How long do power supplies last?

[Seek54]

Hello, I wanted to ask, how long can power supplies provide power?
Also, do titanium/platinum/gold last longer than regular 80+/ bronze?
Or are they just there to show their efficiency percentage?
Thanks.

 

[xupitera]

if you have many problems voltage proplems, socket problem you hurt the psu .. basically a psu lives for 5years and more if you have a good psu (i have a 600 80 bronze for 6 years and run like new

 

[bignastyid]

Depends on the build quality of the PSU with the capacitors being a big part of the longevity. A PSU that uses poor quality components isn't going to last as long as one using high quality components. You'll usually see this mirrored in the units warranty. Garbage quality units will usually care a warranty of 2 years or less, mediocre to decent units will usually have 3-5 year warranties and the top quality units have warranties of 7-10 years.
The 80 plus rating is an efficiency rating and doesn't always translate to the build quality of the PSU.

 

[thx1138v2]

All other things being equal, heat is one factor that will reduce the life of a PSU. Dirty incoming power can also stess a PSU. It's best to run with an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS). Most decent UPS's have power conditioning circuitry on their output also but a cheap one may not.

So plenty of cooling and clean incoming power will extend the life of your unit. My 80 Plus Bronze with a 3 year warranty will be running for 7 years next month without any problems at all.