You need to make sure you're buying Low ESR caps, since the ones in the PSU are almost certainly of that kind. The higher voltage ones you're seeing are probably not low ESR. It's OK to have better specs (capacitance, voltage, temperature rating) in principle.

devius wrote on 2025-05-25, 17:59:

You need to make sure you're buying Low ESR caps, since the ones in the PSU are almost certainly of that kind. The higher voltage ones you're seeing are probably not low ESR. It's OK to have better specs (capacitance, voltage, temperature rating) in principle.

How you identify those?

It should say in the listing, and if it doesn't it probably isn't. You can also look up the datasheet for the model number being sold, for example a Panasonic FS will be low ESR. These things are best bought in actual electronic suppliers, not generic marketplaces like Amazon.

devius wrote on 2025-05-25, 18:21:

It should say in the listing, and if it doesn't it probably isn't. You can also look up the datasheet for the model number being sold, for example a Panasonic FS will be low ESR. These things are best bought in actual electronic suppliers, not generic marketplaces like Amazon.

Well, as I said this is very cheep PSU and very old btw. It was on some Pentium III PC. Even the old caps don't have any marking indicating that.

There is usually no written indication on the caps themselves. Some may use gold ink for the lettering and the negative side indicator, but not always.

So I am safe to go with same capacity and higher voltage, to replace broken cap?

Yes, assuming they are also low ESR. Even if they aren't it should still "work", but they might get hotter and not last as much.

Higher voltage caps will be larger, so they might not fit. That's the only problem with increasing the voltage rating.

I wouldn't buy caps off Amazon, but increasing the voltage rating might help cheap (with a ridiculous markup that might exceed the shipping cost from a major distributor) or counterfeit caps last longer.

boby wrote on 2025-05-25, 16:40:

As new power supply cost between 5 - 10 euros

Those are only shitty power supplies that are NOT worth buying.
Most of them have such terrible filtering (too few capacitors and/or poor design) that they are bound to make any PC glitch pretty badly.
Please don't do this. I (and I'm sure many others here) have gone through that back in the days. I still have (kept) the PSUs that did this and have re-worked them... but even they, they are still crappy PSUs not really worth using.

So please don't buy cheap PSUs like this.

boby wrote on 2025-05-25, 16:40:

Amazon have some cheep but not sure if there is less then 5 in a pack. Any suggestions?

Caps on Amazon are garbage - all of them. Even AliExpress is not that bad... and IME, AE *IS* pretty bad.
Ebay can be OK if you know which seller to buy from. But often times, the (good) ones that sell only a few caps will tend to be a little more pricey... though compared to Digikey and Mouser (especially in current times with US tarriffs) it's arguable which one is pricier.

boby wrote on 2025-05-25, 18:50:

Well, as I said this is very cheep PSU and very old btw. It was on some Pentium III PC. Even the old caps don't have any marking indicating that.

Can we see a picture of the whole PSU, please? (And hopefully a bit more clear/focused than the pictures of the caps you provided.)

The caps shown in your pictures are from CEC Holdings. "TUR"are the series, which are low impedance high ripple current type... though pretty entry level in that regard.
Good replacements for these would be -
from Nichicon: PS, PM, PJ, PW, PA, and HE series
from Rubycon: YXF, YXJ, YXH, and YXS series
from UCC (United Chemicon): LXZ, LXV, LXY, KY, and KYB series
from Panasonic: FC series only... FR, FM, and FS might be OK only for the 5VSB and for (any) 2200 uF caps on the 3.3V rail if it's mag-amp type

On ebay, if you find NOS (new old stock) Panasonic HFQ series, though would be fine too. AVOID Nichicon PR and PL along with UCC LXF series - those have known problems from leaking from the bottom.

If the above are not available to you or can't find them, then you can go / drop down to even general purpose (non-low-ESR) caps so long as they are from the reputable brands listed above - e.g. Rubycon PX, Nichicon VZ, UCC KMG, Panasonic EB or ECA or EE.

Since your PSU did use CEC caps, it might actually not be that terrible of a PSU. Of course, the pictures would be able to tell use more.
The reason I ask for pictures is because sometimes manufacturers cut corners and install fewer output caps or smaller output caps. In such cases, I increase either the capacitance or the number of caps on each rail if the board allows. For an old half-bridge PSU that will see more draw on its 5V rail, I usually go for at least 2x caps with 2200 uF on the 5V rail, while the 12V rail I aim for at least 1500 uF. The 3.3V rail will depend on what type of circuit it uses - for mag-amp, 2x 2200 uF is pretty standard, but for linear regulation 1x 1000 uF could be totally fine too. And finally, the 5VSB - 2x 1000 uF minimum or 1500 uF + 680 uF, depending on how the board has space.

