Just how long is a PSU expected to last?

[jboydgolfer]

i have a Corsair CX 600. Not so good anymore, but still working, going strong on almost 8 years.

I also have the same power supply and it still kicking after six or seven years. I've heard so many people badmouth those CX power supplies but they kick ass. I mean the proof is in the pudding. Ive installed a few of them outside of my own computers for friends, etc as well ,and those are still also running strong. Maybe they used to use a better OEM unit, but whatever it is they're one of the more solid power supplies I've ever had/implemented. Certainly not the prettiest power supplies and they're not modular but definitely good quality components

 

[dirtyferret]

I installed a cx430 bronze in my wife's PC. Works great, you cant compare them to the HX series but they are not intended for that customer.

 

[EarthDog]

I have a Corsair TX750 Watt power supply and it's been through a couple of builds. I've had it for the last five years (I think). Just how long are these things expected to last?

Well past their warranty. A quality psu should be able to run 100% of its output for the length of its warranty. Now, most wouldnt, and shouldnt, run one that way, but they are going to last a while, well through their warranty, in most cases.

 

[Caring1]

I've had OEM PSU's that have survived and surpassed the antiquated systems they powered.
10 years plus, chugging away for daily use in an old P4 Dell GX260 before retiring it due to it's age.

 

[Cvrk]

Well. since we are talking... for about a year it started making coil noise (that very high noise that dogs and sometimes humans can hear)...only does it when the computer is turned off. And one of the 8 pin rails has problems, i use a different one for my gpu cuz i think i got 2...or 3(no idea). But it came with a 4 years warranty. And i guess it did ok for that time. Problem is i have a very low power consumption pc. The cx 600 was a over kill from the start for my config. So for all these years it only did idle work, no stressing what so ever.

 

[Bill_Bright]

It's not Ultra Platinum but Ultra Platinum Plus.

There is no such rating! Nor does it even say or show that in your own link to that review! It is not Ultra, it not Platinum and it is not Plus! Why are you making that up! This is not a BS session but a technical discussion. Intentional misinformation, especially on technical facts like this does not help the discussion and especially not the OP or anyone else wondering about these PSUs. It just adds confusion.

So PLEASE - stop making false claims about that Hercules, or any other PSU. There is NO SUCH THING as an Ultra Platinum or Ultra Platinum Plus rating. And that Hercules PSU is not certified anything, but trash!

Once again, here are the only 80 PLUS certification ratings. If you believe you are telling the truth, please provide a link to support your claim.

 

[dirtyferret]

There is no such rating! Nor does it even say or show that in your own link to that review! It is not Ultra, it not Platinum and it is not Plus! Why are you making that up! This is not a BS session but a technical discussion. Intentional misinformation, especially on technical facts like this does not help the discussion and especially not the OP or anyone else wondering about these PSUs. It just adds confusion.

So PLEASE - stop making false claims about that Hercules, or any other PSU. There is NO SUCH THING as an Ultra Platinum or Ultra Platinum Plus rating. And that Hercules PSU is not certified anything, but trash!

Once again, here are the only 80 PLUS certification ratings. If you believe you are telling the truth, please provide a link to support your claim.

this rant just made my morning

 

[cdawall]

Well past their warranty. A quality psu should be able to run 100% of its output for the length of its warranty. Now, most wouldnt, and shouldnt, run one that way, but they are going to last a while, well through their warranty, in most cases.

I miss the old PCP&C units that would comfortably run their constant out for life. My Enhance built TPQ850/1000/1200 I would trust to run forever as well.

 

[Kanan]

@Bill_Bright you really need to learn to see sarcasm in future. He never was serious about that Ultra Platinum thing.

 

[Athlonite]

It's all about quality and usage

if you have a quality built PSU and you aren't pushing it to 100% all the time then a PSU should last you quite a while

if you're worried about it then monitor the outputs as you stress it if you see drops in voltage nearing the max allowed then it's probably time for a new one if not then it's still good to go for a while longer

 

[DRDNA]

as most have said if the PSU is kept relatively clean of dust and or oil residues then the PSU should last longer than you'll probably keep it for. As long as it wasn't pushed to its limits every day all day.

