Is it time to replace my power supply?

[Staz]

I have had an Antec TruePower 380W power supply running in my system for the past 4+ years. My system stays on 24/7 and gets about 2-4 solid hours of 3D gaming each day. I have upgraded my parts many times, but my PS has stayed the same during the last 4 years. I am starting to wonder if the time has come to upgrade my PS?

My rig is a basic one...
XP-M 2500+ oc'ed to 3200+ on a Gigabyte GA-7N400Pro2 mobo. Possible upgrade to an A64 in a few months.
Two 512MB sticks of Kingston Hyper-X memory in dual channel mode.
FX5700 videocard, soon to be upgraded to either a 6600GT or 6800.
One 80GB SATA hard drive, soon to have a 2nd one added, both with HD coolers.
One DVD-ROM and one DVD-RW, often used to burn DVD's.
Basic Sound Blaster Live card.
6 total 80mm fans, 5 on case and one on the HSF.

Is my PS fine, or should I look into getting something newer and more powerful one? If so, I need recommendations as I have no clue what is good or what is bad. I want to keep the price around $60, but would go a bit higher if a really good one was close to that. I consider stability, quietness, and cooling ability as my 3 most important factors.

So, should I keep my existing one, or upgrade. If upgrade, which one?

 

[Operandi]

Keep what you have its fine.

 

[Staz]

Originally posted by: Operandi
Keep what you have its fine.

Even at 4+ years old? Do power supplies have a life span like other computer parts and become prone to failure at a certain age? I would be more than happy to keep it if I felt it wouldn't fail anytime soon.

 

[akira34]

All parts have a MTBF rating. That's how long the manufacturer expects the item to last before failing (complete failure typically). How long an item lasts can vary from system to system, person to person. Leaving it running 24/7/365 just means you reach that point before someone that doesn't leave it running. If you've had the system running constant for 4 years, that means it's been running for over 35,000 hours. Also keep in mind that the MTBF is at a relatively low temp (25C or 77F) which I seriously doubt anyone is really at with their PSU. Being in a warmer setting (such as inside a computer) will accelerate the fail time (bringing it closer).

As such, I'd plan on getting a new PSU soon. Have the funds set aside so that when it starts acting odd/up you're ready to order up the replacement. Even if it dies tomorrow 4+ years is a really good run for a PSU that's been running 24/7.

 

[Staz]

That's more or less what I was thinking. I know it's a good PS, but it has been running, mainly on, for the past 4 years, and at that age, its got me a tad bit worried. If it does start to fail, what signs should I look for?

Also, lets presume I wanted to replace it, I still need recommendations.

 

[akira34]

If you're looking to replace, and want to keep it for ~4 years too, then don't go below 450W. I've always had good results with Antec PSU's in system builds and continue to use them. In the end, go with what you feel comfortable with, and the largest you can afford. Do NOT go with a PSU that's priced far below what other [name] brands are going for at the same wattage rating...

 

[Staz]

It's been so long since I have bought a power supply, I no longer know what is considered great vs good vs decent vs poor. I have a few questions about modern day power supplies...

1) Which brands are mid to top end? I of course know Antec, but what others? Which brands should I steer away from?

2) What type of wattage should I consider as a min? 450W like the previous poster said, or would 400W be a better min?

3) Voltage vs Amps, I see a lot of talk about 12V@18A along with other specs. What does that mean and which is better?

4) What is True or Pure power?

5) Is there a better fan combo? 1x120 or 2x80 or something else?

6) What is a good CFM to look for, I see a couple advertise 14cfm, that good?

7) Since I have an SATA drive, should I only be looking for PS's with SATA connectors?

8) Will $60 get me a good PS? Can I go lower? Or should I go higher? I picked that number since that is what my current PS goes for.

9) Can a good PS really speed up your system a little?


