How old is too old?

[srekal34]

Well that’s bad advice.

A psu can pop and take the whole system with it.

I replace hard drives and power supplies preemptively as both can lead to immense loss.

I use everything else until it stops working though…or until I got bored and want to play with something shiny lol

Modern PSU wont take your system with it, most have built-in protections for it. Not sure about tx650 though, thats relatively ancient design by todays standards. Things like ax1600i could last 20yrs+

 

[JollyJamma]

Modern PSU wont take your system with it, most have built-in protections for it. Not sure about tx650 though, thats relatively ancient design by todays standards. Things like ax1600i could last 20yrs+

Most, yes but that’s usually the more expensive models and the TX650 is relatively old and is a more middle budget option.

It also depends on what failed within the psu - if the current protection failed and a rail was on the way out then that’ll mostly likely just take the system with it when it pops.

I do think that going for a better psu is a worthwhile investment for how long a good one can last (AX1600i is a great psu) and keeping an eye open for one on sale can be a proactive money saving strategy.

I got my SF750 platinum rated psu for £99 on sale. Thats a bargain and I didn’t need a new psu at the time but I went for it regardless.

 

[Pottsey]

Well that’s bad advice.

A psu can pop and take the whole system with it.

I replace hard drives and power supplies preemptively as both can lead to immense loss.

I use everything else until it stops working though…or until I got bored and want to play with something shiny lol

Pretty much anything can blow and take out the whole system. Do you also replace the USB socket as I have seen them blow and take out the system as often as a PSU. What about the GPU and all the other parts that can take out the system? Its more important to make sure you have proper backups then replace the PSU and other parts needlessly. Generally speaking its just wasting money replacing a perfectly functioning part. Your better off putting the money towards a new build then replacing just in case.

 

[willhub]

My Hyper Type R 580W is still going strong.

 

[Dup]

My HX750 is ~14 years old and does make me a little nervous. Currently running a 5950X and 3080. I will likely replace the PSU and GPU next year

 

[Mr_Orange]

I ended up getting a MSI MEG Ai1300P in a sale. Complete overkill for my rig but it's future proofed the power side of things for a long time.

 

[ltron]

I'm still running a 15 year old Antec Signature 850W PSU in my secondary machine, no problems yet. What an excellent power supply it has been and you can even turn it off and on regularly using the switch on the back of the PSU without any problems. The same can't be said for the Corsair RM1000i in my main machine that I had to RMA after a few years.

 

[sockky]

Still using my Antec HCP1200W. Must be 12 years old by now.

Fingers crossed it holds on for a while longer .

 

[clone]

Psus are cheap enough today, so for peice of mind upgrade to a new one to be safe, plus newer Psus have better protection built in.

 

[GodMac]

I've had a HyperX and a HX620 go bang on me. HyperX took out my mobo as well. Painful week without my PC. Your PSU is the foundation of your PC, just like the foundation of your house. Without good foundations your house will eventually fall. Geta new PSU now, before it becomes really costly to replace.

 

[img]

Company's dont give long warranty's without some expectation it will last and not cost them money. You could have a new psu break within days or months but you should feel confident it lasts for its warranty.

 

[Removed User 345456]

Like most people the PSU (Corsair TX650) is the oldest component in my case. It must be 10-15 years old at this point.

Is it worth upgrading before it goes pop or is it a case of use it until it doesn't work any more?

@JollyJamma Said:
Well that’s bad advice.

A psu can pop and take the whole system with it.

I replace hard drives and power supplies preemptively as both can lead to immense loss.

I use everything else until it stops working though…or until I got bored and want to play with something shiny lol

Yep! This is the way to do it! It's also good to do loads of regular backups across multiple new drives that you also replace every 2-3 years. That's my process anyway, then all the shiny things ALL of them!

 

[Cyber-Mav]

Company's dont give long warranty's without some expectation it will last and not cost them money. You could have a new psu break within days or months but you should feel confident it lasts for its warranty.

they wont pay out for busted components by their psu so they can warranty for as long as they like, in 10 years time they can give you replacement psu for a third of the cost it takes to make one.

 

[PishY]

I'm still rocking a Corsair HX850 of the same vintage.

Me too! Still going strong after all these years!

May be time to change and use it as a test one though reading all these comments

 

[BUDFORCE]

Me too! Still going strong after all these years!

May be time to change and use it as a test one though reading all these comments

Who dares win Rodney.

In all seriousness I'm 99% confident if it does go pop it won't damage anything else.

I'm having no stability issues so nothing to indicate any degradation.

I spoke to a chap at a pc repair shop who told me it basically never happens, and when it does it'll be some cheap unbranded power supply.

I have had a power supply short and blow up on me before, again all other components fine after a replacement PSU.

Reading these and other hardware forums for maybe 15 years, I can't recall any posts of people saying a power supply blowing up had damaged their components.

I wouldn't buy a cheap power supply though.

Edit: few comments above about damage to other components but I'm still convinced that is very few are far between.

Edit 2: one post actually, the Hyper X PSU

 

[PishY]

Who dares win Rodney.

In all seriousness I'm 99% confident if it does go pop it won't damage anything else.

I'm having no stability issues so nothing to indicate any degradation.

I spoke to a chap at a pc repair shop who told me it basically never happens, and when it does it'll be some cheap unbranded power supply.

I have had a power supply short and blow up on me before, again all other components fine after a replacement PSU.

Reading these and other hardware forums for maybe 15 years, I can't recall any posts of people saying a power supply blowing up had damaged their components.

I wouldn't buy a cheap power supply though.

Edit: few comments above about damage to other components but I'm still convinced that is very few are far between.

Edit 2: one post actually, the Hyper X PSU

Yer I agree! Never skimped on price for a power supply, always buy a decent branded one and with good efficiency ratings

 

[PaulM]

My Corsair TX650W (2009) went pop a few years ago and took out the motherboard, put me off using PSUs that are too old. My general rule now is, if they're out of warranty they're probably too old to use in a new build

 

[JasonM]

Much depends on how hard the PSU was worked and quality of component's.

Some of my computers are using Seasonic X750's over 10 years old, the PSU's had an easy life only drawing around 25% of their maximum rating.

Other things effecting PSU life is it's environment,

1) The hotter a PSU runs the shorter it's MTBF.
2) Also mains spikes and transients on the AC mains reduce MTBF.

 

[arc@css]

And there was me wondering if my 4-year-old PSU was getting on a bit.

 

[Nasher]

I've only ever had one PSU explode and it was a brand new Corsair one, took a HDD with it. If the mains is stable and it's good quality it should last a very long time.