Hi folks,
I'm new to the forum after making the discovery that I have some PSUs with cheap caps. Nothing has died on me yet, but I'm wondering about what people feel the 'cut off' is for re-capping a power supply vis-a-vis the expected 'life cycle' of the units.
In other words, when does it not make sense to undergo the time and expense to recap since the power supply has 'past its prime' and there may be other components that are reaching their end of life as well?
For me I'm primarily looking at a pair of Enermax Liberty 620w (ELT620AWT). I bought the first about 4 years ago, then two years ago one died. This was back when they still had 3 year warranties. So I RMA'ed the busted one, but picked up a new one of the same model since I was busy at the time and didn't want to waste time swapping out all the cables. (modular cables make changes so easy)
Anyway, so 2 years ago I bought the replacement PSU, (same model) and then I got my RMA back - which was a new power supply. (I compared S/Ns to make sure, and the new one didn't have a fingerprint or scuff mark on it.)
So here I am a couple years later, considering whether I'll run into trouble with this PSU, and wondering if recapping is worthwhile. Let's be clear here, doing the work is no issue for me. I worked as an electronics technician for IBM before they got out of the PC business some years ago, so replacing the caps wouldn't be a big deal. I've got the tools.
Like I said, I'm just wondering, based on the technology, if it is 'worth it'. I hate seeing working components dumped, but I also have a couple other PSUs in my 'pile of computer stuff' that I could probably recap and extend the life of too.
So what helps to make your choice? When does recapping become a fruitless endeavour?
I'm new to the forum after making the discovery that I have some PSUs with cheap caps. Nothing has died on me yet, but I'm wondering about what people feel the 'cut off' is for re-capping a power supply vis-a-vis the expected 'life cycle' of the units.
In other words, when does it not make sense to undergo the time and expense to recap since the power supply has 'past its prime' and there may be other components that are reaching their end of life as well?
For me I'm primarily looking at a pair of Enermax Liberty 620w (ELT620AWT). I bought the first about 4 years ago, then two years ago one died. This was back when they still had 3 year warranties. So I RMA'ed the busted one, but picked up a new one of the same model since I was busy at the time and didn't want to waste time swapping out all the cables. (modular cables make changes so easy)
Anyway, so 2 years ago I bought the replacement PSU, (same model) and then I got my RMA back - which was a new power supply. (I compared S/Ns to make sure, and the new one didn't have a fingerprint or scuff mark on it.)
So here I am a couple years later, considering whether I'll run into trouble with this PSU, and wondering if recapping is worthwhile. Let's be clear here, doing the work is no issue for me. I worked as an electronics technician for IBM before they got out of the PC business some years ago, so replacing the caps wouldn't be a big deal. I've got the tools.
Like I said, I'm just wondering, based on the technology, if it is 'worth it'. I hate seeing working components dumped, but I also have a couple other PSUs in my 'pile of computer stuff' that I could probably recap and extend the life of too.
So what helps to make your choice? When does recapping become a fruitless endeavour?
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