How long has your PSU lasted?

StarfishChris · Post by **StarfishChris** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 2:25 pm

How long do PSUs last?

All my (family's) older systems have been running for about 5 years - they are case-supplied 230W PSUs (one is an Enhance, I seem to remember). Should I be worried that smoke will come out the vents in a year or so (!) and blow several components? I've got mixed messages about the rarity of that happening but anecdotes are always good.

I'd also be interested to know how long people have been using 'better-name' PSUs e.g. Seasonic, FSP, Enermax.

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 7:22 pm

Hello:

I have a old Gateway that ran over 6 years on the original (200watt ?) PS. It didn't die outright, but I was feeling suspect of it, and replaced it with a 300watt Fortron. The old PS was a bit smaller than atypical ATX, and it had a 92mm fan on the inside bottom, which used a shroud to draw air over the CPU HS. The fan was the only fan in the case.

tay · Post by **tay** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 8:09 pm

1 Antec 300w : 4.5 years 24/7
1 Enlight 250w: 3.5 years
1 Enhance 235w : 3.5 years

All still working. This sort of poll doesnt really tell you much unless the failure rate is really catastrauphic or if PSUs in general have a design flaw that causes failures near the same time (eg. 4 yrs or 7 yrs or w/e). There is going to be a certain failure rate for any PSU that cant be measured without a large sample size. No matter how much $$$ you spend you still have a chance of your PSU failing. Better vendors likely have lower chances of failure and are better to deal with when they do fail.

I'd suggest if the system has been on for so many years you figure out a backup system of user files. iFile is among a variety of tools that are nice for network backups. I think HDDs are probably more likely failure candidates than PSUs (unless its not cared for by making sure the fan doesnt die or dust etc).

Anyway without belabouring the point, if you have important data files backed up regularly, you feel a bit safer about something blowing up. I need to back up my mp3 collection but I have been lazy. I hope that drive doesnt die on me

or the antec psu doesnt explode.

larrymoencurly · Post by **larrymoencurly** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 11:11 pm

300W ATX Powmax: 6 years
250W AT Enermax: 8 years

The Powmax was made before the Taiwan capacitor scandal broke and before the manufacturer cheapened their designs.

Mr_Smartepants · Post by **Mr_Smartepants** » Sun Mar 06, 2005 11:22 pm

I can't match any of those uptimes! I usually upgrade before failure.

My current PSU is a modified Fortron 300W (check sig) and it's been running mostly 24/7 for the past 1.5-years with zero problems.

I'm already thinking of upgrading it to a new S12-380 when they become more widely available.

StarfishChris · Post by **StarfishChris** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:27 am

The data gets backed up, losing a drive isn't a problem. It's more to do with the fact that I have a 3-year-old system that fits most needs perfectly and I'd rather not have an older PSU destroy some of it when it dies - if there's a high risk that it will happen.

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:26 am

I have personal knowledge of 4-5 systems that I built about 6-7 years ago that are running just fine. A couple were built with Enermax 350W PSUs, and a couple with Antec 300W PSUs. The systems with the Enermax PSUs were built for enthusiasts/gamers and have seen lots of use and upgrading, but are still running the original PSUs.

BillyBuerger · Post by **BillyBuerger** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:36 am

I've got a number of old PCs and PSUs and have never had one die. I still have my old 386 AT system from about '92 and not one part has died. Althought it hasn't barely been used in the last 5 years. I also have some old P2 systems that I got from my old job. So these things were on 24/7 for many years before they put them out for the trash. (or us scavengers) I'm using one of them as my server with a dual p2-400 and 4 HDs. That thing has probably seen about 8 years of use and it also has never had any part fail.

Post by **Rusty075** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:39 am

The modded Enermax I used in my In-Desk PC is still going strong. It's current home is in the Socket A heatsink testbed.

