How to test a desktop computer power supply
Links for getting a power supply tester are on my website: www.defcon-5.com There are several ways in which you can test a desktop computer power supply. My perfered method is to use a power supply tester. This is because it’s much faster, simpler, and there is less risk of having a component burn out or getting a nasty shock yourself. You of course can test a power supply using a volt meter as well. A volt meter will give you more information about the power supply, but in most cases is not needed. The only time I use a volt meter is when I suspect the issue could be the power supply even when my power supply tester shows that everything is fine. With a power supply tester all you have to do is connect the main power connector and the processor connector from the power supply to the tester. Then apply power to the power supply and you will get a reading of each voltage. When using a volt meter you will need to jumper the green wire to one of the black wires using a small piece of wire. Once that is done you can apply power to the power supply and begin testing each colored lead. Be sure sure to document each voltage, and then review them when complete for identifying issues. In general any voltage more than 5% off in either the positive or negative is an indicator of a bad power supply. You should be expecting voltages of +3.3, -12, 12, -5, and +5 if you are getting numbers outside of the 5% margin on those then that confirms the power supply is bad. I personally hold …
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25 Responses to “How to test a desktop computer power supply”
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When I get a brand new tester I first test it on a known good power supply. If you don’t have one laying around you can use a multimeter on each wire to test it that way.
$6 sounds pretty cheap for a tester. I would expect one to be closer to $25 for a simple one. So I would’nt be surprised if it was a crap tester.
There is a link in the article where you can get a better quality one from newegg like the one in the vid.
hey man…..same thing happen to me ……did you ever figure out if it was bad
im recently building a new custom gaming pc and i bought a power supply and a case but im not sure if it working. i connected a case fan to a 4 pin molex and connected a ac 250v power cord to a 230v power supply and the fan didnt turn does this mean that the cord is not right?
230v power supply? Are you living in the USA? Because we only run at 115v.
If not get a multi-meter and test the current going into the fan. Also be sure you are jumpering the power supply so it actually turns on.
no i live in europe, but if you have a different volt power cord should the power supply still work
@mataslt Yeah the cord is fine as long as it can handle more volts than the power supply will pull. If it is less then you run a risk of a short, or fire developing.
Power Supply are supposedly to work even though it’s not plugged in into the computer right? As in the PSU is plugged into the outlet and when I turn on the switch power the fan are supposed to start blowing? Thanks!
They are supposed to work, but the fan will only spin if you jumper it like I said in the video. Otherwise the circuit never completes.
Some power supplies do run the fan all the time, but you likely will only find these in servers.
The manual for that power supply tester (Apevia) says you can use a 20-pin or a 24-pin connector. Are you saying the manual is wrong? They don’t say anything about using a 20-pin to 24-pin adapter.
Besides, you should never use an adapter when testing a PSU, because it adds more resistance, causing your voltage to drop. So, your readings will be less accurate.
That is true, and I should have mentioned it. That particular power supply tester though requires a 24 pin connection to test properly. However if the voltages are so low that it reads as bad with just that adapter on it, it’s still a shot power supply, or just about to fail.
The manual is wrong. I find that when you use only the 20 pin connection into it, that it always reports one of the voltages as low or non-existant (been a few years since I bothered to hook it up with just 20 pins)
Yep that power supply was shot. Replaced it and the system ran fine.
I bought this tester (PST-03) yesterday. I have a 20 pin connector and it works as expected. It only beeps when P4 (CPU plug, +12V2) is not plugged in. You can have P1 and P4 plugged in at the same time while testing other cables.
@tulebox Mine must be either an older model, or busted some how. Good to know that it actually works how it says for someone =). Thanks for the update. I’ll just order a new one and save myself some hassle in the future.
what PSU tester is that
how much does it cost the power supply tester? thanks
The P1 connector is keyed, so a 20-pin connector should always fit in the right holes. And if you don’t have a multimeter, then I would say it’s handy to have around. But, the only thing I dislike about it is that the LCD screen scratches easily. I was trying to brush off some smudges, and my nails marked the screen up pretty good. Unbelievable!
@TampicoKingT about $30 from new egg. Link to it is on my site in the description
@moranatang It’s an Apevia. I have a link to it on my site in the description
@tulebox It’s been awhile since I bought mine, but it did have a “coating” on the screen. I keep mine in the box it came in for transporting it.
is it possible to test a PSU without a meter?
I have a psu that i haven’t yet installed but have connected to the mains and the fan does not rotate…does this mean its shot?
You would jumper the black and green wires, and then test it with a multi meter if you don’t have a tester.
Other than that, no real way. The fan in general should move though, so that is a pretty good chance that it’s bad.
that 20 to 24 pin adaptor ,does it convert both ways , a 20 pin psu to 24 pin board or a 24 pin psu to a 20 pin board… I definitely will have the guy at the computer making 8$/hr store use the Paper clip “jumper” method , I really don’t want to risk death for a 50$ computer part, lol!…
@DefconComputers – thanks for the reply, however after some research I have found out that if the fan does not rotate on powering up to the mains, it doesn’t mean its broken.
There is also a way to test if a PSU works without installing to the mainboard. You need to jumper the 20pin connector (3rd and 4th pin from the top right – green & black wire – with a paper-clip) and the fan will start up!
Due to the low amounts of voltage going thru it, there isn’t any danger at all