Summary: My six year old Dell wouldn't turn on one day, so suspecting a power supply failure. I ended up selecting the EVGA brand based on Amazon and other website ratings/reviews.
Background: I did some troubleshooting on the power supply, opened it up looking for smoked components but didn't find any. I also did a deep clean on CPU cooler and fan, which was actually pretty dirty. After reassembling, found that the power supply and computer overall was more stable (no more odd won't turn on issues). I still decided to replace the power supply instead of waiting for it to fail, and be stuck w/o a computer.
Dell XPS 8920 specifics: One area where I ran into an issue was the ATX_CPU plug. The older Dell power supply D460AM-03 has a 4-pin connector, but the newer computers need more power, so that has been changed to a 8-pin. The 8pin, identified as 4+4 (e.g. the connector is split in half), and for 4-pin plug (older) motherboards, you only use one side. Be warned, that one is correct, and the other is incorrect. When you hold the connectors side by side, with the clips facing toward you, plug facing away from you, wires toward you), it's the LEFT side plug. The plugs have two different male inserts, one is completely square, and the other has two corners rounded off, which prevents the plugs from being inserted incorrectly. Take an extra minute to get a good look at the motherboard side, as extra assurance you have the right plug. Definitely do not force it in, because you'll damage the plug and/or the CPU side jack.
Observations: I spent quite a bit of time reading about different power supplies, as well as trying to understand the white / bronze / gold. I think it basically comes down to warranty. I selected the Gold based on a warehouse deal price. However, for a six year old computer, I don't think you need the five year, as other computers will likely fail before. One scenario to buy the better supply is if you build computers, and would just move it over to your next machine. Or if you want the extra assurance of a better made unit.
Power supply SIZE: The OEM Dell is 460W unit. I have a very basic GeForce GT730 card, and a PCI USB adapter card, and just one 3.5" HDD, and 2.5" SSD, so overall a very low power unit. Another way to "buy" some more reliability is to get a higher rated unit, so instead of the same 460W, the closest being 500W, I went with a 700W.
Pros: EVGA is a specialty manufacturer; great customer support; many different sizes and warranty levels to meet individual needs.
Cons: None.
Conclusion: At $85 for the 700W Gold (5-year), it's overkill for my application. Rating EVGA supplies 5-stars (warranty, ratings/reviews).
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