Posted: 5/13/2011 12:39:09 PM EDT
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I can't take all credit for this, however Tom's Hardware puts together something you should read before purchasing a new power supply. Enjoy.
Tom's rundown |
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I have had a couple of power supplies die, but never in a dramatic fashion. In both cases, I couldn't figure out just what the problem was very easily. I only traced it down to the power supply by process of elimination, by switching out other components until the PSU was the most likely problem.
In both instances, I got replacements under the original warranty. That's one thing I like about Thermaltake in particular: 5 year warranty. But then, I stay away from the really cheap PSUs. Some people swear by the $20 jobs, but I don't like to take chances with my expensive bits (video card, CPU, etc.). |
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Quoted:
I have had a couple of power supplies die, but never in a dramatic fashion. In both cases, I couldn't figure out just what the problem was very easily. I only traced it down to the power supply by process of elimination, by switching out other components until the PSU was the most likely problem. In both instances, I got replacements under the original warranty. That's one thing I like about Thermaltake in particular: 5 year warranty. But then, I stay away from the really cheap PSUs. Some people swear by the $20 jobs, but I don't like to take chances with my expensive bits (video card, CPU, etc.). I typically don't buy cheap when it comes to PSU. And Thermaltake is good stuff. I like Seasonic and Antec, and really if it comes with a good warranty it's just a matter of time before you get refund/replacement. I think a 3-5 year warranty is just, realistically if it's an enthusiast brand they figure it's life span is shorter than those that buy economical for initial savings. Housebrands aren't typically known for their quality vs. name brand when it comes to computer parts so an article like this really shows you what's really under the hood. I'm also not impressed with lighting or fancy colors. When I push the button I want it to work...not look good. |
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Oops, I mis-typed above. One of the PSUs that died was out of warranty.
I replaced it with an Ultra brand from TigerDirect. "Lifetime" warranty - not too shabby. And it wasn't particularly expensive. Durability remains to be seen, but it's creeping up on a year of use. The PSU in my everyday desktop is a Thermaltake TR2 RX 850W. That is ridiculously more power than I will ever need, but it is what I received under the warranty when my original Thermaltake (550W) died. I have had PSUs outlive motherboards more frequently than the other way around. Thank you for linking the article. I won't be building a PC any time soon, but it was fascinating to read about all the different brands and OEMs. I had no idea Thermaltake was just a design house, for example. As with other computer parts, there are only so many companies that physically build stuff. Makes sense really - there is only so much capital available in any particular industry. |