Posted: 5/24/2006 3:22:21 PM EDT
I would think at least three years.  Lucky I had a spare. ETA: Sorry guys.  I mean a computer power supply. I was surfing arfcom today and the CPU just shut down. I tried turning it back on, but all it would do is flash the power button LED, but not fire up the machine. I had an extra power supply, so I hooked it up and everything was back to normal. I have computers that are 14 years old and still run great. This computer's PS fried in three years. That's lame. 
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Not as long a s APC, but they stay current better than CPU's. They are more expensive than MoBo's, but hey if you got the Benjamins why not. So should I get LCA's for my ForMoCo 'Stang, I'm getting the CAI, and it may cause traction issues with the stock LCA's, but I don't want NVH to increase. What do you guys think? |
Depends on the brand/ quality. Some shitty ones don't last long at all. I was shopping around a few years ago and they list MTBF but it's somewhat hard to find. the top of the line thermaltake says theirs is 120,000 hours. I have an older Thermaltake Purepower 420W, but I cant seem to find the MTBF anywhere. Shitty ones (like generic no names) probably last significantly less. |
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A Power Supppy Unit I'd say 3 years is an acceptible life span. I upgrade my computer(by upgrade I mean a practical total rebuild there really are no upgrades when your a gamer) every 2 years, the PSU is always replaced(more of a wattage issue) If you burn through PSUs faster than Wolf ammo you maybe over taxing the unit or some enviromental issues are causing it to (Excess dust is a killer), not to mention unstable power flow from your outlet. |
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All I can think of is I must have a heat problem or a dust problem. But I vacuum the entire machine once a month. It's difficult to vacuum the PS, but I do the best I can. Maybe it was bad capacitors, as mentioned. It's a cheapo, came with the machine. Here's the model (avoid it).  Not too much dust, right? 
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well..you get what you pay for unfortunatley. I have one thats been going for almost 6 years. I know servers at the office have gone for as much as 10 yrs on the same powersupply. Just get a good one thats the main thing. And over buy, always get one bigger than you need. ETA: Oh..and most of all get a UPS, a good one like an APC SmartUPS, more expensive but it filters the power much better than a surge strip or a cheapo UPS. |
I have a Smart-UPS 1400. Bought it in 1998, had to replace the battery once, but still works great.  The problem is often when you buy a pre-built system, you don't get to select the PSU. You just take what comes with the case. But 3 years is pretty lame. I have never even had a PSU go bad. This is the first time since I bought my first puter in 1987. |
There is only 3 brands of power supplies to even consider owning - 1. PC Power & Cooling 2. OCZ 3. Antec in that order. |
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3 years on a power supply? what?!? I have ones that are over a decade old that still run (granted they are too weak to really be of use anymore, but they run my pentium pro 200Mhz just fine). In fact I don't think I've ever had one die on me, and I run my computers 24/7. (although they hibernate when left idle for >3 hrs.) |
PC Power I don't think they build anything these days that's not while terribly overpriced top of the class OCZ - I'd never even work on a computer with their stuff in it much less buy any of it (hint don't buy their 600 watter and expect it to run a 7900 SLI set up - 2 independant of them couldn't keep BF2 stable while a single 535 watt enermax I had in the throw away pile could) of course YMMV - I've just had bad luck with em Antec - some good some true trash I've had pretty good luck with Silverstone but honestly about the only thing you can get tech monkeys to agree on in the PSU world is PC Power is good - everything else is up for debate  -Barry |