Should I replace my old PSU or not ?

[Roadrunner_668]

hi

i have bought some parts to upgrade our shared gaming pc, a 5600x, ddr4, a 5700xt, etc

the psu is a seasonic x750 which is about 10 years old i think

dont seem to be any problems with it and i think seasonic are good

but i see people recommend changing from age

its 750w and i think the new pc will only use 500w

is it ok to re use ?

 

[andy_mk3]

I would replace personally. 10 years is a good run, you've had your moneys worth of of it. Power supplies do degrade over time no matter how good they once were.

A replacement is a small price to pay for another 10 years giving peace of mind against failure with all your new hardware.

 

[mickyflinn]

Hi

It should be fine but 10 years old out if warranty always causes doubt but peace of mind for £75. .

Has it had a hard life ?

 

[Syore]

It really depends on how often you use the gaming PC, does it get cleaned frequently etc. I remembered when my 14 year old tagan psu exploded and took out one of my hard drives on the way but that PC was running at least half a day, everyday. In all fairness, the 10 year old PSU may work fine right now but its like sitting on a time bomb and since the current prices of PSU's are good right now (Black Friday) you best bet is to bag one for peace of mind.

 

[Roadrunner_668]

I dont really know if its had a hard life as previously it was just another family member using it but i think it would have been dusted etc

ill have a look at new ones

i suppose i can always use it for now and then look for one

thanks

 

[Grimley]

This is on BF Deal right now:

My basket at Overclockers UK:

• 1 x Seasonic Focus GX-750 750W 80+ Gold Modular Power Supply= £89.99

Total: £100.49 (includes shipping: £10.50)​

​

 

[Roadrunner_668]

hi, thanks, i think i should be ok for a psu now !

i would have been looking for one much cheaper than that though, the sort of mid tier but still decent stuff

like that superflower one for 60 ish

but thanks for the advice !

 

[EsaT]

like that superflower one for 60 ish

SuperFlower Golden Green HX is cheap capacitor PSU and lot lower PSU than Seasonic X-750.
Could say that it's actually designed to wear itself out with secondary capacitors sandwhiched between heat of 12V rectifier heatsink and DC-DC board.
Would rather continue using X-750 to save that extra money than get such PSU.
5700XT isn't even power hungry by today's standards.

 

[Roadrunner_668]

fair enough thankyou i didnt know that

i have bought a silverstone one on the buy sell section, its 4 or 5 years old but not used for more than a few months apparently

reviews for it seem very good and its a small type one which is good cos we might try and put it all in a htpc case for tv gaming

 

[teenwolf]

i would continue to run that psu.

 

[Roadrunner_668]

it will be kept as spare any way

and will keep using it for now.

interesting to see the differing thoughts though !

 

[JasonM]

the psu is a seasonic x750 which is about 10 years old i think

Providing the PSU has had no hard use then keep it. Those X series were exceptionally good quality, you probably need a Seasonic Prime to match it.

The fan on the PSU is active (it stops when not needed), shine a light into the fan blades and see if there is any dust. If you can't really see any dust it's had an easy life. If you want to be 100% open the PSU up, and check for any bulging capacitors, or any components that look like they have overheated, however you won't find any!

I have some home servers that still have X series PSU's installed, and would not dream of swapping out those PSU's.

 

[digitaldreams]

Had to replace mine recently when a faulty mains rocket switch sparked and blew it (hell of a crack that could be heard on the other side of the house). Replaced with a Seasonic Prime TX (12 year guarantee !)

I broke the seal and opened my old psu to find it covered in a carpet of dust, yet looked fine from the outside !. Must have reduced the life of the components and no where near 10 years old !. Would have needed a proper air line to blow out the dust (while holding the fan still)....