That's 3+ years of service, 2 1/2 of which modded with a 5 volts L1A.

inoe · Post by **inoe** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 7:54 am

235W Oktek (or maybe Octek/Octec/Oktec...) running silently for 6 years, almost 24/7/365

Still alive (although now in a box)

dago · Post by **dago** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:13 am

None of the powersupplies I got did ever break up or die.

In particular, the Aopen (fortron?) one in my current server is a 300W that I have since 99 and has been running 24/7 for 3.5 years now, with a bunch of HDD (see "How much can a 300W PSU power ?").

ultraboy · Post by **ultraboy** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:20 am

Well, the 250W PSU in my Dell Optiplex GX1 lasted for 4 years before it died. Granted, I've been running that system over-spec (o/c with additional fan installed) for 3 years. At least it died peacefully without taking any components with it.

Chris`I · Post by **Chris`I** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:28 am

Dell P2 thing - 7-8yrs (circa 97/98 still runnong as gateway now)
Dell P4 skt 423 - 4yrs maybe (running in a friends house)
Enermax - 1yr - randomly died for no reason
Antec TrueBlue - 2yrs (i think) still running fine with 2 papst @ 5v in it

Ppl diss dell, but my psu's in their machines have always been strong!

BillyBuerger · Post by **BillyBuerger** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 10:38 am

Chris`I wrote:Ppl diss dell, but my psu's in their machines have always been strong!

Yes, but since dell uses a proprietary PSU plug, they're pretty useless unless with ATX motherboards. I did build an adaptor for a SFF dell PSU. But I wouldn't do that again for the others. I kept enough around in case I decide to use a few of the Dell motherboards I have left. I tossed the rest.

herosformula · Post by **herosformula** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 12:10 pm

My 2 year old Enermax power supply has seen 12 changes of fans, has been run 8 hours with no fan melting out every bit of glue holding it together, its case cut and filed with the PCB in place, and most of its external wires cut and bobbed. If the motherboard in that computer had not given out, it would still be going.

Chris`I · Post by **Chris`I** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 3:30 pm

BillyBuerger wrote:
Chris`I wrote:Ppl diss dell, but my psu's in their machines have always been strong!
Yes, but since dell uses a proprietary PSU plug, they're pretty useless unless with ATX motherboards. I did build an adaptor for a SFF dell PSU. But I wouldn't do that again for the others. I kept enough around in case I decide to use a few of the Dell motherboards I have left. I tossed the rest.

Thats true and very very annoying! If you want to move systems with it, then there is really few options. Either build a plug like you say or buy a new PSU. They're not the quietest in the world either.

Elixer · Post by **Elixer** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:16 pm

I had a el cheapo 300W power supply modded with a el cheapo fan at 7V. It was so cheap that while running an athlon 900 with one hard drive you could actually hear the fan speeds drop when the processor was loaded! You could also watch the voltage lines in a monitoring program all drop (computer was still stable though). It ran for about 4 years like this before someone gave me a enermax 350W power supply which replaced it and solved the problem. The power supply still works but I haven't had any need to use it so far.

HellDiver · Post by **HellDiver** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 11:34 am

1988 Commodore Amiga 3000 PSU, made by Aztec I believe. The yellow-label Panaflo finally seized up a few years ago, now running a blue-label Panaflo rescued from a deceased Amstrad 8086 machine.

m0002a · Post by **m0002a** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 12:54 pm

I have a Gateway P3 866 with a 200W SFX PSU that is about 5 years old. About a year ago, I replaced the noisy 92mm PSU fan with a Panaflo and added a fanmate. I would recommend that you vacuum the dust out of an old PSU, especially dust on the heatsinks, to ensure longer PSU life.

Even though it still works fine, I will retire this machine in a few weeks with a new machine I am building, .

gmontem · Post by **gmontem** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 4:28 pm

The fan on my 400-watt Silenx power supply just died so it looks like I gotta get myself a replacement. Had it for about 3 years and was hoping to have in use for a lot longer than that.