Don't forget the small caps too. Some old PSUs (and also new cheapo ones) tend to use a 2-transistor self-oscillating design for the 5VSB. On this design, if a "critical" cap is used for the feedback component, this can sometimes cause the 5VSB to go very over-voltage over time if that cap fails, causing damage to the motherboard and any attached peripherals that use the 5VSB rail.

So with that said, replacing just a few caps on an old PSU is usually not a good idea.
It's also not a good idea to buy a new cheapo PSU either.
If you want a fairly decent and reliable retro PSU, the best approach is to do a full recap on the old PSU (except the big 200V ones - those almost never fail, even from the very cheapo brands)... and maybe even see if it's missing any filtering components due to being a budged one, then add those in too. I have a few PSUs like that and they have been running trouble-free for many years now (10+ on a number of them.)

momaka wrote on 2025-05-26, 23:20:

Those are only shitty power supplies that are NOT worth buying. Most of them have such terrible filtering (too few capacitors an […]
Show full quote

boby wrote on 2025-05-25, 16:40:

As new power supply cost between 5 - 10 euros

Those are only shitty power supplies that are NOT worth buying.
Most of them have such terrible filtering (too few capacitors and/or poor design) that they are bound to make any PC glitch pretty badly.
Please don't do this. I (and I'm sure many others here) have gone through that back in the days. I still have (kept) the PSUs that did this and have re-worked them... but even they, they are still crappy PSUs not really worth using.

So please don't buy cheap PSUs like this.

boby wrote on 2025-05-25, 16:40:

Amazon have some cheep but not sure if there is less then 5 in a pack. Any suggestions?

Caps on Amazon are garbage - all of them. Even AliExpress is not that bad... and IME, AE *IS* pretty bad.
Ebay can be OK if you know which seller to buy from. But often times, the (good) ones that sell only a few caps will tend to be a little more pricey... though compared to Digikey and Mouser (especially in current times with US tarriffs) it's arguable which one is pricier.

boby wrote on 2025-05-25, 18:50:

Well, as I said this is very cheep PSU and very old btw. It was on some Pentium III PC. Even the old caps don't have any marking indicating that.

Can we see a picture of the whole PSU, please? (And hopefully a bit more clear/focused than the pictures of the caps you provided.)

The caps shown in your pictures are from CEC Holdings. "TUR"are the series, which are low impedance high ripple current type... though pretty entry level in that regard.
Good replacements for these would be -
from Nichicon: PS, PM, PJ, PW, PA, and HE series
from Rubycon: YXF, YXJ, YXH, and YXS series
from UCC (United Chemicon): LXZ, LXV, LXY, KY, and KYB series
from Panasonic: FC series only... FR, FM, and FS might be OK only for the 5VSB and for (any) 2200 uF caps on the 3.3V rail if it's mag-amp type

On ebay, if you find NOS (new old stock) Panasonic HFQ series, though would be fine too. AVOID Nichicon PR and PL along with UCC LXF series - those have known problems from leaking from the bottom.

If the above are not available to you or can't find them, then you can go / drop down to even general purpose (non-low-ESR) caps so long as they are from the reputable brands listed above - e.g. Rubycon PX, Nichicon VZ, UCC KMG, Panasonic EB or ECA or EE.

Since your PSU did use CEC caps, it might actually not be that terrible of a PSU. Of course, the pictures would be able to tell use more.
The reason I ask for pictures is because sometimes manufacturers cut corners and install fewer output caps or smaller output caps. In such cases, I increase either the capacitance or the number of caps on each rail if the board allows. For an old half-bridge PSU that will see more draw on its 5V rail, I usually go for at least 2x caps with 2200 uF on the 5V rail, while the 12V rail I aim for at least 1500 uF. The 3.3V rail will depend on what type of circuit it uses - for mag-amp, 2x 2200 uF is pretty standard, but for linear regulation 1x 1000 uF could be totally fine too. And finally, the 5VSB - 2x 1000 uF minimum or 1500 uF + 680 uF, depending on how the board has space.

