Which brand to go for ?

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Which brand to go for ?

Out of curiosity, I just looked up Samxon GF's data sheet and found something interesting: both the 6.3v and the 10v version for the 2200uF capacitance have the same size, ripple current, and ESR specs. Now isn't that strange? Generally the can size increases as the voltage rating is increased. I bet you're right that they are cutting corners somewhere.

That's not typical but it's not necessarily cutting corners either.
The voltage will depend on how the foil is etched as well as how thick they build the layer on the etching when it is first formed.

[Speculation]
I think most brands etch the foil differently for different voltages in addition to using a higher forming voltage. [The different etching also affects the uF per unit of area of foil to some degree sometimes making a different can size necessary.]
They [the GF] could use foil etched the same way for both voltages but still use a higher forming voltage. That would be a legit method but they don't get the bennie of better ESR/Ripple in the higher voltage cap.
.
OR, they could just be derating 10v caps with 6.3v sleeves to reduce retooling [set-up] costs by doing one long run vice two shorter runs.
- Hard to say...
.

[mockingbird]

Re: Which brand to go for ?

Do you think GF is defective because of the substandard aluminium or the poor electrolyte?

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Which brand to go for ?

Most likely Chinese Aluminum - but that's just a guess.
.

[Rob Northen]

Re: Which brand to go for ?

PCBONEZ, I might have to disagree on you. FC seems to be a little better. Anyway, those I looked for; 2200mf/10v + 2200mf/16v + 1000mf/16v

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Which brand to go for ?

Cap -grades- go by the can size, not uF and volts.
This is the proper way to do it.
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showpo...1&postcount=17

Going to FC would be using a lower grade with a bigger can.
GL 10x20mm 1400 .046
KY 10x20mm 1400 .046
FC 10x20mm 1220 .052

Doing it that is why I included this:
[There may be some can sizes that are exceptions ....]
Admittedly they are closer than I thought but KY is still the equivalent grade to GL and FC is a lower grade overall.

It worked for you this time but when you go to a bigger can in a lower grade you often end up with a can that is too big for the board position.
[Happens a lot with FC because they tend to be large for their uF.]
In PSU's it's usually diameter that becomes a problem.
In screens that use EMI shields, on video cards or in a mobo Vcore the height can be clearance a problem too.
.

[Rob Northen]

Re: Which brand to go for ?

I looked for ESR & ripple. Both were slightly better on FC than GF. But, you areright, the cans are bigger. But its ok in this application.

[ThePCDoctor]

Re: Which brand to go for ?

I'm a retired PC tech and over the past few years I've replaced 14 PSU's that had failed, most of them with no -5vdc.
Recently I cleaned out my junk box and disassembled 14 PSU's from different vendors, most of them "Bestec". #%$@ (expletive deleted)
In every PSU that I opened, there were bulging and leaking capacitors. It's a freaky Epidemic!
The one brand missing from the junk box was Antec.

Sometime back I had a chance to buy the Antec Earthwatts 650 PSU for a really low price and I bought two of them. One went into my main PC and the other went into my backup system. That was actually a couple of years ago and I've had absolutely NO problems with either supply.

I can pick up Antec supplies at my local Office Equipment store so that's what I use to replace bad supplies in friend's and customer's PC's. I have NO idea what capacitors they have in them, but they do seem to hold up well.

Does anyone here, regularly rebuild PC power supplies?

Neat Thread!

The Doctor

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Which brand to go for ?

Antecs are absolutely NOTORIOUS for using crap caps.
--- FAMOUS for it.
Try searching the forum - you'll be reading about shit Antecs ALL DAY LONG.

This thread is especially fun because an Antec Rep actually showed up in post #61.
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3246
He might as well have been a worm in a piranha tank.

Earthwatts have been okay thus far but they do have some crap brands in there.
LTEC and Taicon off the top of my head. - At least it wasn't Fuhjyyu again...
.

[PCBONEZ]

Re: Which brand to go for ?

Does anyone here, regularly rebuild PC power supplies?

Wild guess: Somewhere between 1 and 2 dozen members.
.
2 or 3 have developed MODs for the crap +5vsb circuits.
At least one likes modding Bestecs. [...for some mysterious reason. Masochistic maybe?]
.

[momaka]

Re: Which brand to go for ?

Yes - KY are the correct grade to replace the GF.

None of FC, PW, PM, LZY or LZX have low enough ESR or high enough Ripple.
[There may be some can sizes that are exceptions but they are far enough apart that isn't very likely.]
.

Yeah, my mistake there. Normally I look at a few various cap sizes before deciding what's equivalent to what, but this time I looked at the GF ratings only for 2200uF @ 6.3v, 10v, and 16v and then compared them to FC and the other series I listed (and for some reason, all of them had equivalent or better specs than GF). But now that I looked at the smaller can sizes, indeed FC, PW, PM, LXY, and LXZ are lower grade.

[c_hegge]

Re: Which brand to go for ?

Earthwatts have been okay thus far but they do have some crap brands in there.
LTEC and Taicon off the top of my head. - At least it wasn't Fuhjyyu again...
.

That, as well as OST (seasonic built units) and capXon (delta built), and yes, I've seen both fail.

Antec is definatelty the brand that most frequently ends up in my junk box.