When to replace a PSU ?

[cucker tarlson]

Hi

I'm wondering how long I can stay safe on the same unit before I increase the risk of it failing. My SF Leadex Gold 850 is 4 years old,runs 24/7 most of the time,but in a pretty energy efficient rig. I've had bad experiences with PSUs failing,including an XFX 850 (seasonic made quality unit) take out two r9 290 trix cards.

Are there any factors that contribute to higher risk or shorter life?

 

[INSTG8R]

I mean my Seasonic has a 5 year warranty so I figure I’m good for at least that long. Heck the new Seaonics are 12 years.

 

[cucker tarlson]

Yup I thought of getting a Focus Plus with 10 yrs when this one runs out (1yr left).

Which one would be better ? Focus Plus Platinum 550 or Focus Plus Gold 650 ?

 

[INSTG8R]

Yup I thought of getting a Focus Plus with 10 yrs when this one runs out (1yr left).

Which one would be better ? Focus Plus Platinum 550 or Focus Plus Gold 650 ?

Well I’m pretty sure the Platinum is 10 years so platinum and a decade seems the obvious choice

 

[kastriot]

More wattage so Plus Gold 650, more headroom.

 

[cucker tarlson]

Well I’m pretty sure the Platinum is 10 years so platinum and a decade seems the obvious choice

Gold is 10,Platinum is 12.


I bought a 850w back when I wanted headroom,headroom is good.That said,I can't imagine buying parts that even come close to 400W, not in the era of efficient GPUs and CPUs. My current one barely touches 300W at max.

Plus I'd like a UPS too,so I might go easy on overspending this time.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Good power supplies will last 10+ years. They also have protections (especially circuit breakers) in design to prevent damage to attached equipment when they do fail.

Power supplies are the most efficient at about 50% load.

 

[cucker tarlson]

Good power supplies will last 10+ years. They also have protections (especially circuit breakers) in design to prevent damage to attached equipment when they do fail.

Power supplies are the most efficient at about 50% load.

So a 550w SS Focus Platinum would do fine in my rig.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

So a 550w SS Focus Platinum would do fine in my rig.

if you are overclocking, go bigger but stay platinum if you can.

55-65% load should be the goal.

 

[INSTG8R]

Gold is 10,Platinum is 12.


I bought a 850w back when I wanted headroom,headroom is good.That said,I can't imagine buying parts that even come close to 400W, not in the era of efficient GPUs and CPUs. My current one barely touches 300W at max.

Plus I'd like a UPS too,so I might go easy on overspending this time.

The Focus Platinum is 10 The Primes are 12

 

[RejZoR]

Have it plugged to a power surge unit to prevent external electrical damage on power failures and other surges like indirect lightning strikes (PSU has its own internal surge protection, but external one are cheaper and easier to replace), have it cooled well and cleaned well. If these things are in check, it should last you 10 years easily. I suggest you buy a new one every 10 years even if it's working well, because:

a) it'll most likely be electrically outdated (cables and ATX standards)
b) components inside will be reaching their end of life very soon
c) voltage tolerances may deviate too far for comfort with age

Besides, spending 150-200€ for a quality PSU every 10 years is not a big expense and it's essentially the heart of a computer. Don't be stingy on it.

 

[Ruru]

Good power supplies will last 10+ years. They also have protections (especially circuit breakers) in design to prevent damage to attached equipment when they do fail.

Power supplies are the most efficient at about 50% load.

I had a Corsair HX620 (from 2006, which I bought used) still kicking until last year. No problems there, only coil whine sometimes.

 

[hat]

I wouldn't replace it unless there was a good reason to. If you're that worried about it, couldn't you take it to a shop and have it thoroughly tested? Oscilloscope and varying loads and all that...

 

[Jetster]

When it fails. You could go 10 years, then think it needs to be replaced, then the new one goes south in 6 months. Truth is your system needs to be replaced way before the PSU

 

[cucker tarlson]

The Focus Platinum is 10 The Primes are 12

Okay,lol,I thought 120 months was 12 years

 

[Bill_Bright]

When to replace a PSU ?

