Questionhow long is too long ?
Questionhow long is too long ?
I have owned my current PSU since my first generation i7, probably around 15 years or more. (That's a shock) It's the "Cooler Master Silent Pro 700W". Recently, I'm unsure if it always behaved this way or if it developed some issues over time. When I moved houses, I noticed it doesn't handle a "cold boot" well—if it's been completely disconnected from power for a long time, it takes about 30 seconds or more to start up when the power switch is on.
I also experienced problems transferring files from a mechanical USB HDD to another similar drive. In the middle of this process, my drives crashed. Unplugging them didn't help, but rebooting did. Later that day, when I tried to put the PC to sleep, it never entered suspended mode. All lights and fans kept spinning, and the PC became unresponsive.
I'm wondering if these issues might be connected to the age of the PSU or not. Should I go ahead and replace it despite its age?
You might want to consider using a different power supply unit. If the issues persist, it’s likely the motherboard is the problem. However, it’s hard to say for sure since other components would need to be checked first. I’m using a 3rd generation i5 with an old SeaSonic M12II-620Bronze and haven’t seen similar problems yet. My PSU might be failing soon. I could either replace it or give up on the machine. If your PC is important, get a new PSU—SeaSonic G12 or better! Pure Power won’t be that expensive and will extend its lifespan by another 5 to 10 years.