Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

[Sudum Gumudu]

As my newly built Conroe rig went online yesterday, I took my old rig offline and stripped it for dust cleaning and capacitor inspection. The MB, a MSI 865PE Neo2 is full of OST and TEAPO:s and will be recapped. This is the last board I bought before becoming aware of the capacitor debacle.
This concerns the PSU, however. It has, along with the rest of the stuff been in continuous use for little over two years. Now, having read about the crap caps Antec put in these PSU:s, the question is whether to open it for cap inspection and void almost one year of remaining warranty or not. Your thoughts, please.

[willawake]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

fan should be replaced anyway for adequate airflow
most psus have crapcaps

your choice
i usually void the warranty immediately

[Mustang]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

fan should be replaced anyway for adequate airflow
most psus have crapcaps

your choice
i usually void the warranty immediately

I agree. What good is a warranty if a bad PSU takes out other hardware as well?

[willawake]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

i usually check for DOA first though

[Sudum Gumudu]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

I agree. What good is a warranty if a bad PSU takes out other hardware as well?

A very good point. So good in fact, I followed up on it, and did a cap inspection. Sure enough, one of the six 3300 uF Fuhjyyuh:s were visibly swollen.
It's now become a recap project.

[japlytic]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

Depending on the unit's vents, it may not be necessary to open it, if you shine a bright torch into it.

I found a brand new Antec EarthWatts 380W unit for AU$81 online, and a source for Nippon Chemi-Con KY and KZE Series capacitors. Recapping this unit would be a risk worth taking... any loss would be small.

[tazwegion]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

A very good point. So good in fact, I followed up on it, and did a cap inspection. Sure enough, one of the six 3300 uF Fuhjyyuh:s were visibly swollen.
It's now become a recap project.

Well... once you've recapped it, it'll be good for a least another 2 years+ and as willawake has already pointed out, replacing the stock fans with new higher rated cfm units will improve airflow dramatically within the PSU (adding further to it's service life)

[gonzo0815]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

To ask this question on bc.net is not a true question lol
The election result is not that astonishing. But if you want a other result, post the same question on some more average hardware forum, unless you topic would not imediately removed for some saefty issues most nmormal people wouldprefer hail the warranty myth.

Any way, i vote for open, as those crap fujihuy have to go to the dump AFAP.

[willawake]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

talking about psu fan replacement. i just did one now. replaced with a new sunon. reassembled the computer, booted then after being in windows for a short while the computer went a little quieter. i check the psu fan and its not working....

must be the temperature control made too low voltage for that fan to run.....so i replaced the fan again this time with a known good papst.

this is an important concern though if anybody is replacing fans. keep an eye on the new fan for a while because going out to the pub or something and you could find your psu toasted when you come back.....

[PeteS in CA]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

When I was looking into 24V fans, ca. 1987, I found extreme variation on the start voltage, brand to brand. I had some Rotrons that would start at 5V (a 24V fan!). I some others that, if the supply voltage came up really slowly (like if you're turning up a lab supply slowly to observe the start-up voltage, ), they would never start. EBM-Papst makes good fans - likewise Rotron, Nidec, NMB and Panasonic. Delta is good, but I'not sure if they're in those others' league.

[MD Willington]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

I'd contact Antec and tell them you are inspecting the unit but are NOT changing anything inside the unit, I've heard they will respect you inspecting the unit, but if you change anything at all, then the warranty is void.

[willawake]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

thats good to hear
still i respect companies which dont use stickers. eg: fortron

[Galvanized]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

I was going to post the Antec CSR's email addy but I only know it for The States.

Silverstone Strider and Element series use no warrenty stickers as well as thier OEM, Enhance. Enermax uses none either. (Libertys are off the recommended list)

[Shroomie]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

Enermax uses none either.

My 420w Noisetaker had a round (dime-sized) warranty sticker over one of its cover screwholes that, when peeled off, left "VOID" behind on the cover. Perhaps mine's an exception, though.

[willawake]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

HEC is the same, without the void bit
if they gave a lifetime warranty covering damage to all parts of the pc then that would be ok. otherwise i will void the warranty, make periodic inspection or modifications i dont care. better voiding a $100 PSU warranty than losing $1000 of components.

[Sudum Gumudu]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

To ask this question on bc.net is not a true question lol
The election result is not that astonishing. But if you want a other result, post the same question on some more average hardware forum, unless you topic would not imediately removed for some saefty issues most nmormal people wouldprefer hail the warranty myth.

Any way, i vote for open, as those crap fujihuy have to go to the dump AFAP.

I anticipated that most if not all of you would vote to open it. I wrote it partly due to the frustration of having paid $130 for a PSU with second or even third rate components. A cheap $40 PSU would be another matter. I feel ripped off by Antec, and I don't like being ripped off. That was the last piece of equipment I purchased, before becoming aware of the badcaps situation. I will not ever buy another Antec product again.
Thank you all for your input.

[willawake]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

umm...try to find a psu with good caps....they are rare indeed

[Sudum Gumudu]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

umm...try to find a psu with good caps....they are rare indeed

I chose the PSU in my new rig, a Corsair 520W, on good reviews plus the fact that they make a point of mentioning that they use quality caps. One review had a picture of the innards, and the caps sure looked like Nichicons to me.

[willawake]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

ooh i want one too.

[kc8adu]

Re: Newly pulled 2yo Antec Truepower 430W

i recap anything i own that contains known crap parts.
and anytime i see a known bad psu/mobo in a customers machine i recommend recap/replacement.
not unusual to see me open up a brand new psu and recap before use.t i very rarely have any problems with my stuff.good thing as i spend all my time fixing everyone elses crap!