Don't forget the small caps too. Some old PSUs (and also new cheapo ones) tend to use a 2-transistor self-oscillating design for the 5VSB. On this design, if a "critical" cap is used for the feedback component, this can sometimes cause the 5VSB to go very over-voltage over time if that cap fails, causing damage to the motherboard and any attached peripherals that use the 5VSB rail.

So with that said, replacing just a few caps on an old PSU is usually not a good idea.
It's also not a good idea to buy a new cheapo PSU either.
If you want a fairly decent and reliable retro PSU, the best approach is to do a full recap on the old PSU (except the big 200V ones - those almost never fail, even from the very cheapo brands)... and maybe even see if it's missing any filtering components due to being a budged one, then add those in too. I have a few PSUs like that and they have been running trouble-free for many years now (10+ on a number of them.)

Thank you for descriptive reply. 😀

Maybe I wasn't very clear about this PSU. When I say cheep I mean on used ones that I can find online on advertising sites. These are taken from working PCs and they are very old. Never had a problem with those, as those old PSUs are build very good (mostly).
The PC that came with this PSU already got a replacement PSU. My idea here is just to make this alive, to test if it works stable and then use it as a backup. It won't go into any PC for sure.
Therefor is idea just to make it work for cheep, as I can buy the same working one under 10 euros on sites like willhaben.at like this: https://www.willhaben.at/iad/kaufen-und-verka … 6731-1722661459

But I understand the risk of using bad components. There is also one store in my city that sells those components, so might look there too.

I will provide photos from mine, when I get home.

Thank you

Here are some fotos:

^ That's a very old Enermax power supply - a brand that is very well regarded! Definitely worth a recap with good quality caps as this thing will last you for ages then.

Glad you posted the pictures. As soon as I saw the CEC Holdings caps, I suspected either you have a Enermax PSU, a Morex, or at worst, an old Bestec - none of which are bad brands, by the way.

boby wrote on 2025-05-27, 11:35:

Maybe I wasn't very clear about this PSU. When I say cheep I mean on used ones that I can find online on advertising sites. These are taken from working PCs and they are very old. Never had a problem with those, as those old PSUs are build very good (mostly).
The PC that came with this PSU already got a replacement PSU. My idea here is just to make this alive, to test if it works stable and then use it as a backup. It won't go into any PC for sure.
Therefor is idea just to make it work for cheep, as I can buy the same working one under 10 euros on sites like willhaben.at like this: https://www.willhaben.at/iad/kaufen-und-verka … 6731-1722661459

Ah OK, I see what you mean now by "cheap PSU" - cheap *used* OEM PSU. These are indeed good quality and that's exactly what I do myself.
For the one in the above link, for example, I see it's made by AcBel, which is a known good OEM PSU manufacturer, just like Delta, HiPro/Chicony, LiteON, and Bestec.

boby wrote on 2025-05-27, 11:35:

But I understand the risk of using bad components. There is also one store in my city that sells those components, so might look there too.

Well, do check the store in your city first. Chances are, they won't have good quality electrolytic caps and/or ones that are low ESR. But even then, I'd rather take a chance with those than with Amazon or AliExpress. With Amazon and AE, you just never know what you're gonna get and how bad of a counterfeit it's going to be.

Now, if that Enermax PSU was mine, I'd actually buy all the proper high quality parts for it. Yes, it may be a little more expensive to do that, but it would be "once and never again" job - basically the recap will more than likely outlast the useful life of the PSU. And I *would* use it in a computer again without any doubt. Enermax make pretty competent designs. In the case of the above unit, it looks like a single transistor forward (STF) design - a pretty safe and reliable design. Only the 5VSB might be its weak spot, as it likely uses a 2-transistor self-oscillating circuit. To keep these 5VSB designs running well and safely, make sure to give the 5VSB rail output a recap as well. Use only good quality caps here. Also, there might be a 10 uF or 22 uF or 47 uF or 100 uF small cap on the primary side close to the smaller (5VSB) transformer. If there is, make sure to replace that cap as well. This is usually the 5VSB "critical" cap in 2-transistor self-osc. 5VSB circuits.

In case you are curious, here's a much cheaper Deer PSU I recapped around 15 years ago that I still use today with a Pentium 3 rig (scroll down to post #490 as post-linking does not work currently on BCN.)
https://www.badcaps.net/forum/troubleshooting … =490#post415927

Thx again, for detailed reply.

