When do YOU replace a PSU?

[EarthDog]

Selling after 1-2 years of usage is the best way to go for PSU's in my books.

Man I wish I had this type of cash to indiscriminately trash (read: go buy another) perfectly good and more than likely still in warranty PSUs...

I swear, this is insanity some of the things I am seeing!!!!!

 

[peche]

But i can't promise you that i will keep my promise

no honor....

 

[francisw19]

Voted other. I typically run the PSU a few years past the warranty but not up until it goes poof. I'm just not comfortable with it I guess. Most recently, I just replaced a Corsair HX620W (one of the first when Corsair got in to PSUs!!) in my HTPC that was about 8 years old I think.

 

[Ferrum Master]

Man I wish I had this type of cash to indiscriminately trash (read: go buy another) perfectly good and more than likely still in warranty PSUs...

You didn't get the idea... I sell it... usually for those whose unit failed and needs a new one ASAP... we rarely have PC parts in stock in stores here. Only after ordering and waiting from a remote warehouse. So I can get rid of my fully working unit and get another fully working unit, maybe even a better one with adding few euros more.

 

[HD64G]

I have seen PSUs live for over 10 years even when being cheap ones and being on for 7-8 hours a day. I have seen PSUs going off in 3-4 years. For my own PC I changed its cheappy one after hearing its coil-whining with a silver OCZ which is never pushed over its 50% for the last 6 years. I guess it can live on for at least 2-3 more.

 

[FireFox]

Man I wish I had this type of cash to indiscriminately trash (read: go buy another) perfectly good and more than likely still in warranty PSUs...

Move to Germany

I swear, this is insanity some of the things I am seeing!!!!!

Yes it's

From me you can expect that and more.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I voted "other" as well. My personal policy is to replace them when they "fail". That is when they die, voltages fall out of tolerance, or ripple becomes excessive. Or I replace them when hardware upgrades warrant a larger supply. But note that policy is based on a few caveats.

1. I only buy quality PSUs in the first place,
2. I tend to pad my needs with an extra 100W to meet any unplanned future upgrades,
3. All my computers are on a "good" UPS with AVR,
4. I only use quality cases and ensure they provide a sufficient supply of cool (and clean) air for the PSUs too,
5. I tend to build myself a new computer every 3 to 5 years anyway.

When I replace my personal computer, my old computer becomes my backup computer and the old backup gets cleaned up and donated away. Frankly, I cannot remember one my own PSUs dying. It has to have been over 10 years ago.

I have seen PSUs live for over 10 years even when being cheap ones

Me too. I have seen budget Dells, Gateways, and HPs used in offices where the computers sat on the carpeted floor for 10 plus years and not once was the computer ever opened up for a proper cleaning! Yet the computers (including the PSU, CPU, and OEM CPU coolers) keep chugging along. The only reason it was replaced was simply to run new software not compatible with the old hardware. And this fact alone is often what makes convincing clients cutting corners in the budget with a cheap supply is a mistake.

 

[GhostRyder]

Around 5 years for me as well. Depends on what PSU I am using but that is my limit most of the time as anymore starts to get me a bit skeptical even though I have had some PSU's go as long as 10 years in old machines.

In fact, its getting near time for me to upgrade.

 

[CAPSLOCKSTUCK]

I never had one that went poof. . Ive had a couple that just stopped but over the years typically i have bought a new one when the one i have doesnt have the right connectors or adequate power.

I had one where the fan failed so i replaced the fan. I also have a Shuttle PSU that is used daily and is at least 8 years old.

 

[peche]

Me too. I have seen budget Dells, Gateways, and HPs used in offices where the computers sat on the carpeted floor for 10 plus years and not once was the computer ever opened up for a proper cleaning! Yet the and computers (including the PSU, CPU, and OEM CPU coolers) keep chugging along. The only reason it was replaced was simply to run new software not compatible with the old hardware. And this fact alone is often what makes convincing clients cutting corners in the budget with a cheap supply is a mistake.

i truly understand that feeling! cheers!

 

[Tomgang]

Well my nearly 8 year old Thermaltake toughpower 1500 watt is going no where. I plan to keep it until i bay a new pc or it dies. Besides that PSU is no where near its peak power at all, so it dosent have a hard life. Even when my pc is max loaded i cant think it consume much over 700 watt and i have 1500 watt at my disposal.

So i voted Other: I normaly bay new PSU when i bay new PC, unless it dies before that.

 

[GreiverBlade]

about PSU's warranty ... or when i find a sweet deal on a better PSU than the one i currently own ... and i swapped a lot of them during the last 6 yrs

not applicable to my collector PSU's like my Enermax CoolerGiant 485 (that one is bound to stay for a while ... i still use it from time to time ... perfectly fine )

 

[manofthem]

I replace a PSU when my needs change, and needs don't always equal wattage. Most recently its been because I've wanted modularity.

