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  • Capacitors in older machines

    From Mike Powell@1:2320/107 to All on Thu Sep 24 14:10:00 2026

    But my particular GX620 was a very good computer and I got
    my $10 out of i many times over. Its power supply was
    rather iffy but again, Dell's proprietary power supplies of
    that era tended to have the bleeding caps issues also.

    Well, by then computers were well into the "churn out crap"
    days for the masses :(

    Don't all capacitors eventually leak or pop, or do they actually make "higher quality" ones that don't?

    Mike

    --- ScorpioWeb v0.39a (Linux/x86_64)
    * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * KY, USA (1:2320/107)
  • From Tolik Vdovichev@2:385/180 to Mike Powell on Thu Sep 24 14:45:27 2026
    Hello Mike,


    But my particular GX620 was a very good computer and I got
    my $10 out of i many times over. Its power supply was
    rather iffy but again, Dell's proprietary power supplies of
    that era tended to have the bleeding caps issues also.

    Well, by then computers were well into the "churn out crap"
    days for the masses :(

    Don't all capacitors eventually leak or pop, or do they actually make "higher quality" ones that don't?
    Leaking is problem electrolytic capacitors.

    Popping is also problem of tantalum capacitors. It is better to replace them all during recapping. Their failure is usually a short circuit.

    Lifespan very depends on series, manufacturer, environment and circuit design.

    In ~2005-2015 decade there were experiments with materials and it was
    time of electrolytic capacitors plague even from well-known manufacturers.
    Much better nowadays.

    For prototyping I use probably short-living noname Chinese caps - it
    would be a bad idea to use them in production.

    In real life I see some electrolytic capacitors survived 30 years and
    still in good shape.

    ---
    With best regards.
    Anatoly, the Knight of the Truth Table.
    --- AfterShock/macOS 1.1.0
    * Origin: Little Station BBS @ ls.vdovichev.me:23 (2:385/180@fidonet)
  • From Bo Holt@1:129/305 to Mike Powell on Thu Sep 24 21:30:10 2026

    Don't all capacitors eventually leak or pop, or do they actually make "hig quality" ones that don't?

    I mean, there is the old "nothing lasts forever" (even cold November rain LOL), but there are lots of older equipment that still has very old caps that are in spec. Some eras of caps are worse than others.

    ... Slaying foul maidens, rescuing fair dragons.

    --- Renegade v1.44/Exp
    * Origin: The Titantic BBS Telnet - ttb.rgbbs.info (1:129/305)