Yes, I was referring to cheep used OEMs PSU. Those, in my opinion are build with quality in mind.

Depending on what I am able to find I will decide for this PCU. I could even invest in more expensive caps, as according to what you said this PSU is worth of saving. And it can last for a long time.

If not, I will definitely avoid amazon and similar sites, and look for caps elsewhere .

Thank you.

Meanwhile, here are some Japanese caps I have found on Ebay, in case you or anyone else is interested.

For the 10V 2200 uF PCE-TUR caps:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/145551397251
^ A little more pricey, but you get 20 of them so you will have extra if you ever decide to recap any other PSUs too. I've also bought from this seller before and at least my caps (UCC KY) were genuine. Just note that these YXG caps are quite old - from 2005, according to their date codes. That's not really ideal, but they should be OK. FWIW, my UCC KY caps were also quite old (NOS) but so far I have not had any problems whatsoever with my recapped stuff in the last few years.
However, if you do want a cheaper, though probably not-best-fit alternative, there's these two as well:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/254056662864
https://www.ebay.com/itm/175224394040
^ Both of there are Nichicon VZ series, which are general purpose caps (i.e. not low ESR/impedance) so they are not great for SMPS use. However, it's also worth noting that PCE-TUR are not super low ESR either. So the Nichicon VZ will work OK. The only other concern is that these VZ caps have 12.5 mm diameter, whereas I presume the PCE-TUR probably have 10 mm diameter. Thus, you have to check if these can actually fit in your PSU. The 1st link is for 16V 3300 uF Nichicon VZ and thus slightly more expensive than the ones in the 2nd link, which are for 16V 2200 uF VZ. And yes, I am aware the voltage rating is a step higher, which is fine. The higher capacitance of the 3300 uF caps also won't hurt (if anything, it would help... and the larger size of the 3300 uF caps means they will be able to handle higher ripple current... so they might end up being quite an OK replacement for the 2200 uF PCE-TUR.)

Next, for the 16V and 10V 1000 uF PCE-TUR, I have several options, again from Ebay.
If the 1000 uF PCE-TUR caps are all with 10 mm, then these would be a good fit:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/395543616159
^ Nichicon PW, which is a great choice for any retro PSU! And you get 10 of them for that price, so you'll have spares for other PSUs or for the 5VSB circuit of this PSU (highly recommended you replace those too.)

Alternatively, you could also grab the ones below...
UCC KY 16V 1000 uF:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/254466854334
^ These should work for both the 16V and the 10 uF caps too. Only other thing to know about them is that they are 8 mm diameter, so you might have to bend their leads a little to make them fit, assuming both the 10V and 16V 1000 uF PCE-TUR caps have 10 mm diameter as well. But at least you won't have issues making these fit anywhere.

And lastly, there also one more option below, though these would ONLY work for the 10V 1000 uF PCE-TUR and *NOT* the 16V ones.
UCC KY 6.3V 1200 uF:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/254444875721
^ Again, these are 6.3V caps, so they can only be used to replace 6.3V and 10V -rated caps in the PSU. The slightly higher capacitance (1200 uF) will not be an issue. These also have 8 mm diameter (just FYI)

Anyway, hope these links are helpful to someone.

Might be silly question, but still...

Can I replace all 4 caps with one same type? If yes, what values capacitense/voltage it should be? It would be much easier to buy just one type and from one seller.

Btw. Can't find this store in my town. I know where aprrox. it is, but can't locate it.

If they physically fit and their specs are the same or better than what was already there there shouldn't be a problem.

What about polarity? I can't see it on PCB od this PSU.
As I can see on other caps, negative (minus) goes to black part on the pcb. Can someone confirm pls?

boby wrote on 2025-06-01, 20:55:

Might be silly question, but still...

Can I replace all 4 caps with one same type? If yes, what values capacitense/voltage it should be? It would be much easier to buy just one type and from one seller.

Possibly...
But seriously, why?! I understand trying to buy less parts (and a lower cost too.) But if you're going to invest time into recapping a PSU, at least do it somewhat properly. If you buy one value, that will most likely have to be 16V 2200 uF, as this will work for all of the rails (3.3V, 5V, and 12V). It will even work for the -12V and 5VSB rails too... except you probably won't be able to fit those caps in all of the spots for these rails.

