Subj : Re: Capacitors in older machines
To   : Mike Powell
From : Tolik Vdovichev
Date : Thu Sep 24 2026 02:45 pm

Hello Mike,


 BH>> SD> But my particular GX620 was a very good computer and I got
 BH>> SD> my $10 out of i many times over.  Its power supply was
 BH>> SD> rather iffy but again, Dell's proprietary power supplies of
 BH>> SD> that era tended to have the bleeding caps issues also. 
 BH>> SD>
 BH>> Well, by then computers were well into the "churn out crap"
 BH>> days for the  masses :(

 MP> Don't all capacitors eventually leak or pop, or do they actually make
 MP> "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)

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