How long power supplies last

May 26, 95 1 1, 0. I ordered most of the other parts this past Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With my previous two gaming PC builds, both of which I used for around four years before replacing, I replaced the power supply units when I did a new build. In both setups I used 80 Plus Bronze certified Seasonic power supply units which were both around watts.

I will provide a link to its specs at the end of this message. In the past, when I did my previous two builds, I was under the impression that when I do a new PC build, I should buy a new power supply unit.

Again I used each of my previous builds for around four years. While watching a tech review expert's channel on YouTube, he claimed to use the same power supply unit for seven or eight years without issues. Now, my understanding is that 80 Plus Gold certified power supplies are not only more power efficient, but also better built than 80 Plus Bronze units.

You can correct me if I am mistaken on that understanding. My questions are as followed: How long can a PC power supply unit last?

If a power supply unit is still in good condition, is it recommended to re-use it in a new PC build or get a new power supply unit? Are 80 Plus Gold certified power supply units better built than 80 Plus Bronze power supply units?

I do not plan to overclock my gaming PC. Would my power supply unit last longer if the connected components such as the video card, CPU, and motherboard draw less power when compared to either an overclocked PC or components that are more power hungry? If the power unit is failing, goes bad, or suddenly quits, is there a risk that my connected components could get damaged?

Nemesia Dignified. Nov 6, 5, 1, 16, Anywhere from a day to 10 years. No way to tell how long it will last. Buying a good quality PSU makes it more reliable and comes with a longer warranty. Some years. Some 5. Depend on what is the new system and how old the PSU is. I would not use a 8 years old PSU in a new system. Certification doesn't mean anything if it's not a good model. I saw gold certified PSU that are pure garbage. Probably but calculating this is impossible.

When a PSU dies it can just die and die peacefully. It can die and bring parts with it. The better quality PSU the less risk it does that. Jul 27, 41, 91, 2, Nemesia said:. If you get one that lasts longer than 4 years, consider yourself lucky. Were you talking about the cheap 30 dollars PSU? If yes then yes I agree. I'm sorry btw. The OP never said he or she had a and a threadripper. I was just saying that watts was overkill if you do not have something like that.

Grobe Splendid. Jan 22, 3, 22, A hard-wired power supply unit has all cables attached. These are the cheapest modulars. The rails of a power supply unit are a printed circuit board pathway. A single rail unit uses one rail to send power back and forth to the rest of the unit. There is a danger to a single rail power supply unit. Even your gaming computer can get fried.

A multi-rail unit passes the power through at least two rails, if not more. You need to check out what the experts have to say.

Customer reviews are great at letting you know of any malfunctions the power supply unit can have. The more hardcore you game, the more you should spend. The more graphics your computer uses, the more you should spend. Lastly, consider the room you have for your power supply unit. You need to make a list of important features for your specific needs. Builder Blog , PC Components. A computer power supply should be changed after five years. After this time, a power supply will most likely become less efficient and possibly cause a system to become unstable.

The primary causes are aged capacitors and other components, power surges, heat, and other mechanical stresses. With that very general rule of thumb out of the way, premium brands like Seasonic make power supplies that can last ten years or more.

Note: The age of components discussed in this article is dealt with in actual running time, not shelf life. The motherboard, other internal components, and computer case use each type of voltage for various subcomponents. Like any electronic device, power supplies are made up of a circuit board with components assembled and soldered onto it.

This is probably one of the most common components that cause electronic faults just like semiconductors. As these components age, the capacitance value alters, thus changing the efficiency at which your power supply works, compared with its original design.

The most commonly used capacitor in power supplies is known as an aluminum electrolytic capacitor. These types of capacitors are made of pure aluminum foil with aluminum oxide as a dielectric.

The expected lifespan of an electrolytic capacitor is a complicated question to answer. But once the electrolytes start evaporating past a certain point, the capacitor can no longer deliver the intended capacitance value. Computer power supplies work hard, especially for gamers or other industry work that causes the computer to work hard for extended periods of time.

This means that the temperature that capacitors operate at, is going to be more likely higher compared to ordinary applications.