So as I suggested in my last post, at worst go down to these two values for the caps: 16V 1000 uF and 6.3V/10V 2200 uF.
The 3.3V and 5V rail will use the 2200 uF caps, while the 12V rail, 5VSB, and -12V rail can use the 16V 1000 uF caps.
DO NOT FORGO recapping the 5VSB circuit output caps and use quality brand and series for it only. As mentioned, old PSUs like this tend to use 2-transistor circuit for the 5VSB design, so near EOL, that circuit can go ballistic and literally kill attached hardware in some cases. I don't see a dedicated 5VSB PWM IC, so I can only assume this PSU uses such design too. There will also be a small cap on the primary side of the 5VSB circuit as well - typically 10 uF, 22 uF, 47 uF... or in a few more rare cases 100 uF. Voltage rating is usually 25v or 50V. This is normally the 5VSB "start-up" cap... and in the case of 2-transistor 5VSB circuits, also the "critical" cap - if it goes bad, your 5VSB can go really high and take out your motherboard's SIO/LPC. Replace this cap ONLY with a quality brand one.

boby wrote on 2025-06-06, 14:22:

What about polarity? I can't see it on PCB od this PSU.
As I can see on other caps, negative (minus) goes to black part on the pcb. Can someone confirm pls?

Black/shaded semi-circle = negative side of the capacitor (usually indicated by a stripe on the capacitor.)
..... except on ASUS and AsRock motherboards - there, it's the other way around

When in doubt, use a multimeter - the negative lead will have a direct connection (near-zero resistance) to ground (black wire on any connector). But again, there is an exception, and that's for the -5V and -12V rails, where the positive hole for the caps on those rails will have a direct connection to ground (since these are negative voltage rails.)

momaka wrote on 2025-06-06, 15:11:

Possibly... But seriously, why?! I understand trying to buy less parts (and a lower cost too.) But if you're going to invest ti […]
Show full quote

boby wrote on 2025-06-01, 20:55:

Might be silly question, but still...

Can I replace all 4 caps with one same type? If yes, what values capacitense/voltage it should be? It would be much easier to buy just one type and from one seller.

Possibly...
But seriously, why?! I understand trying to buy less parts (and a lower cost too.) But if you're going to invest time into recapping a PSU, at least do it somewhat properly. If you buy one value, that will most likely have to be 16V 2200 uF, as this will work for all of the rails (3.3V, 5V, and 12V). It will even work for the -12V and 5VSB rails too... except you probably won't be able to fit those caps in all of the spots for these rails.

So as I suggested in my last post, at worst go down to these two values for the caps: 16V 1000 uF and 6.3V/10V 2200 uF.
The 3.3V and 5V rail will use the 2200 uF caps, while the 12V rail, 5VSB, and -12V rail can use the 16V 1000 uF caps.
DO NOT FORGO recapping the 5VSB circuit output caps and use quality brand and series for it only. As mentioned, old PSUs like this tend to use 2-transistor circuit for the 5VSB design, so near EOL, that circuit can go ballistic and literally kill attached hardware in some cases. I don't see a dedicated 5VSB PWM IC, so I can only assume this PSU uses such design too. There will also be a small cap on the primary side of the 5VSB circuit as well - typically 10 uF, 22 uF, 47 uF... or in a few more rare cases 100 uF. Voltage rating is usually 25v or 50V. This is normally the 5VSB "start-up" cap... and in the case of 2-transistor 5VSB circuits, also the "critical" cap - if it goes bad, your 5VSB can go really high and take out your motherboard's SIO/LPC. Replace this cap ONLY with a quality brand one.

boby wrote on 2025-06-06, 14:22:

What about polarity? I can't see it on PCB od this PSU.
As I can see on other caps, negative (minus) goes to black part on the pcb. Can someone confirm pls?

Black/shaded semi-circle = negative side of the capacitor (usually indicated by a stripe on the capacitor.)
..... except on ASUS and AsRock motherboards - there, it's the other way around

When in doubt, use a multimeter - the negative lead will have a direct connection (near-zero resistance) to ground (black wire on any connector). But again, there is an exception, and that's for the -5V and -12V rails, where the positive hole for the caps on those rails will have a direct connection to ground (since these are negative voltage rails.)

Yes, I get what you say, and didn't say that I will replace all caps with one type, just asking what would happen. Trying to learn something here 😁

The part for 5 VSB, I didn't get properly. How to find this cap? Why is it importand to be replaced if it look ok?