?

 

[Rattja]

the +/- 10 volts is entirely normal, I often see it and everything should be designed to handle that. Actually most electronics has a minimum tolerance of +/- 5% some even higher, mostly because that extra 10 volts will make little impact on the 12volt it is converted down to. So as far as volts go, it makes no difference.

However my concern would be how it would handle the 60Hz, as it is only 50Hz in 230v systems, so it might be safer just to get a new PSU designed for 110v 60Hz. Normally this should not be a problem, but since a computer is fine electronics I personally would not risk it.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Hi All,

I have moved from Europe to the US. After several months of being PC'less I had a brain wave! Why not ship my PC from home to here! Fast forward to now and my PC is sitting in my bedroom. It looks like it survived the trip pretty well. Nothing looks broken or out of place.

Having said that, it will not turn on. I never considered that the US uses 110v to Ireland's 220-240v so I need to by a step up converter. This is proving quite hard to find, but after much search I think I found a place that will convert the 120v in the wall to voltage I need. The issue is that on the back of my pc there is a sticker saying "230v AC Only" All the converters I have seen are rated 220v or 220/240v.

Is ten volts less or more either way going to make a difference? The power supply is 780w if that helps.

Thanks guys!

if you are feeling iffy about it all, it could be worth it to just get an american compatible PSU

if you have 80 bucks, here is a nice choice for a power supply similar to yours and 80+ gold rating as well

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IUQRPQS/?tag=pcpapi-20

as someone else had mentioned, I'm not sure about the 50-60hz thing, that sounds more troublesome than the voltage difference, maybe google that a bit more?

 

[CrystalShadow]

Hi All,

I have moved from Europe to the US. After several months of being PC'less I had a brain wave! Why not ship my PC from home to here! Fast forward to now and my PC is sitting in my bedroom. It looks like it survived the trip pretty well. Nothing looks broken or out of place.

Having said that, it will not turn on. I never considered that the US uses 110v to Ireland's 220-240v so I need to by a step up converter. This is proving quite hard to find, but after much search I think I found a place that will convert the 120v in the wall to voltage I need. The issue is that on the back of my pc there is a sticker saying "230v AC Only" All the converters I have seen are rated 220v or 220/240v.

Is ten volts less or more either way going to make a difference? The power supply is 780w if that helps.

Thanks guys!

Generally speaking, no. 230 volt equipment is common to most of the world, and definitely all of europe.
However, historically, every country in europe has had slightly different voltage standards, and when '230' volt equipment is designed, this is taken into account.

It's specified as 230 volts because that's the average of all the countried involved, and as a result is considered a european standard.
actual voltages can be anything from 220 to 240 volts. (And most power grids aren't super reliable, so the range of voltages a 230 volt device is expected to work reliably with is even larger. )

If the supply is anywhere in the 220 to 240 volt range, I wouldn't worry about it.
If it's outside that, you may have issues. (And obviously, 110 isn't going to work)

It's surprising though, most computer power supplies can work from either voltage .(110, or 220-240)

the +/- 10 volts is entirely normal, I often see it and everything should be designed to handle that. Actually most electronics has a minimum tolerance of +/- 5% some even higher, mostly because that extra 10 volts will make little impact on the 12volt it is converted down to. So as far as volts go, it makes no difference.

However my concern would be how it would handle the 60Hz, as it is only 50Hz in 230v systems, so it might be safer just to get a new PSU designed for 110v 60Hz. Normally this should not be a problem, but since a computer is fine electronics I personally would not risk it.

Highly unlikely. A computer power supply usually consists of a switched mode power supply converting ac to dc of varying voltages by switching the current on and off at very high frequency.

Many can handle multiple input voltages, and while low quality ones may pass on a bit of noise related to the mains frequency, this won't matter much given that the components in the computer are identical regardless of where you are on the planet.

The power supply already has to convert ac to dc, DC by definition doesn't have a 'frequency', and most methods for converting ac to dc aren't too fussy about the exact frequency of AC.

Not many devices are all that sensitive to the line frequency, though in the past, a few (like old tv's and radios) did rely on it.

Digital electronics do not however, and a computer power supply is very unlikely to contain anything sensitive to a 10 hz frequency change

 

[MirenBainesUSMC]

Probably need to test the PSU --- I would probably side with the posters whom said to basically change out for a new one and see if it works. If it does, you'll have an extra PSU around anyway, could be of use for another build of some kind.

 

[DoPo]

It's surprising though, most computer power supplies can work from either voltage .(110, or 220-240)

There is definitely a lot, but I'm not sure about "most". At any rate, they exist and are common - they have a switch to toggle between 110V and 220V. I'd suggest OP gets one of them, so the PC can work on both sides of the pond with ease. Well, power socket adaptors may be needed or different power cables but both are also common and cheap so whatever. The advantage is that the PC box itself doesn't need anything else to switch from one grid to the other.

 

[HerrBobo]

Thanks for the info. I'm not very good at this kind of thing.

I have found this locally. Would this cut it?
http://marvac.com/detail.aspx?ID=26690

In regards to getting a new PSU, how difficult are they to swap out? Do I need to look at anything in particular?

Thanks again guys.

