Best Electrolytic Capacitors – Theory & Methodology

Capacitor Performance Database

Brand Series Voltage Rating Claimed Capacity Measured Capacity
(120 Hz)
Max Applied Voltage Level Time (Sec) Performance* Date
Teapo SC 16V 3300uF 28.8V 932 59.74% 9 Nov. 2023
Teapo SC 16V 3300uF 3120uF 28.8V 1126 72.18% 13 Feb. 2024
Chemi-Con W 16V 3300uF 32V 1216 77.95% 9 Nov. 2023
Chemi-Con KY 16V 3300uF 3200uF 32V 1300 83.33% 13 Feb. 2024
Chemi-Con KY 16V 3300uF 3190uF 32V 1422 91.15% 15 Feb. 2024
Elite PF 16V 3300uF 3090uF 35.2 1560 100% 15 Feb. 2024
Elite PF 16V 3300uF 3080uF 35.2 1546 99.1% 15 Feb. 2024

*The best cap is used as a reference: 100% performance rating

The Chemi-Con KY caps have top specs, and indeed, as you can see, their capacitance is close to the values reported by the factory, while the Teapo and Elite caps have notably lower true capacity. That said, the deviation in performance between the two KY samples I tried is notable, while this is not the case for the Elite PF caps, which top the chart! Moreover, the first Teapo SC cap I tried also has a notable difference from the second one, but the first was removed from a broken PSU, so it wasn’t brand new. Nonetheless, I kept it in the database to show you the difference that a brand-new and conditioned cap can have from a used one. The Chemi-Con W cap was also removed from a working PSU but still performed well.

I am far from having a complete picture of cap testing, and I need to test all of them that I got from Seasonic, the only brand so far that supported me in this new endeavor. I thank them a lot for that!

 

Electrolytic caps are the essential ingredient for a good PSU. To check the PSU offerings, read my Best ATX v3.x PSUs article before investing in a new power supply. You help me a lot by using my affiliate links, which don’t increase the product’s price. I get a commission from Amazon every time you do it, which can make a difference for me, especially now that I am on my own, working exclusively for my media and not for someone else.

 

 

 

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