Expert Consulted: Adrian Gardiner. Years of experience buying both computers and computer parts for my own new customer builds has given me a keen eye for spotting great deals when shopping. In this article, I’ll be sharing my knowledge to answer the question, ‘How long do power supplies last?’
You may, from time to time, have wondered about exactly how long your computer’s power supply unit (PSU) is supposed to last. It’s a question I do get asked by clients when theirs has already failed, and I have to install a replacement for them.
If you’re a regular gamer, you’ll not be too pleased to have had a PSU fail as they often do – usually the cheaper, less well-known brands.
So, how long do power supplies last?
A power supply typically lasts between 5 to 10 years, depending on whether it has been sized correctly for your PC, its quality, usage patterns, environmental conditions, and power conditions. However, this lifespan can vary greatly, and regular maintenance can help extend it.
To get all the relevant details on how long a power supply lasts, the next few sections in my article will give you all you need to know.
Related Article: Best 1000w power supply unit
How Long Do Power Supplies Last
There are many factors that affect the life of a power supply unit (PSU). In the next few sections, I’ve gone into some detail on the key points that you need to be aware of if you want to get the very longest life out of your PSU.
Understanding Power Supplies
Your power supply is a critical piece of equipment in your system that pumps electricity to components to keep the PC running smoothly.
A good quality PSU is, therefore, essential to ensure that it’s reliable and won’t cause problems.
Try to buy a modular system if your budget allows, as it will make cabling so much easier.
What Affects the Lifespan of Power Supplies?
These are the most important factors that can affect the life of a PSU:
- Quality and Brand – this is the most important aspect to consider, as a good quality, well-known brand will serve you very well. I’ve seen some truly awful, cheap PSUs in customers’ computers, some of which were downright dangerous – when these fail, they can take other parts of your PC with them. See below for recommended brands.
- Usage Patterns – how often do you use your computer? Are you a hard-core gamer, playing all hours, or a light user just using the PC now and then for an hour or two? The harder you run your computer, the harder the PSU will have to work, especially in long, drawn-out, heavy gaming sessions.
- Local Environment Factors – what’s it like where your PC is located? Is it dusty, humid, or warm? Do you have pets (like cats) that wander near to the PC? Is there lots of good space all round the PC, especially near the PSU vent? These factors can have a huge impact on how long your PSU lasts. Ideally, keep it clean, cool, and with great ventilation (keep Tiddles away from the PC!).
- Power Conditions – do you have a good quality and reliable power supply? I’ve had a few clients with unreliable supplies regularly suffering power surges, fluctuations, and blackouts (one due to swans that kept hitting the nearby power lines). A solution here would be to install a surge protector or, better still, a UPS (uninterruptible power supply – effectively a large battery).
Recommended PSU Brands
Here’s a list of recommended PSU brands that I have had experience with:
- Antec
- be Quiet!
- Cooler Master
- Corsair
- EVGA
- Fractal Design
- NZXT
- SeaSonic
- Thermaltake.
What’s the Typical Lifespan of a Power Supply?
On average, a PSU can last anywhere from 5 to 10 years. However, this can vary a lot depending on all of the factors mentioned earlier.
To be honest, most power supplies seem to be lasting pretty well these days so long as they are a decent brand and are reasonably well looked after.
I don’t see that many PSU failures these days – those that I do get called out to fix are usually totally clogged up with dust and have either overheated or the cooling fan is on the way out.
What are the Signs of a Failing Power Supply?
Here are some of the most common signs of a PSU that’s struggling and not likely to last much longer:
- Unexpected Crashes or Restarts – if your computer suddenly shuts down or restarts, I would certainly check out your power supply.
- Strange Noises – buzzing, clicking, or rattling noises are a telltale sign of imminent failure of your PSU and can often mean the cooling fan has a bearing issue.
- Overheating – if you could fry an egg on the surface of your PSU, it doesn’t have long left in this world, and there’s a good chance the fan is failing or has already given up.
