Hey everyone! I hope I'm in the right place to ask this. I built my first PC back in 2016 and have made several upgrades since. A couple of years ago, I did a major overhaul, getting a new case, motherboard, and CPU, and now it's like the Ship of Theseus, where almost everything has changed! The only original component left is my PSU, which is an EVGA G2 750W Gold 80+. It still seems to be working fine—I've kept it clean and there's no visible damage. I'm wondering how much longer I can use it. Next year, I'm planning to upgrade my GTX 1080 Ti to something newer and possibly get a new PSU then too. Is it safe to keep using my current PSU, or should I be worried about it failing or causing damage to other parts? Thanks for your advice!
7 Answers
I've got a personal rule: either replace the PSU when the warranty is over or if something seems off. Just to be safe!
I've been building PCs for 35 years, and I've never had a PSU die on me. The advice here is solid: don’t put a 10-year-old PSU in a new build. Upgrade to a quality one that has the wattage and connectors you need when you upgrade major components.
Honestly, the age of a PSU is tricky since there's no tell-tale sign of when it might fail. It could last another decade or die tomorrow. I view warranties as a good guide: if it’s nearing the 10-year mark, it’s a sign that you might consider a replacement. Especially if you plan to upgrade.
You can definitely keep using a high-quality PSU like yours for around 8 years. Since it’s been doing well, I’d say it's safe to stick with it for now. But once you upgrade your GPU, think about getting a new one. Those older units can degrade over time despite looking fine; especially with new connectors coming out for GPUs. If someone has a lower-tier PSU, I'd suggest swapping it after 5 years or when upgrading components.
As a general rule, I'd swap it out as it approaches 10 years. Just to be cautious!
If you really care about your PC, replace the PSU when the warranty's up. You don't want a sudden failure that can damage your other components—it's just not worth the risk. Better safe than sorry, right?
You should replace your PSU when it fails or if it can't provide enough wattage anymore. With a quality PSU and regular maintenance, they can last over 20 years. I've got a Seasonic PSU that's 14 years old and has been through multiple builds with zero issues. It saves you the hassle and cost of replacing cheap units every few years.
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