00:00If you enjoy watching money disappear, stay with me.
00:03I went through dozens of listings for the best LDO regulator ICs under $3,
00:08and these 5 deals are so cheap that a couple of them cost less than a single genuine part.
00:13Let's get into them.
00:15First up is the Mi 6118A, and this is your high current option.
00:20One app of output, fixed 3.3 and 5V versions, plus an adjustable variant,
00:25all in a SOTU-223 package with a tab that doubles as a heatsink.
00:3020 pieces for $2.97.
00:33If you're pulling 5V off a rail and need 3.3 for a microcontroller, this is the one that won't
00:38get warm.
00:40Second is the LP2985, and honestly this is the sleeper pick of the whole list.
00:46Low quiescent current, genuinely tight regulation,
00:49and it's the part people have trusted for battery-powered gear for years.
00:53You can get it in SOT23-5 at 3.0, 3.3, or adjustable output.
01:00Five pieces for $2.70, a little more money than the cheap stuff,
01:03but it's the one I trust when noise actually matters.
01:06Do check the markings when they arrive though, marketplace sellers clone these.
01:11Third is the RT9013-33PB, and this is the value champion.
01:173.3V in a tiny SOT23-5 footprint, and the same listing also covers the RT9167 and RT9193,
01:25so you can order whichever fits your board.
01:2820 pieces for $1.63, under $0.08 a chip.
01:32If your prototype has 5 or 6 regulators on it, you do the math and it doesn't get any better.
01:38Fourth is the SPX3819, the low-noise specialist.
01:43500 mA, adjustable output, and you can pick the voltage from 1.2 all the way up to 5,
01:48or set the resistor on the adjustable version to land on anything else.
01:5310 pieces for $1.05.
01:55This is the one I'd reach for if you're feeding an audiopath or an RF front end,
01:59where switching noise shows up on the scope.
02:02Fifth is the HT-series HT7133, HT7333, HT7533, take your pick.
02:11These are the classic low-drop-out parts with tiny current draw,
02:14and at $0.37 for a 10-piece slot you can build an entire breadboard of regulators for pocket change.
02:20Just double-check the pin out on these, they've been around forever and the footprint is easy to mix up.
02:26Skipped, per-unit price math spoken aloud, authenticity caveat moved into LP2985 PARA, pin-out warning in HT PARA.
02:35Add a hands-on teardown segment if you want more depth.
02:38Add a hand-on teardown segment from LP2985 PARA.ΠΊΠΈΡ
02:38needle instrument, Useful Intelligence
02:38method, dar connelstΨ΅ of purposes and theroid component is usually policies that mysterious
