Am I going insane?

[TronLS]

Everywhere I look power supplies seem really expensive for what they are. like I'm not finding really any 500w PSUs for less than $40... even used. Are PSUs really expensive right now and I didn't realize? I feel like just a couple weeks ago I could find a 500w PSU for like $20-25 on eBay. and like only $35 on amazon.

[Timme]

7 hours ago, TronLS said:

I'm not finding really any 500w PSUs for less than $40

You really shouldn't look for these kinds of PSUs. From safety to efficiency, you WILL pay much more than the $20-30 initial gain. You pay extra for quality components, assembly, and industry-standard features to protect the PSU and everything it powers, while ensuring the maximum longevity(my ~70$ 650 Antec is 10yo and counting). Or would you rather spend 25$ for something that doesn't have all those and thus have a good chance to become e-waste in a few years, while sucking more power/$$?

That said, you do open yourself to the "PSU burned my PC and my dog" viral thread on Reddit. 

 

Also, to my memory, the PSU never did cost under 40$. You could find "deals" on some unknown Chinese ones, but the general market was always around 50-60$ for cheap bronze 650W and north of 70$ for Gold+ from main brands. If anything, the PSU market is one of the few niches that has minimal appreciation. Cases is another one I can think of.

 

Compared to peripherals like mice or GPUs, which almost doubled in price following the pandemic boom, there's virtually no change on the PSU front. Sure, there are halo models, but these are in that "ultimate gaming" no-budget hype bubble.