Desktop power supply dead, what brand to replace it with?

[Dreaded Claymore]

My desktop computer quit working, so I took it to the shop to get diagnosed. They traced the problem to a bad capacitor in the power supply.

Who makes the good power supplies these days? It's been a while since I assembled this.

[Petra]

Seasonic is still my go-to manufacturer for PSUs. Corsair is my occasional fallback, but their product line is a mix of platforms from several PSU manufacturers (CWT, Seasonic, and Flextronics depending on the model).

If there's a particular power supply that you have in mind, http://www.jonnyguru.com/ is the place to go for PSU reviews.

[billofrights]

PC Power & Cooling. Expensive but worth it. Higher quality components that won't fry your entire system if it dies.

[Spyguy]

I've used Corsair for a couple of builds with great results. They are well-made power supplies.

But before you replace yours, have you considered replacing the bad cap? It's probably an electrolytic capacitor that dried out. You can probably replace it for less than $2. I had a large Samsung flat panel display that suffered the same problem in its internal power supply. IIRC, 2 or 3 of the caps were bad, but I replaced them all (with better quality caps). I was able to save a good display for less than $10.

[Ricky-Ray]

+1 on Corsair PSU's. Bought several to replace the PSU's on several friends computers and no issues. Depending on which friend I did the work for the computer is still running anywhere from as little as 6 months ago to as long as about 4 years.

[Dreaded Claymore]

Spyguy, I know how to solder but I'm not sure which capacitor it is. I only know what they told me at the shop. How would I find out? What kind of equipment do I use to test these things?

[the86d]

Thermaltake and a UPS (even a cheap one is better than none)... I personally have never had issues with PFC, or non-PFC power supplies on a simulated sine-wave UPS, but I hear this CAN cause issues. I have only had power supplies die if they were hand-me-downs from friends on city-power. Oh, and blow the dust out of them every year if you turn the computer off daily, or once every 3-6 months if you leave it on 24/7, depending on your dust-factor (live on a farm, etc)...

Most people who I have seen have blown, or leaking caps on their board, or power supply use straight city power(, aside from the Capacitor-plague).

If you can afford a pure sine-wave UPS, get one... I won't do it, until my main one dies.

Thermaltakes have 3-5 year warranty, on the only ones I have used.

[MaHoTex]

Spyguy, I know how to solder but I'm not sure which capacitor it is. I only know what they told me at the shop. How would I find out? What kind of equipment do I use to test these things?

Do a google search for "Electrolytic Capacitor" to see what it looks like.

As for repairing it, they are usually visible without any test equipment. Simply open it up ad look at the tops of the capacitors for splits. Do a search on google for images of failed electrolytic capacitors.

That said, it is best to just replace the power supply.

[MaHoTex]

I've used Corsair for a couple of builds with great results. They are well-made power supplies.

But before you replace yours, have you considered replacing the bad cap? It's probably an electrolytic capacitor that dried out. You can probably replace it for less than $2. I had a large Samsung flat panel display that suffered the same problem in its internal power supply. IIRC, 2 or 3 of the caps were bad, but I replaced them all (with better quality caps). I was able to save a good display for less than $10.

I have done the same to two flat screen monitors and one large LCD televisions in the past couple of years.

[the86d]

I have soldered new caps on motherboards and the others went bad.

Replace it.

[stilly]

I have soldered new caps on motherboards and the others went bad.

Replace it.

^^^^
THIS


To me a monitor is a different beast. I like my monitors and use them and I look at them and I depend on them.

I depend on my PSU also but it is either on or not. A PSU is NOT worth it to me to take apart and replace a single capacitor because there might also be other things that are bad or close to bad and will then break in a little longer as well.

For PSU, I just replace. I might replace a fan if that is the only thing I can tell is wrong (making the dust in the bearing noise or just gummed up and stopped).

I hear a lot about Seasonic and the PC Power and Cooling and I would consider one of them, but off the shelf I tend to grab Corsair or OCZ. I am running an OCZ in my game system, been running the 700W silencer now for over 4 years. No issues and it is firetruck red (cause firetruck red = performance...)

For a monitor I would consider a new power board from Fleabay or a new monitor that was used from Fleabay. They also sell kits of capacitors for certain models as well but I am not a veteran solderer so I will attempt to change out the jacked capacitors on a spare board only.

[Montu]

you'll be fine with any major well respected brand
seasonic or corsair would be my picks..I have a pc power and cooling which has outlived anything I've ever owned but I hear they got bought out by ocz (which is not a bad brand either)

[chris1911]

I like antec.

[NytWolf]

Corsair, Enermax, Antec, CoolerMaster ... computer power supplies are one of those things that you do truly get what you pay for. Anything around the $80 range for a 500W should be decent enough.

[Darryl Licht]

PC Power & Cooling. Expensive but worth it. Higher quality components that won't fry your entire system if it dies.

^^^THIS^^^

Great PSU's... I've got several that are over 15 years old and still working! They are the Timex of PSU's!