[SOLVED] Is my PSU getting old? Should I change it?

[Ley]

I currently have a Cooler Master GX650W which is about 5/6 years old. Is it still safe to use or should I start thinking about changing it?

Thank you!

 

[Feren142]

I currently have a Cooler Master GX650W which is about 5/6 years old. Is it still safe to use or should I start thinking about changing it?

Thank you!

Hey

I would say you should be fine to keep using it. I have a secondary computer running a PSU from 2010 and it's not given me any cause for concern, granted I don't run it every day. A good PSU should last you quite a while provided it's not being put through stress like surges etc (some people claim 10 years or more).

 

[Ley]

Hey

I would say you should be fine to keep using it. I have a secondary computer running a PSU from 2010 and it's not given me any cause for concern, granted I don't run it every day. A good PSU should last you quite a while provided it's not being put through stress like surges etc (some people claim 10 years or more).

Thank you! I haven't had any issues with it, I was just wondering.

 

[jonnyguru]

I currently have a Cooler Master GX650W which is about 5/6 years old. Is it still safe to use or should I start thinking about changing it?

Thank you!

It wasn't a very good PSU to begin with: https://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/11/22/cooler_master_gx_650w_power_supply_review/

 

[mangaman]

Given the build quality of the GX650w and age, yes. It's better to change it now, then years down the line when it fails. The GX650w has bad DC output quality and not so great voltage loads.

I would highly recommend you install a much better PSU such as a SeaSonic Focus Gold 650w. If money is an issue, you can always buy the newer Corsair CX series, as those are good alternative.

 

[Karadjgne]

You don't wait until the motor freezes up before changing the oil, so instead of pushing your luck on an older psu that was never very good to start with, and has outputs that can strain the pc potentially causing permanent damage leading to premature failure, you might want to replace it. It IS going to fail, sooner or later, the question becomes what does it take with it and can you afford to replace all that too.

 

[Ley]

What happens if I change my hardware and keep this PSU for a little while before changing it?
I'm planning on buying a new CPU, motherboard and RAM, and I'm already on a budget, so if I have to buy a new PSU it'll have to wait a couple months...

 

[Karadjgne]

Unless you are moving from something like a core i3 to a core i9 9900k, then not much of anything. Gpu is the main power draw in most pc's, the cpu somewhat behind that at less than 100w on average. Since it's only a cpu/mobo/ram change, power draw should be somewhat equitable.

 

[Ley]

Thanks for your replies.
I'm going from an i5 3570, 8GB RAM DDR3 with an RTX 2060 Super to probably an R5 2600, 16GB RAM DDR4, same GPU.
A couple of years ago I had 16GB RAM DDR3 with the same PSU.

 

[hftvhftv]

Thanks for your replies.
I'm going from an i5 3570, 8GB RAM DDR3 with an RTX 2060 Super to probably an R5 2600, 16GB RAM DDR4, same GPU.
A couple of years ago I had 16GB RAM DDR3 with the same PSU.

Buy a new one, I wouldn't trust that with any new parts
https://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/11/22/cooler_master_gx_650w_power_supply_review/9

 

[Ley]

Buy a new one, I wouldn't trust that with any new parts
https://www.hardocp.com/article/2010/11/22/cooler_master_gx_650w_power_supply_review/9

I've never had any issue with it though, and I don't think I can afford a new PSU right now... I guess I'll take the risk

 

[jonnyguru]

I've never had any issue with it though.

If your car is prone to catching fire, it only catches fire once.