Thanks for all the help in advance.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: Staz
It's been so long since I have bought a power supply, I no longer know what is considered great vs good vs decent vs poor. I have a few questions about modern day power supplies...

1) Which brands are mid to top end? I of course know Antec, but what others? Which brands should I steer away from?

2) What type of wattage should I consider as a min? 450W like the previous poster said, or would 400W be a better min?

3) Voltage vs Amps, I see a lot of talk about 12V@18A along with other specs. What does that mean and which is better?

4) What is True or Pure power?

5) Is there a better fan combo? 1x120 or 2x80 or something else?

6) What is a good CFM to look for, I see a couple advertise 14cfm, that good?

7) Since I have an SATA drive, should I only be looking for PS's with SATA connectors?

8) Will $60 get me a good PS? Can I go lower? Or should I go higher? I picked that number since that is what my current PS goes for.

9) Can a good PS really speed up your system a little?


Thanks for all the help in advance.

1. Seasonic, Tagan, OCZ, PCP&C, Forton, Zalman. I have a 380 watt Tagan right now, best PSU I've used thus far.

2. 400 watts is enough for just about anything outside of dual CPU or an SLI setup.

3. voltage x Amps equals watts, so 18A @ 12v = 216 watts.

4. I'm guessing sustained vs. peak power, only generic PSUs would market their peak power.

5. I'm not sure it makes a huge difference really. Personally I would go with 1 120mm or 2 80mm.

6. Don't worry about it all the fan have to do is keep the PSU cool you shouldn't rely on it to cool the rest of you system.

7. I would look for one with SATA connectors yes.

8. Yeah $60 can get you a good sub 400 watt PSU.

9. No, it won't make any speed difference.

Personally I don't see a reason to upgrade what you have, it could easily go for another 4 years without any problems. But if you want to upgrade I can understand that. I've gotten a new PSU with every new system I build, so atleast 1 a year, kinda ridiculous now that I think about it.

 

[stevennoland]

Your psu (and your rig) will last longer if you have it (the psu) plugged into a really good surge surpressor and line conditioner. I would highly recommend a Monster Power 'Power Bar 1100' at the minimum. It will also give you a little more peace of mind during thunder storms. If your current psu is not acting up, don't eff with it.

 

[loic2003]

"If it ain't broke don't fix it!"
the number of times I wish I'd taken that into account.... but hey, everyone wants the latest kit, so maybe go for it!

Originally posted by: Operandi
6. Don't worry about it all the fan have to do is keep the PSU cool you shouldn't rely on it to cool the rest of you system.

I agree with everything the previous poster said but the above statement. Your PSU extracts a lot of hot air from around the CPU and can make a significant difference. This one has a nice big 120mm fan at the bottom and dumps the air out the back, perfect for keeping that ambient case temperature low:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Akasa_PSU.html

Also, I'd go for single 120 over dual 80's.

 

[Chang10is]

Originally posted by: akira34
All parts have a MTBF rating. That's how long the manufacturer expects the item to last before failing (complete failure typically). How long an item lasts can vary from system to system, person to person. Leaving it running 24/7/365 just means you reach that point before someone that doesn't leave it running. If you've had the system running constant for 4 years, that means it's been running for over 35,000 hours. Also keep in mind that the MTBF is at a relatively low temp (25C or 77F) which I seriously doubt anyone is really at with their PSU. Being in a warmer setting (such as inside a computer) will accelerate the fail time (bringing it closer).

As such, I'd plan on getting a new PSU soon. Have the funds set aside so that when it starts acting odd/up you're ready to order up the replacement. Even if it dies tomorrow 4+ years is a really good run for a PSU that's been running 24/7.

4+ years is really good?? My expectations are a bit higher than that. I'd say that a 4-year lifespan for a TruPower PSU is mediocre at best, even if you had the computer running non-stop all those years. Yes, don't be particularly surprised if the unit fails in the next month, but it's probably also about as likely that the unit lasts another 3+ years.