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Power Supply 13 years old, should I be concerned?
- Thread starter Celeron_Phreak
- Start date
storm-chaser
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- Upstate NY
Good call Baylock!
Alaric
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- Satan's Colon, US
Yeah, really good PSUs are pretty affordable anymore. At the very least, I would look inside the old one to make sure no caps are bulging/leaking, no discoloration from heat on the PCB or wire insulation, etc..
Alaric
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- Satan's Colon, US
Properly maintained, a motor vehicle will likely just leave you stranded if it fails. Ask caddi daddi what a PSU can do when it fails. And a car isn't much danger when the operator is in bed asleep or in another room, etc.. Power supplies are usually still plugged in then.
I believe they are safe as ever, no moving parts or projectiles, just some capacitors that can melt.
Alaric
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...burst, leak, explode, shoot flames. Nothing major.
Seriously, ask caddi daddi about his house burning to the ground with everything (and nobody, thank God) in it.
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Must have been an isolated incident. Alaric, power supply in a PC is no different from power supplies in other electronics(relatively speaking). Stuff can break catastrophically, but that doesnt mean every piece of equipment is now suspect due to age. Usually stuff just fails to turn on. There are certain risks that are riskier and there are certain risks that feel riskier due to their unique nature, such as an airplane bursting in flames and humans being afraid of flying afterwards.
Risk perception is the subjective judgement that people make about the characteristics and severity of a risk. The phrase is most commonly used in reference to natural hazards and threats to the environment or health, such as nuclear power. Several theories have been proposed to explain why different people make different estimates of the dangerousness of risks. Three major families of theory have been developed: psychology approaches (heuristics and cognitive), anthropology/sociology approaches (cultural theory) and interdisciplinary approaches (social amplification of risk framework)
Risk perception is the subjective judgement that people make about the characteristics and severity of a risk. The phrase is most commonly used in reference to natural hazards and threats to the environment or health, such as nuclear power. Several theories have been proposed to explain why different people make different estimates of the dangerousness of risks. Three major families of theory have been developed: psychology approaches (heuristics and cognitive), anthropology/sociology approaches (cultural theory) and interdisciplinary approaches (social amplification of risk framework)
Alaric
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"Isolated incident". I'm sure CD will feel much better about it now that it's been explained that his loss is statistically insignificant.
Then there's the gambler approach. My PSU costs $90, the old and cheap one I had before I built my current rig cost $30. I elected not to wager my gear, my home, and potentially my life for a $60 payout. Figuring the cost/benefit analysis, I invested $90 to help protect a computer that cost me about twenty times that amount. The thousands of $ in audio and video gear, a few hundred dollars in misc. computer parts, pictures that can't be replaced, and, oh yeah, my a**.
I'll stick with my recommendation. I can't see or test somebody's PSU online. If I recommend they use one with nothing to go on but hope and hearsay, and catastrophe strikes, then I'm the a**hole because I assured someone that $100 was too much for any peace of mind from risk abatement.
No, thank you, I'll pass on that responsibility.
BTW, the "on" switch? The gatekeeper of the 110 VAC and 15 or 20 amps between the outlet and the rest of the world? It is a moving part, and it's plastic. Just sayin'.
Then there's the gambler approach. My PSU costs $90, the old and cheap one I had before I built my current rig cost $30. I elected not to wager my gear, my home, and potentially my life for a $60 payout. Figuring the cost/benefit analysis, I invested $90 to help protect a computer that cost me about twenty times that amount. The thousands of $ in audio and video gear, a few hundred dollars in misc. computer parts, pictures that can't be replaced, and, oh yeah, my a**.
I'll stick with my recommendation. I can't see or test somebody's PSU online. If I recommend they use one with nothing to go on but hope and hearsay, and catastrophe strikes, then I'm the a**hole because I assured someone that $100 was too much for any peace of mind from risk abatement.
No, thank you, I'll pass on that responsibility.
BTW, the "on" switch? The gatekeeper of the 110 VAC and 15 or 20 amps between the outlet and the rest of the world? It is a moving part, and it's plastic. Just sayin'.
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I'm not saying what has happened to CD is to be taken lightly, but saying jets falling from the sky because one caught fire isn't very sound interpretation either. There are plenty of electronics(and other things) in an ordinary household that can set a house on fire, including your mobile phone's lithium battery that goes off in a spectacular fashion, and yet you dont keep it in a cinder block overnight. That is the point.
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I'll throw my 2 cents in.
I just recently upgraded my (2010) i7-870 build to an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 on an Asus ROG Strix B450-F Gaming mb.
My PSU was a Corsair TX650, which was still working perfectly.
I seriously considered keeping that PSU since it has been so reliable but, after a few weeks of tweaking my new Ryzen build I decided to go ahead and buy a new 750W PSU.
My old TX650 would probably have been fine for a few more years but the peace of mind I now feel was well worth the price of the new PSU.
So if you have the money to buy a new PSU, I would go for it.
You will definitely sleep better, knowing your PC is powered by a PSU that isn't well past it's warranty.
I just recently upgraded my (2010) i7-870 build to an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 on an Asus ROG Strix B450-F Gaming mb.
My PSU was a Corsair TX650, which was still working perfectly.
I seriously considered keeping that PSU since it has been so reliable but, after a few weeks of tweaking my new Ryzen build I decided to go ahead and buy a new 750W PSU.
My old TX650 would probably have been fine for a few more years but the peace of mind I now feel was well worth the price of the new PSU.
So if you have the money to buy a new PSU, I would go for it.
You will definitely sleep better, knowing your PC is powered by a PSU that isn't well past it's warranty.
My wife does lol
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It's possible that there are some other advantages to upgrading. Some/most of the newer PSUs have some power protection built in, quieter fans, and improved efficiencies. You can make a great argument either way. But you can't have a backup plan either way.
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↑ O.K. But did you see the 1,000 (10,000?) posts of the ones that didn't. Same with anything. I've posted regarding a MB that didn't post which was the same make and model as another purchased the same day which did post. One-off examples are just that, singular in nature and worthy of posting as a stand alone argument of frustration and even danger. But for the most part the QC departments try to limit these events recognizing that there's no 100% guarantee for every item shipped. That's why they offer warranties.
Let's use some common sense though.... which is more likely to fail sooner? A 13 year old psu or new out of the box?I have seen a post of a new corsair 1000w PSU catch fire. So new PSU can have defects also.
I mean, your point is right, ANY can fail...but come on now.
Let's use some common sense though.... which is more likely to fail sooner? A 13 year old psu or new out of the box?
I mean, your point is right, ANY can fail...but come on now.
There is always certain percentage of factory defects that is know by the manufactures. There is a even smaller percentage of 13 year old PSU catching fire. If old PSU catching fire was a common problem post and pictures of fires would be all over the net. like the EVGA 1080 catching fire fiasco.
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...still recognizing that most folks don't have 13-year-old PSUs in their system, therefore not enough data points/posts on fire hazards are available.
So are you telling me, wingman, that you would bet on a new PSU failing before a 13 year old would? That is the only point I am trying to make here... nobody said anything about it catching fire...Wingman99 said:
just a simple failure. But surely it's more likely a 13 year old PSU will fail before a brand new one. RE: The EVGA GPUs... I recall one, maybe two/three of those EVGA GPUs catching fire.. don't believe everything you read... Its not like a dozen or a hundred even did so.
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