Question Never used old power supply - safe to use?

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Lunarrmaster

Lunarrmaster

Jan 18, 2024
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I have an old power supply that I purchased a while back that has NEVER been used in double by mistake, and now I plan to build a second computer. The main components are the 7800 x3d cpu and 4070 ti super.

This power supply is a EVGA 750W BQ bronze (I think its enough wattage). I've had it in storage for a good 6-7 years atleast I think. Would it still be safe to use without of damaging my other components or should I sell it and buy another one?

Thanks for your input in advance.
 
Eximo said:
Not a particularly inspiring unit. Not really suitable for 40 series GPUs.
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What do you recommend? There is someone close to me selling a 750 G3 EVGA gold for 80$ canadian which is pretty cheap. I'm just not sure wether it's risky to buy used PSU's in general
 
Lunarrmaster said:
So they still degrade even when never used ?
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Not particularly no. Electrolytics do have a finite lifespan, but it is temperature cycles that really get to them. I think the rough rule was 1 year less for every 10C hotter you run them, but that is running.

Sitting in a climate controlled room, probably a decent shelf life. But I still wouldn't use a BQ to power a 4070Ti.

G3 is a decent unit. Buying used is whatever it is. You don't really know how it was used, and you have to deal with the age.

Considering the cheapest ATX 3.0 supply is going to cost you $140 maple bucks, might be worth it.
 
@Lunarrmaster consider the price of this new system hardware as a gamble against the extra hundo that could supply a new, reliable, quality power supply. You could use that old PSU, and it might work fine for days, weeks, months, even years. If it DOESN'T it could destroy every bit of hardware it is connected to.

If you are comfortable with that bet, do it.
 
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Thank you guys for the input it all makes sense and I'm taking it in. I'm just trying to find ways to cut on the cost as much as I can without paying too much in performance.

Currently I'm exploring and looking mostly into gold certified power supplies, ideally fully modular (I know I want it all for the cheapest lol) I've found some refurbished products for a good price like a rmx 850x gold plus for 120$ canadian which is like 90 usd. I just need to check if the manufacturer's warranty still applies. Otherwise do you guys strongly recommend AGAINST refurbished PSU? I have a hard time imagining they would put back a product on the shelves if it could potentially fry my other parts.
 
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Electrolytics have a dielectric that is formed by a chemical reaction when power is applied. The dielectric slowly reverses the chemical reaction when no power is applied for 3 or more years.

So, you need to build the dielectric back up. For that you need a variable autotransformer. It has a dial, and it adjusts AC voltage from 0-140V. You start out as low as possible. Every five minutes turn it down to zero, and then back up to 5V more.

Just keep going in 5V increments, always returning to zero between, up to 120V in the USA. The dielectric will be reformed, which is why the process is called 'forming the capacitors'.

Otherwise, the larger caps might short out.
 
I've also found a Deepcool PQ750M, gold certified and fully modular for only 90$ CDN (not a refurbish or anything). I've done a little research and it doesnt seem like there is much info about this one but it does have a 10 year warranty.
I'm not totally sure what makes the difference between a good and bad power supply honestly.. all I can understand is the certification, the wattage and wether its modular or not.
 
A part of it is based in reputation alongside the warranty. If the manufacturer is someone who is going to be around and is willing to put themselves out on a limb for (longer) warranty it is generally a good indication of their confidence in the product which goes hand in hand with quality build. At the same time, some lesser companies (and probably the bigger ones too) are likely counting on your having no way to actually validate warranty that far out and just end up buying a new one anyway.

Rating can also be an indicator, but is not always sure fire.

There is a bit more to it, but I would let others speak up in relation to the Deep Cool unit specifically. I have no experience with them.
 
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The Deepcool's not bad, actually. Unlike a lot of Deepcool PSUs -- they've earned their rather mixed reputation -- this one is made by SeaSonic and uses a modern topology. It's not quite on the level of newer PSUs, like the Corsair RMx ones. Given the cost of this build, an extra $30 or so Canadian is a drop in the bucket, and I would personally do that (I'll always buy PSU tiers for all my systems and I've been rewarded over the decades by extremely rare component failures). But this Deepcool is certainly not a *bad* choice by any stretch.
 
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DSzymborski said:
The Deepcool's not bad, actually. Unlike a lot of Deepcool PSUs -- they've earned their rather mixed reputation -- this one is made by SeaSonic and uses a modern topology. It's not quite on the level of newer PSUs, like the Corsair RMx ones. Given the cost of this build, an extra $30 or so Canadian is a drop in the bucket, and I would personally do that (I'll always buy PSU tiers for all my systems and I've been rewarded over the decades by extremely rare component failures). But this Deepcool is certainly not a *bad* choice by any stretch.
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I agree with putting in an extra 30$ just to be safe it's not worth the risk considering the value of the other components.

All in all I ended up buying a brand new EVGA G5 750w for 125$ CAD plus tax on eBay, from my research it seems to be an excellent one and looked like a good deal
 
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