There is no planned obsolescence. You replace it (1) when it fails or (2) when it no longer meets your needs. I never replace a PSU (or any component) just because it is X number of years old.

That means I never go by the warranty either. Warranties are NOT expiration dates.

 

[cucker tarlson]

In any case,is Prime Ultra Platinum 550 worth 16 bucks over Focus Plus Platinum 550 ?

I might switch just for convenience..... I bought a SuperFlower unit,while there are no certified vendors in Poland,any RMA is gonna be a nightmare(shipping God knows where at my expense).Seasonic has a certified vendor in one of polish shops,it provides rma service throughout the whole 10/12 year period (I asked).

I'll wait for black friday though,they often put SS units on sale.

 

[Bill_Bright]

In any case,is Prime Ultra Platinum 550 worth 16 bucks over Focus Plus Platinum 550 ?

I'm a noise freak. I hate it. The Ultra has a 135mm fan which (in theory) should be able to provide as much air flow as the 120mm, but at a lower RPM thus lower noise level. So for me, that might make it worth it. The extra 2 years warranty would just be icing on the cake.

That said, I am sure the Focus fan is extremely quiet too - especially if mounted in a quality, properly cooled case.

 

[cucker tarlson]

lol can you believe that for 4 years I've owned the sf leadex 850 the fan has not spun once ? ONCE It's been installed,put in hybrid mode,and it runs fanless ever since.I don't even know if it works....

 

[plonk420]

Have it plugged to a power surge unit to prevent external electrical damage on power failures and other surges like indirect lightning strikes (PSU has its own internal surge protection, but external one are cheaper and easier to replace)

i also suggest a line conditioner or UPS. i have a $45 APC Line-R and i can only guess (probably a terrible assumption) is that's why my recent parts are lasting as long as they are. even a 7-8 year old $60 LGA1156 board so cheaped out on that it has a 100mbps NIC

 

[cucker tarlson]

yes,I've been thinking about a UPS,I guess I'll buy it first.

are there any good ones in the price range I selected (entry level) ?

https://proline.pl/?kat=UPS+-+zasilacze+awaryjne&c1=300&c2=500

https://www.morele.net/komputery/akcesoria-zasilanie-i-kamerki/ups-57/,,,,,,,,0,,,,13690O300:500/1/

I'd like it to have online surge protection and avr

 

[Bill_Bright]

I agree with the suggestion to use a "quality" UPS with AVR. But note you never plug an UPS in to a surge and spike protector (S&SP) and you never plug a surge and spike protector into a UPS.

An UPS can see the power from the S&SP as "dirty" and flip to battery backup when not needed. And the UPS can see the load presented by the S&SP as unstable causing the UPS to shut down.

Besides, a surge and spike protector is little more than a fancy and expensive extension cord as they do absolutely nothing for sags (opposite of surges), dips (opposite of spikes) or brown outs (long duration sags). Note too that power during full blackouts is just a minor bonus feature. It is the AVR (automatic voltage regulation) that makes a good UPS with AVR so valuable.

And while a pure sinewave output UPS is not essential with a quality PSU (contrary to what some will tell you), their prices have come down significantly over the last few years so if me, I would look for a pure sinewave UPS with AVR.

 

[qubit]

Well, my PSU is 9 years old and still going strong. I know it's not a definitive answer, and there isn't one, but it gives you an idea of what to expect from a quality product.

It had a 7 year warranty. My next one will, too.

 

[cucker tarlson]

is that good ? it's got a very good price

https://powerwalker.com/?page=product&item=10120080&lang=en

or should I pay twice for this

https://www.morele.net/ups-cyberpower-cp900epfclcd-pfc-540-watt-385243/

 

[Bill_Bright]

I never heard of that brand so cannot answer that. But if me, I would want something a little bigger. 800VA equates to about 480W which is plenty, but a larger UPS could easily also support your monitors and all your network gear too. And it is a sad fact that UPS makers tend to user better quality designs and components in their larger (read: more expensive) UPS.