 

[DoPo]

In regards to getting a new PSU, how difficult are they to swap out?

Not really. It does involve opening your case and doing stuff with the cables inside, so it's going to be as comlicated as those are. More or less. I'd suggest getting a modular PSU, as they reduce the number of cables.

Do I need to look at anything in particular?

It needs to be at least as powerful as your current one. For example, if you currently have a 500W one, you can use that or, say, a 600W one.

Aside from that, they come in modular and "standard" forms - standard has all the cables attached and ready to use, with modular, you can attach what you need - in the vast majority of times, you don't need all of them. The modular PSUs also come in two flavours - full and semi- modular. The difference is that with a full modular PSU all the cables are attachable/detachable, with a semi-modular only most of them. They are both fine - semi-modular PSUs are good enough as the permanently attached cable you always need anyway.

Also, as I mentioned, there are PSUs that come with a 110V/220V switch, so that might be of interest to you.

Finally, don't get the cheapest PSUs. The decent ones aren't that much more expensive.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

In regards to getting a new PSU, how difficult are they to swap out? Do I need to look at anything in particular?

If you go for the new PSU make sure its wattage matches the old one(like said above) and also make sure it has all of the connectors your system needs. (ATX 20/24, CPU 12v, PCIe 6pin/8pin, 4 pin molex and SATA power are the most common of today's plugs.) Guides are online that explain what each one looks like and does. It's not that hard if you take your time.

But really almost every consumer switched-mode PSU (PC units and those lovely wall warts) is designed to work off of dual voltage and 50/60 hertz. It's easier for manufacturers to make one circuit (that senses the correct voltage) and just put the right prongs on for whatever markets they are going to ship to. (And for things like desktop and laptop PSUs, they just put the right mains cord for the market in the box. The socket on the PSU is an international standard rated for every country's voltage.)

If you want to be super safe, take out the PSU. Count the different connections you unplug or don't disconnect them yet if you can pull out the PSU easily. Then check the label on the top to see if it also runs on 110-125V (my area jumps between 120 and 125) and 60 Hz. If says it's ok and it has a switch, swap that over.

Otherwise, you had to pull the PSU to swap it anyways. Make sure to plug everything back in when installing the new one. Most new systems are very relaxed if you forget something, they either won't run or won't recognize hardware if something isn't powered. Before plugging it into the wall, be sure to check PCI cards and memory modules are fully seated in case you knocked something loose, though. Those can still be temperamental, and you don't want to loose the magic smoke they contain. (Also, don't loose screws in the case. Shorts circuits from those can kill even super expensive rigs.)

 

[barbzilla]

Count me in on the boat saying buy a PSU that is compatible with US sockets. It will be well worth it in the end, especially if you buy a quality 1k PSU that you can carry with you to your next rig when this one is biting the dust.

 

[HerrBobo]

Some great info in this thread guys, thanks very much.

After reading the replies and consulting some tech mates I have decided to get a new PSU. I don't want to go too nuts with it. My rig is a few years old at this stage and money is tight (I just moved to a new country after all). I have 8GIG of DDR5 and a 570GS. I think my CPU is a 3.2 Quad core.

I would like to get a at least a 800w and my range is $80-100. It has to be 120v too.

This seems good, but the reviews are very mixed:
http://www.amazon.com/Cool-Power-Gamer-CP-G980-Supply/dp/B004YF9VBG/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1420360288&sr=8-11&keywords=pc+power+supply

This is on the limit of my budget and has great reviews, but I cant tell if it is 120v
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Supernova-Supply-Certified-110-B2-0850-V1/dp/B00KYK1CC6/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1420362293&sr=1-1&keywords=pc+power+supply

Or something like this? Cheap and powerful, but what is the quality like?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA30R29E8082&cm_re=PC_Power_supply-_-9SIA30R29E8082-_-Product

I dunno what direction to go here guys. Anyone got any suggestions?

Thanks for all the help so far, now give me one last push over the line!

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

snip.

whoops stopped checking in on this thread for a while.

120v is standard for US, so any power supply you're buying off a US based website will be compatible, so don't worry about that if the power supply doesn't specifically point it out, it's a given mostly.

I would go with the EVGA one you posted but go a step down:

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-SuperNOVA-80PLUS-Certified-110-B2-0750-VR/dp/B00KFAFRW6/ref=sr_1_17?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1420517450&sr=1-17

11 bucks cheaper for 750w, I can't imagine your computer using more than 400w under max load on that psu, so getting 850w instead of 750w seems like a waste to me, but perhaps you have more shit plugged into that thing than a clark griswold outlet, so who knows.

Spoiler: image for context

Definitely go for something with a good rating, bronze is okay, but I personally am more biased against PSU's that don't have an efficiency rating, they tend to crap out faster in the long run, especially in high load situations. if your PSU shits out on you, it has the potential to fuck up your whole system, so don't skimp, but at the same time you can get nice ones for 70-80 bucks easy (as shown in the link).

 

[HerrBobo]

Thanks for all the info guys. I ended up going with a big brand name and I got a EVGA 850W. Its range is 115v-240v so all good. It is huge and heavy with a bronze rating. Cost $130 with two day shipping.