Topton Pentium N6005 router/firewall unit - how to tell if my power brick is counterfeit?

[LizardSpock]

I just received one of the Topton Pfsense type router/firewall boxes that were reviewed on the site (Fanless 4x 2.5GbE Intel N5105 i225-V Firewall Tested). Since Patrick mentioned the power bricks several times in the review I looked a bit closer at the one I received. It's labeled Samsung, but the build quality is very suspect and the label doesn't look quite right. The plastic feels cheap and has what looks like either molding defects or marks from being used. When I tried to find photos of a genuine 12V/5A Samsung power brick online I got zero results, even on Google image search, so maybe Samsung doesn't even make an adapter like this. Maybe it was in fact made for some Samsung product and Topton got a batch of leftovers.

Does anyone know how to tell whether this is a good adapter or if I should buy a different one? Patrick mentioned the power draw being different but I'm not sure what power draw I should expect with this particular unit.

 

[rotor]

Just assume it is fake, I think there is a 99.999% likelihood it is fake. I'm very fussy about power supplies (they are a massive fire hazard) so I wouldn't use the ones these systems are coming with.

 

[andrea87]

Assume it's fake. there's a grand market on alibaba/taobao for cheap power supplies with reputable brands names.

I've got a similar unit, see this post and the ones following I wrote in the i225 mini pc thread. My psu is branded as a "LiteON" 12V 4A, but the ocp kicks in at 3.95A. Not to mention the efficiency I was able to measure was usually below 82%, instead of the 87-89% of the genuine parts.

A good replacement might be a medium power Meanwell PSU, have a look at the LRS series. The LRS-100-12 is a 100W, 88% efficient unit that goes around 17€.

 

[LizardSpock]

I've got a similar unit, see this post and the ones following I wrote in the i225 mini pc thread. My psu is branded as a "LiteON" 12V 4A, but the ocp kicks in at 3.95A. Not to mention the efficiency I was able to measure was usually below 82%, instead of the 87-89% of the genuine parts.

I can't decide if I'm glad that I read your previous post or not. Now I feel like I need to take my unit apart and inspect the thermal paste... haha..

 

[Oarman]

I have the same 'Samsung' unit from Topton. I also searched when I got it and could find no internet evidence Samsung ever used that part number, and image searching only led back to AliEx. Mine came with an N5105 box but I'm currently using it on my J6413 one and it worked fine on both, I have no instabilities and to date it has not burned my house down. If it makes you feel better, mine has a different serial number.

 

[TombaWaterHouse]

Which ac/dc adapter one should consider buying instead?

 

[blubba]

Which ac/dc adapter one should consider buying instead?

Mean Well is known for making high quality adapters with high efficiency (e.g GST60 - 12V5A has an efficiency of 89.5,%). Not sure what kind of specs (V/A/W) you need but just head over to Mean Well Desktop Power Supplies and use the filters to find an appropriate adapter and buy it from wherever it's the cheapest.

 

[TombaWaterHouse]

Mean Well GST60A12-P1J

Mean Well GST60A12-P1J AC-DC Industrial desktop adaptor; Output 12Vdc at 5A; 3 pole AC inlet IEC320-C14

www.meanwell-web.com

Like this one for an Topton N5105?

 

[blubba]

If the one you got provided with the device is a 60W (e.g. 12V5A) adapter that should work. Just check the specs of what you received and search for something equivalent. There are many alternatives, cheaper as well, but with Mean Well you can be sure that you're getting a quality device.

 

[andrea87]

Anything above 50/60W should be fine. That box should not draw anything more than 35-40W under full load so you'll get a fair bit of headroom for future expansion.

Have a look in your marketplace for what's at the best price. On Amazon I've found the LRS-100-12 at just 17€. While it's oversized for the mini pc itself, it will handle without issues a couple other devices. My plan has been all along to replace the plethora of plug packs with a single device that powers everything - switches, IoT stuff, ONT and so on.