 

[bonehead123]

I have 2 no-name 500w units that were 2-3 yrs old when I got them used off fleebaer, and they are still running fine.....that was 9 years ago, and they have been running essentially 24/7 for all but 2 years of this time, during which they were used in entry-level gaming rigs

However, the 700w Corsair I bought new about 3 years ago recently bit the dust, with only daily office work on the machine it was in...

so YMMV....

 

[Athlonite]

Hercules makes Ultra Platinum Plus PSU, Jonnyguru reviewed one a while back
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=324

Thats the newly designated 9000 platinum Craptasticle sucksalot + isn't it

 

[Bill_Bright]

However, the 700w Corsair I bought new about 3 years ago recently bit the dust

Corsairs, especially the entry level VS and CX and some CS models have really been a disappointment in the last few years. Corsair came on very strong when they first started providing supplies. If it said Corsair on the label you knew you had a quality supply. Then they seemed to try an live off their reputation, changed OEM suppliers on many of the their models, and clearly cut back on quality control.

Surprisingly, one of the longest lasting power supplies I own is by another memory maker, Mushkin. I bought it over 10 years ago initially as the supply in my primary computer, then as the supply in my backup server. It is still going strong and as quiet as ever.

@Kanan - I am sorry (to DF too) if I misunderstood. But this is a technical discussion in a technical forum. Not a BS session. Tone of voice and facial expressions cannot be seen or heard in the typed word. In communication, it is incumbent upon the messenger to express the message properly, as well as for the receiver to not read in something not there, in order for there to be understanding. So when sarcasm is intended, Smilies are available, just as you aptly used, to ensure the proper message is conveyed. The or are good for sarcasm and jokes. Perhaps DF first comment was meant in sarcasm. It did not read that way.

 

[Kanan]

Man you can excuse all you want I don't share your opinion about things. You're totally full of yourself. The sarcasm was extremely obvious yet you (only you) missed it and now you're again starting a useless debate about it, like you always do. Get over yourself.

 

[dirtyferret]

I never understood why people flip out over brands (and vast majority of PC parts are just brands) entering new price points. Cooler Master, Thermaltake, EVGA sell some good PSU, some mediocre ones and some junk ones.

Corsair comes out with the CX series and they were mediocre (one year warranty), they eventually improved them to bronze efficiency and stuck a three year warranty on them. PC fan boys are crying "shame, shame" on a PSU clearly designed for a specific segment and price point. Yet you change the brand name to Cooler Master and people say what great budget PSU.

Ive owned lots of PSU and never had an issue with CWT (owned 3-4) or Delta (owned one) units. I've owned 4-5 Seasonic units over the years and had issues with two of them. Given a quality price point, most OEM can build a very good to excellent unit. Given a sub standard price point, you get the Ultra Platinum Plus unit mentioned above that is the bane of Bill Bright.

 

[Vayra86]

I never understood why people flip out over brands (and vast majority of PC parts are just brands) entering new price points. Cooler Master, Thermaltake, EVGA sell some good PSU, some mediocre ones and some junk ones.

Corsair comes out with the CX series and they were mediocre (one year warranty), they eventually improved them to bronze efficiency and stuck a three year warranty on them. PC fan boys are crying "shame, shame" on a PSU clearly designed for a specific segment and price point. Yet you change the brand name to Cooler Master and people say what great budget PSU.

Ive owned lots of PSU and never had an issue with CWT (owned 3-4) or Delta (owned one) units. I've owned 4-5 Seasonic units over the years and had issues with two of them. Given a quality price point, most OEM can build a very good to excellent unit. Given a sub standard price point, you get the Ultra Platinum Plus unit mentioned above that is the bane of Bill Bright.

I think part of this opinion stems from the fact that every consumer only sees a small handful of PSUs of which most of the time they have zero clue who manufactured it, they just see the brand name and that sets the opinion of the entire brand. It's highly unusual for two PSUs to fail in a lifetime of having PCs unless you really push them way past warranty - so the first time any PSU fails, it's considered shit. And because actual numbers about the fail rate of PSU's is pretty much nonexistant (also because these fail rates are generally quite low, DOA PSUs are much harder to find than DOA on any other PC component), that subjective experience is all we can use to gauge quality.

