Are 2006 PSUs still going to be okay for 2019?

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twipley

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I have bought the following in 2006: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817103498

I was wondering, currently doing a home cleanup and getting rid of all sorts of things, if I should keep it. It is placed away on a shelf, ready for insertion in a computer I am going to build years from now -- not before 2016, by any means. I am not into 3D gaming neither, for it to be known, nor into enthusiast-type CPUs.

Dating from 2006, will that power-supply unit be compatible with future computer devices, being future-years video cards, CPUs, RAM bars, and the like? Or should I just get rid of it now, and buy a new one then, me who gets irritated keeping unneccessary stuff on shelves?
 
while the power may be enough and the connections MAY work, i would chuck it, you will be able to get a more reliable energy efficient model when you go to build it.
 
My 1976 TV is still working in 2012, so why not? :D

But I wouldn't bet on any PSU lasting more than 3 years, unless all its capacitors were Japanese brands (except TK and United/Nippon Chemicon models KZG and KZJ), but the Fortrons I've seen were made with junk brands, like Fuhjyyu, CapXon, Teapo, and OST, all brands I've seen fail in my PSUs or motherboards.

If you're going to keep electronics in storage, every 6 months take them out and run them for an hour to keep their capacitors from spoiling.

I'm betting that motherboards in 2016 will use nothing but 12V and have onboard voltage regulators to convert that to the needed voltages. And most likely, there won't be motherboards for home PCs.
 
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twipley said:
Dating from 2006, will that power-supply unit be compatible with future computer devices, being future-years video cards, CPUs, RAM bars, and the like? Or should I just get rid of it now, and buy a new one then, me who gets irritated keeping unneccessary stuff on shelves?
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I wouldn't recommend using that PSU with a new low power system today let alone one in the future. Just get rid of it.
 
Well. If the 2006 PSU was something like a Seasonic S12 or M12, Corsair HX, PCP&C Silencer I'd trust it to still be in working order in 2019. If it's a $20 piece of trash PSU, then I'd chuck it in the garbage bin right away.
 
twipley said:
I have bought the following in 2006: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817103498

I was wondering, currently doing a home cleanup and getting rid of all sorts of things, if I should keep it. It is placed away on a shelf, ready for insertion in a computer I am going to build years from now -- not before 2016, by any means. I am not into 3D gaming neither, for it to be known, nor into enthusiast-type CPUs.

Dating from 2006, will that power-supply unit be compatible with future computer devices, being future-years video cards, CPUs, RAM bars, and the like? Or should I just get rid of it now, and buy a new one then, me who gets irritated keeping unneccessary stuff on shelves?
Click to expand...

They change the ATX PSU specification all the time. Doubtful it will be useful in 5 years.

However, that thing is a piece of shit that I wouldn't have even trusted running a machine back in 2006, let alone today or even in the future. Chuck it in the trash.
 
CaptNumbNutz said:
They change the ATX PSU specification all the time. Doubtful it will be useful in 5 years.
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While it does change, compatibility is almost always maintained.

I have a FSP 550w PSU from 2003, it's an EPS12v unit (which came with 24+8 connectors before that was part of ATX). When ATX ultimately adopted 24-pin main connectors and 8-pin CPU connectors, they used the same specifications as EPS12v. Almost 10 years later my FSP550w can still power a brand new computer with no incompatibilities other than having to use molex adapters for SATA and PCIe power.

That said, I agree that the PSU OP linked is a POS.
 
OP I'm sorry if this qualifies as thread derailing but I think it's a related question: if you buy a good quality power supply with Japanese capacitors and other dependable parts could it last a decade and still provide its rated power? Don't include the fan in this question it's relatively easy to replace in comparison to the other electronics.

Because if it's possible to have a PSU last that long it seems like a good investment to buy a reliable PSU.
 
Chuck it. The last thing you want to do with a new build is bring a potential source of instability into the equation. The chances of this happening go up with every year you keep that on the shelf.

Also, by the time you make your build, much more efficient PSUs in the 350-400w range could be had for $50 or less.
 
That's a standard FSP unit, which in its day 2002 probably, was as reliable and efficient as any major OEM PSU.
Sure it cannot really power any add on graphics whatsoever now, but it can probably suffice for a budget system. If I were building a new system I certainly would not use it, but it can still be useful as a backup or as a test unit. Keep it, you never know when it might come in handy, besdies why add to the landfill waste?
 
Yeah, like some have said, keep it and use it to test fans, and any other projects that need some power.
 
XacTactX said:
OP I'm sorry if this qualifies as thread derailing but I think it's a related question: if you buy a good quality power supply with Japanese capacitors and other dependable parts could it last a decade and still provide its rated power? Don't include the fan in this question it's relatively easy to replace in comparison to the other electronics.
Click to expand...
Yes, and I'm using a couple of vintage 1999 Delta 300W PSUs that still work well, although I haven't checked their capacitors (all Japanese) in almost 3 years (pulled several back then, and they all measured normal for capacitance and ESR). But as I said, if you're going to keep a PSU in storage that long, every 6 months power it up for an hour.

Here's an early 1980s genuine IBM PC/XT PSU (compatible with AT motherboards) made by Astec (not Antec). It still works and has never been repaired:

5326694808_58bde2c178.jpg


That was back when Seasonic wasn't building the best products. The Seasonic below has a smaller transformer than the Astec (despite similar frequency), and the Power_Good signal's timing wasn't quite right for some motherboards. The IBM Astec never had that problem and used a much more elaborate circuit to generate that signal (separate vertical circuit board, next to all those wires at the far left):

5326087593_beab0e00f9.jpg
 
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I keep an extra powersuppy around in case mine goes pop! I've had that happen, and no local stores seem to carry ones worth keeping.
 
Hmm. Lets look at it this way, with the power requirements of a new computer ever increasing, do you think a 300 watt psu will be of use in a few years?

Personally, I do not think so.

If you have an old system, and need a compatible back up psu for it, keep it. Otherwise, it is just a waste of space.
 
Newegg, amazon.com ... no taxes either :)

underpowered PSUs, or, old unreliable ones, can take out your system when they die. NOT WORTH THE RISK IMO.
 
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