How do you test a computer power supply?

sulusulu · 08-09-2003, 04:06 PM

I've been having a number of problems with my computer which I think may be related to my power supply. It may be a memory compatability or a chipset problem, but I would like to eliminate the power supply. I have tried unpluging some componets in case it was too high of a load. I have a digital multimeter how can I test the power supply? Thanks for your help.

sam · 08-09-2003, 04:13 PM

they sell ATX powersupply testers a compusa for like $15 . all you do is plug it in and see if all the lights lite up. it also works as a small load on your p/s so that if you have the power supply out of a computer and want to use it to test something else it will power up when plugged in

Telexen · 08-09-2003, 04:17 PM

http://www.gideontech.com/guides/psu_powerup/

Xeroid · 08-09-2003, 04:23 PM

Go to www.formfactors.org and download the ATX12V Power Supply Design Guide (343kb).

Go to page 29 and it will show the pinouts for the power supply. You can monitor these voltages with your digital meter.

Voltage tolerances can be found in section 3.2.1 on page 10.

Mike

sam · 08-09-2003, 04:24 PM

thanks i was lookin for that link. but that just shows how to jump out the p/s . the tester , i got at compusa tests all the voltages to see if there is a problem

JPMiller · 08-09-2003, 04:25 PM

another way is to install Aida32 and check the voltages under "Motherboard", "sensor"...
if they are not really close to what theyre supposed to be, then you probably have a poor quality PSU

sulusulu · 08-09-2003, 06:20 PM

Thaks for the help. Unforutnetly I pluged the floppy power back in wrong. I think that I must of bent the pins when I took it off. An it ended puting power where it shouldn't be... So that was the end of the flopy connecter and probebly the floppy drive. Everything else seems to be no worse than before.

JPMiller · 08-09-2003, 06:45 PM

Was that the problem with the PSU?
did that fix your problem or is that a new one?

RamonGTP · 08-09-2003, 07:47 PM

All you have to do is jumper the green wire on the ATX connector to any one of the black ground wires.

sulusulu · 08-09-2003, 09:21 PM

As far as I can tell the PSU is ok. My main worry is that I have been operating the PSU under to hgh of a load for a long time and that maby it was statring to slip. I have another very cheap PSU that I didn't try because I couldn't be shure that it could the load at all. I ended up trying it anyway and the motherbaord reported the same same voltages as the other PSU. Some a little to high and some a little to low. So maby it's the motherboard. It also might be a memory combatibility problem or a chipset compatablility issue. Iv'e also had problems with a Radeon 9700pro and a ASUS GeForce 2 MX 400 and the onbaord RAID controller not booting up. And Iv'e never been able to get my original AIW Radeon to play all the way through a DVD without locking up, though it does fine with games. The motherbaord is an ABIT KG7-R, so maby it's a problem with the AMD 761/ VIA 686B chipset. Maby it's just time for a new motherboard.