This explains how the CX line is not popular: they're one of the best sold PSUs for self built systems. High numbers = that 1-3% fail rate applies to a larger consumer group.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Brand loyalty stretches across all industries. Look how many on this site will only buy Intel or only buy AMD. Only Gigabyte or only ASUS motherboards. Only NVIDIA or only AMD graphics.

There are Ford truck owners who wouldn't be caught dead in a Chevy or RAM. And of course, Harley owners would never own a "rice burner" (no disrespect meant).

But it is not just brand loyalty but - don't know what to call it - "reverse brand loyalty". That is folks who will buy any brand but Brand XYZ because sometime in the past, Brand XYZ left them stranded, or their customer support upset them. So they will go out of their way to avoid Brand XYZ just to buy a different model from another brand, even though the XYZ may be better and cheaper.

The issue about the Corsairs is a bit different, IMO because we are not talking about a lemon. Even the best models from the best makers can and will have a lemon every once in a while. It is then up to how the company deals with those lemons after the sell that matters and Corsair failed on two fronts there. First, they downgraded the quality of some of their models by switching the guts out with different OEM suppliers, while keeping the prices the same. Second, when more and more reports of prematurely failed units came in, they didn't help their customers out. They built up this stellar (and well earned) reputation, then (it would seem) greed crept in they started living on their laurels. A lesson they should have learned from Intel when AMD spanked them and it took nearly 15 years to catch up.

I am a big fan of Gigabyte motherboards. Why? Well, they are good boards for one, but also because years ago, I had a "4" year old board fail due to leaky caps. I contacted Gigabyte and they apologized and RMA'ed me a new board. The bad board was already a year out of warranty and they replaced it anyway! They didn't have to do that. But they obtained a "brand loyal" customer and have since got their money back many times over through many subsequent purchases.

 

[Frag_Maniac]

Things used to not be this way though. A while back brands like Seasonic and Antec only put out high quality stuff. Since the global recession though most manufacturers went to a policy of providing units at all price points. Now the cash strapped customers are a much larger segment of their business, so they can't be ignored.

 

[techtard]

I have several older high quality psus that are still kicking in older builds, 10-12+yrs and still completely stable. A good PSU will last until its cabling is obsolete and we've moved onto new connectors.

 

[R-T-B]

I have several older high quality psus that are still kicking in older builds, 10-12+yrs and still completely stable. A good PSU will last until its cabling is obsolete and we've moved onto new connectors.

It does indeed happen. I have an old Delta Electronics PSU that's been running basically 24/7 in a Core 2 Duo server (Upgrade to a Core 2 Quad only a year in) for the past 10 years or so.

 

[RejZoR]

Things used to not be this way though. A while back brands like Seasonic and Antec only put out high quality stuff. Since the global recession though most manufacturers went to a policy of providing units at all price points. Now the cash strapped customers are a much larger segment of their business, so they can't be ignored.

Problem is, people think because it carries the same brand name, they are of same quality. I agree that most well known brand names still use reputable builders, but there are corners cut. Then again, I remember days when LC Power GP 550W units were pretty much in every system and they ran for years and years without issues. And I've heard their higher ranges are built by CWT so that's kinda cool. LC Power Arkangel 850W for around 100€ felt pretty damn good value. Modular cables, super quiet and actually nice looking unit. Amps also look decent enough, but it would require a professional test to see how good value it is in-depth. recently bought one because I had to troubleshoot my system quickly. Most others were well over 50€ more. Can't be that bad...

These days, it's actually hard to buy a really bad PSU unless you really go after total no-name unit. Even the cheapest ones usually have power delivery quality well over required standards.

 

[EarthDog]

Things used to not be this way though. A while back brands like Seasonic and Antec only put out high quality stuff. Since the global recession though most manufacturers went to a policy of providing units at all price points. Now the cash strapped customers are a much larger segment of their business, so they can't be ignored.

it has always been this way... some great psus, somw good, some terrible. Antec had some frightningly mediocre units several years ago...

 

[dirtyferret]

Overall the PSU market is much better then it was years ago. It used to be PC P&C and then Antec came along. Your other choice was basically whatever came in your pre-built PC.

 

[R-T-B]

Your other choice was basically whatever came in your pre-built PC.

Deer... *shudders*