- Computer Fails to Start – the system is completely dead, with no sound or LED indicators when you try to start it.
- Poor Performance – This could be due to the PSU overheating and causing other components in the system to also overheat, which could lead to thermal throttling of the CPU as it tries to protect itself from damage.
- Strange Electrical Smell / Smoke – not a good sign! Could be the result of a power surge or a failed capacitor. Turn off the power to your PC immediately and have the PSU replaced.
TIP: You can purchase relatively inexpensive PSU testers that are very easy to use and will quickly diagnose a faulty or dead power supply.
NOTE: Unless you are a qualified electrician with the right skills, do not, under any circumstances, open up a PSU with the intention of trying to fix it. This can be extremely dangerous. Remove the whole PSU and safely dispose of it.
How to Extend the Life of Your Power Supply
If you want to extend the life of your PSU, the following will all help:
| 1. | Choose a Reliable Brand |
| Select a good, well-known, and reliable brand of power supply – it’s well worth spending a bit extra on this particular part. If a PSU fails, it can often take other system components with it. | |
| 2. | Correctly Size Your PSU |
| Make sure that the PSU is correctly rated to supply enough power for your particular system. Ideally, the PSU should be sized with at least an extra 20% over the total amount required. Go to https://pc-builds.com/power-supply-calculator | |
| 3. | Ensure Good Ventilation for Cooling |
| Make sure there is plenty of room all around the computer, particularly where the PSU is located (usually at the bottom of the tower for most gaming systems), for good ventilation and cooling. | |
| 4. | Keep Your System Clean |
| Keep your computer system, including your PSU, of course, nice and clean, and make sure dust is never allowed to build up. Dust is the number 1 enemy of computers, causing various components to overheat and eventually fail. | |
| 5. | Consider Installing a UPS |
| Lastly, consider installing an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect your PSU and all computer components against damage from power outages, electrical surges, and spikes. |
When and How to Replace Your Power Supply
Knowing when the time has come to replace your PSU is pretty important, as this device can affect your computer in so many ways, and none of them are good.
Get hold of a simple PSU tester for a quick and easy test that will save you a lot of headaches trying to work out what’s wrong if you suspect a fault.
Choosing a new PSU is not that difficult these days, with so much support available on the web. The basics of fitting a new unit are as follows:
- Undo and remove the four securing screws on the rear of the PC.
- Unclip each of the cables from the PSU that are in use inside of your PC case (i.e., connected to the motherboard, graphics card, and storage drives, for example).
- Once all the cables have been unclipped, you can then carefully remove the PSU from your case.
- Unbox your new PSU and position it into the case where the old one was fitted (if you have a modular or semi-modular PSU, check to see which cables you need and connect these up to your PSU in readiness for fitting).
- Connect the required cables from the PSU to the various items inside your case that require power.
- Connect the power cable to your PC and check everything works ok (remember to switch on the PSU via the little rocker switch next to the main power cable input).
The biggest hassle from the above process is going to be cabling – buy a modular PSU if you can so that you can then choose which of the supplied cables you want to actually put into the case – this will save you a lot of time cabling up your replacement supply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Can a failing PSU damage other components?
Yes, definitely. This is why it’s so important to identify if the PSU is failing as early as possible to prevent damage to other components in your computer system.
Q2: Can I replace my PSU myself?
Yes, again, not a problem for most people. Bit fiddly cabling it up, but other than that, fitting a PSU is not difficult (see the steps above).
Q3: How much does a good PSU cost?
These vary in cost greatly, depending on the brand, model, features, and power rating. Expect to pay anything from $50 to around $900 for a top brand, high wattage (i.e. 1600w) PSU.
Conclusion
A good understanding and regular maintenance of your PSU are essential if it is to have a long and useful life.
Get yourself a good quality unit, make sure it’s sized correctly for your computer power draw (in watts), and then it’s a simple case of making sure that you regularly check that it’s not making any strange noises, that it’s clean and not clogged up with dust.