cmptch wrote:... We had a couple weeks in my store with nothing but e-machines with bad powersupplies. ...
I've had my own problems with e-machines.
Of the ones I've worked on, the power supplies are always some odd wattage, usually much smaller than anything else I've seen, which means that they must work at peak capacity 100% of the time that they're on.
If anything works at peak capacity (or beyond) long enough it's going to develop problems and finally fail. I much prefer a computer with a power supply that is larger than required as it then doesn't have to work as "hard". It
doesn't have max current coursing through it causing max heat, which causes component value creep, which causes changes in circuit values, etc.
If I have a choice, I would get a power supply that has at least twice the capability needed for the current machine. That way it should not only run cooler but will provide enough extra power that future upgrades won't be a big problem due to lack of power.