Many users want to buy used Power supplies, but before buying a used PSU, several questions appear in their minds, such as What things to check, Where to buy, what amount to pay, and whether buying a used PSU gives a good performance or not.
I have purchased multiple used Power Supplies over the years, and in this article, I will answer your every question regarding this.
So, Should You Buy a Used PSU?
Yes! You can buy used Power Supplies because PSU is the only component inside the PC with a long-term warranty. If the Power Supply is in good condition & if it is available at a suitable price, then you can buy the PSU.
If you get a good brand’s Power Supply at a cheap cost, then you should pick that, and you can use the discounted money to buy a strong CPU or GPU.
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Is It Safe To Buy A Used PSU?
Many people are talking on forums that buying a used Power Supply could kill your system, and they also say that buying a used one is wasting of money.
But this is not true because even a brand-new Power Supply could kill your system components.
In my opinion, buying a used Power Supply is 100% safe and beneficial for budget PC builders.
But I don’t recommend anyone to buy any non-branded cheap used PSUs because it will harm your system’s components in the long term. So, if you are planning to get a used PSU, then the PSU must be from a reputed brand like- Cooler Master, EVGA, Seasonic, Thermaltake, etc.
Moreover, after buying the PSU, you must test it before using it with your system so that nothing bad happens.
Buying A Used PSU Can Be A Bad Idea: Here’s How?
Buying a used Power Supply saves money, but at the same time, it can be a very bad idea if you don’t check the PSU before testing it.
So that’s why I always recommend testing the used Power Supply, whether it is in good condition. If you directly plug your PSU into the system without testing, then it could damage all the other components like the motherboard, hard drives, SSD, GPU, CPU, etc.
So, instead of saving a small amount of money, it could end up with destroying all the components.
Besides testing, you need to be careful about other essential factors when buying a used PSU. All those factors are explained below.
Things To Consider Before Buying An Used PSU
Brands, Warranty, Price, PSU condition, place of buying, and money refund policy are a couple of essential factors you must take care of when you buy a used PSU. Now, let’s discuss all these factors in depth one by one-
Brand
The power Supply is one of the most critical components inside the system; therefore, you should buy a PSU from reputed brands.
I always recommend that when you buy a used PSU, don’t buy any company’s PSU other than EVGA.
The EVGA brand is the only one that has a 10-year warranty on their Power Supplies, which means their PSUs are of high standards. Moreover, other Power Supply often fails, but I have never seen any EVGA Power Supply fails.
That’s why it is recommended that, if you are planning to buy a used PSU, then you should always pick the EVGA brand; if EVGA PSUs are not available, then you can go for the other brands like- Corsair, Thermaltake, Cooler Master, etc.
Testing
After buying the used Power Supply, then you have to test the PSU to check the condition of the Power Supply. For testing any used PSU, you can do paperclip testing; otherwise, you can buy a Power Supply Tester on Amazon (Available for 5-10$).
The tester allows you to test the PSU without plugging any components into it, so instantly, any components won’t fry.
After purchasing the PSU tester, all you need to do is to plug the ATX PSU connector into the tester. Then give power to the PSU.
Now, if the PSU is in good condition, you will notice that the PSU fan will start spinning, and the fan sounds fine. Moreover, you will also notice there were no burning smells.
If the PSU is bad, then the opposite will happen, and in this scenario, you have to contact the seller.
Money Refund
If you are going to purchase your used PSU from eBay, then you should always pay through PayPal or through your bank because that gives you eBay’s support; if eBay’s support does not work, then you have Paypal’s support, or if PayPal’s support doesn’t work then you can just claim a file with your bank, and you will get your money back.
You have to check these things when buying computer hardware on eBay because many sellers sell broken hardware.
If you are buying from other online stores, you must check whether there is a money refund policy or not.
Where To Buy Used PSU?
You can buy used Power supplies from many places-
- Online Stores like eBay & Amazon
- Offline PC Hardware shops
- From friends and relatives
When buying used Power Supplies from online stores, you must check all the important factors mentioned in the above section.
If you purchase from any local hardware shop or from any friend, then the shop or the friend must be trusted. Otherwise, if the PSU won’t work, then you will lose your money.
Does Second-Hand PSU Affect Performance?
No! The second-hand Power Supply will never affect your system’s performance as long as it is capable enough to supply the required power to the system.
But, if it cannot supply the required power, your components won’t get the necessary power, then it will affect your overall PC performance. Read this article to know When a PSU affects your System’s performance?
Besides the power requirement, it also matters whether you are buying a cheap PSU from an unreputed brand or purchasing a PSU from a reputed brand because an unreputed brand’s PSU doesn’t have any efficiency or voltage protection.
Buying a used PSU from an unreputed brand can cause your system in the long term.
Second-Hand PSU Without Warranty: Is It Going To be Worth it?
When you buy a used PSU then, most of the time, you will not get any warranty on those PSUs. I always recommend buying a Power Supply from a good brand.
EVGA is perhaps the best brand for buying used PSUs because their PSUs have almost 10 years of warranty.
Besides the warranty, EVGA PSUs have high-standard materials inside, which make these PSUs long-lasting.
Now, let’s answer the query of whether it is worth it to buy a used PSU without a warranty.
Yes! If the PSU belongs to a good brand, it is available at a low price, and if it fulfills your system’s power requirements, it is worth buying.
What Budget Should You Pay For An Used PSU?
The budget depends on multiple factors like which brand PSU you are buying, what wattage you need, and from where you are buying.
Good brand’s new Power Supplies price ranges between 70$ -150$ based on the wattage.
So, getting a good brand’s used Power supply under 50$ to 60$ with 750watts will be a great deal for you.
Spending 10$ extra will also be worth it if you get an EVGA brand Power Supply.
Final Verdict
In the end, I want to summarize everything for you buying a used Power Supply is safe, and you can limit your budget by using an old PSU. But while picking an old PSU, you need to take care couple of factors like- Brand, Testing the PSU, and money refund policy.
I hope this article is helpful for you and if you want to know more about the Power Supply and other PC components, follow this blog regularly.