For example, I have an XFX 550 in my wife's rig that crunches and folds. It's been solid for lie 2 or more years and have enough intention of replacing it for years... Unless I decide to get serious with the rig and make it look better. At that point I'd replace it with a fully modular and likely gold/platinum one. But again, no rush.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

All of my PSUs "die" by simply never turning on again.

 

[mouacyk]

When they stop working. However, new PSUs that are >100% efficiency are welcomed upgrades!

 

[m0nt3]

I replaced my Thermaltake TR-850 after its 5 year warranty expired and replaced it with an eVGA Supernove G2 1000 Watt with a 10 year warranty, got a decent deal on it at $140 I figured for 10 years of coverage, why not.

 

[P4-630]

10 year warranty

Haven't seen that in my country yet.

Example: eVGA SuperNOVA 1000 P2 80 plus platinum at €287,30 just 5 years here...

 

[dorsetknob]

When i have the need for a new PSU
That is
Current one has failed
or
need more power or connections
or
need one for a Build
Wallet And Circumstances Dictate all of the Above

 

[Random Murderer]

Usually I like to replace my PSU when I build a new system, which was previously a ~3 year cycle. This X79 system has outlived that cycle with (computing) power to spare, so no reason for me to build a new system yet, but I have had to replace the PSU in it once, and that was my first PSU failure in a long time...
Last year around this time, I had had my 295X2 for a few months. After initial installation of the 295X2 and overclock of it, things were fine for a month or so and then I started having to lower all of my system clocks a little bit at a time to maintain stability. Eventually the PC refused to boot Windows without a BSOD, and the 12V rail was measuring ~11V via DMM, so I pulled out the 1200W PSU that was in before and replaced it with this monster PSU I picked up for dirt cheap on Black Friday last year. Sure, 1600W is overkill, but my average usage falls right into this PSU's peak efficiency range, the PSU scored a 9.5/10 on JonnyGuru, it's fully-modular, I didn't have to pay even half price for it, and the fact that I killed a quality 1200W PSU by pulling too much current unnerved me a bit. What really upset me was that the 1200W was just a couple of months out of warranty.
So, overall, I would have to say that, this 1600W beast aside, I tend to follow what @Bill_Bright does. IMO, waiting for the PSU to go "poof" is a bad idea, since a PSU can easily take other hardware with it.

 

[Ithanul]

Pretty much run till it poofs. Had my Thermaltake BlackWidow actually die this year in the folder.

Still rocking an old AX1200 in the main rig, and now have AX1200i in the folder.

 

[Bill_Bright]

However, new PSUs that are >100% efficiency are welcomed upgrades!

Too bad that will never happen - at least until Man can create perfection. But still, we can always dream.

I tend to follow what @Bill_Bright does. IMO, waiting for the PSU to go "poof" is a bad idea, since a PSU can easily take other hardware with it.

That's the thing. While in theory, a PSU can take out anything connected to it, any good PSU will have protection circuits just to prevent that sort of thing. In fact, that is one of the reasons engineers and designers use AC to low voltage power supplies today.
I mean I have seen and had client machines come in where power supplies truly have gone "poof" with loud bangs, sparks flying out the back, and smoke and stink filling up the room. Slap in a new PSU and the computers come back to full life as if nothing happened at all.

In many cases there's just no way to isolate the exact cause but I suspect when a supply does take out other components, it often is due to an EXTREME surge or spike coming off the grid, taking out everything in its path.

On the flip side, I have seen a couple cases where I am sure (but cannot prove ) an overclocked, power hungry graphics card failed first, taking the PSU out with it.

 

[KainXS]

I replace mine when I start seeing symptoms that its going bad like capacitor/transformer buzz or if the just stop working. I did have a PSU catch on fire but that was because of something else. If I see a good price on a PSU and mine is about 5 years old I will just replace it if its a decent one though.

I actually have a PS4 that I have to take back to the store today because the psu is failing in it.

 

[hat]

I will replace a PSU when compatibility (enough power, right connectors) or integrity (is it working properly) becomes an issue.

I'd like to replace a PSU, if not for the above reasons, for efficiency. I like efficient things. A set of Rosewill Quark 550s, for example, will do better than what I have now. Less power draw, less heat output. With my limited finances, however, I can't just go about replacing things all willy-nilly because I like it better.

 

[djisas]

Welp, my Zalman's 8 years now, no plans to replace it...
The one before was a Seasonic S12, lasted a few years before i sold it, never got word of it blowing though...

 

[Recon-UK]

6 years and my Silverstone ST1000-P is still running like new, silent and efficient.