BleepingComputer.com: Power Supply Function Test

I was told if you take the 20 pin connection that plugs into the motherboard, and take a paper clip, put one end in hole 4 and one in hole 5 that you can test whether it works that way, is this safe, easy, reliable?

i dont have a system to test it on so i need to know before my 30 days is up to RMA.

To answer your question.

Yes this is a safe and reliable procedure that will power up the PSU.

Here is the procedure you are refering to.

WARNING: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN DIRECTIONS THAT INCLUDE WORKING WITH LIVE VOLTAGES OR PARTS INSIDE A COMPUTER'S POWER SUPPLY THAT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS ELECTRICAL SHOCK OR SERIOUS BURNS, A POWER SUPPLY CONTAINS VARY LARGE ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITORS THAT ACT JUST LIKE A BATTERY OR VOLTAGE STORAGE DEVICE, THOSE AND OTHER ELECTRONICS FOUND INSIDE A POWER SUPPLY CAN STORE DANGEROUS AMOUNTS OF ELECTRICITY HOURS OR EVEN WEEKS AFTER ALL ELECTRICAL CURRENT HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED FROM THEM! PLEASE USE EXTREME CAUTION AND COMMON SENSE WHEN WORKING WITH POWER SUPPLIES OR AC VOLTAGES!


The purpose of this procedure is to bypass the motherboard to test a ATX PSU. Some manufacturers Like Dell have used some non ATX PSUs which have a different pinout for the 20/4 pin connector, please confirm that your PSU is a ATX type before using this procedure.

Caution: This procedure will involve working with live 12VDC electrical potentials which if handled improperly may lead to electrical shock. Proper precautions should also be taken to prevent electrostatic discharges (ESDs) within the case of the computer. For safety purposes please follow the instructions step by step.

First, shutdown your computer. Then unplug the power cable going into your computer.

Once you have opened the case, touch the metal of the case to discharge any static electricity.

The connector of the PSU which connects to the motherboard is readily recognizable by the number of wires in the bundle. To disconnect it you will need to press on the plastic clip to disengage it and then pull the connector up and away from the motherboard. Please take notice of the location of the locking tab and the notch on the socket of the motherboard, this will only connect one way as it is keyed. This wire bundle will have a memory of the way it has been installed and will want to bend back that direction, you may have to play around with it to find a position that the connector will stay in the same position while you run the test.


www.playtool.com

From the top left to right the pins are 13-24, the bottom from left to right are 1-12.


Please notice that there are PSUs with 24 pin and 20 pin connectors, the location of the green wire in the 24 pin connector is #16, and the green wire in the 20 pin connector is #14. If you look at the connector with socket side facing you and the clip on the top the number one pin will be on the bottom left corner. This makes the pin out for the 24 pin connector from left to right 13-24 on top, and 1-12 on the bottom. The pin out for the 20 pin connector from left to right is 11-20 on top , and 1-10 on the bottom. If you look at the connectors you notice that these are sockets that fit over the pins on the motherboard where the PSU cable attaches, this is where you will place the jumper. For a jumper you will need a piece of solid wire about the size of a paper clip (20-22 awg), preferably a wire with insulation. It will need to be large enough to fit firmly into the socket so that it will not need to be held in place while testing. You are at risk of electrical shock if you are holding the jumper when you power up the PSU. Insert one end of the jumper into the socket of the Green wire, and insert the other end into the socket of any Black wire.

Once the jumper is in place plug the cord back in. If the PSU is working properly the case fans, optical drives, hdds, and LEDs should power up and remain on. I would suggest that you not leave this connected any longer than is necessary for safety purposes.

To reconnect the 20/4 pin connector unplug the power cord, remove the jumper, and reconnect the connector. Take a moment at this time to make sure that nothing has been dislodged inside the case.



The procedure basically allows you to power up the PSU without the motherboard being a part of the mix.

If you would more information that will help you the web site I am providing can be of assistance to you, particularly if you have access to a VOM Multi-meter that can test DC voltages.

http://www.playtool.com/pages/psucompat/compat.html

Bruce.

OK, thanks Bruce, I found a motherboard to try it with because I was wary of breaking my PSU and or hurting myself, but maybe one day i will find the need again and try this out.

You could also buy an inexpensive PSU tester like this one from FrozenCPU.com or other web stores. It will also tell you if the voltages are correct.

DickNervous, on Sep 21 2010, 09:12 AM, said:

in my opinion this is the best choice ,as all the jumper wire does is turn the fan on ,dosn't tell you if there is a problem with any of the connections/plugs on the psu

thanks, those are cool if you need to test PSU on the reg, hopefully since i tested mine and the LED lights came on ant he fan was spinning an the computer turned on, that it is working like it should in all aspects! i will probally come back to get that device somewhere down the road.

caperjac, on Sep 21 2010, 01:08 PM, said:

Not necessarily true.

This procedure will also activate the other peripherals that are powered up by the PSU.

If you use a VOM multi-meter and the web site I provided a link to, you can test everything with out an actual motherboard being a part of the mix.

This helps to test the PSU for problems without the motherboard playing a part in the mix, which can at times makes trouble-shooting more difficult do to the fact that either the motherboard controller or the PSU can be at fault.

Bruce.

caperjac, on Sep 21 2010, 12:08 PM, said:

This test procedure was intended as a means of determining if the motherboard or the PSU was at fault in given circumstances. By using the jumper it activates the PSU the same way that the motherboard does, it provides the usual output. If the PSU is working properly, all of the peripheral devices will have the usual rail voltages. Because these peripheral devices put a load on the PSU it is possible to take accurate voltage readings with a DMM or Multimeter.

For those that wish to check the readings of the different rails, you can use the following information. This was intended to be an addition to the test procedure, but was never added. Time and space...

At this point you can use a DC Voltmeter to read the different rail Voltages. You will want to insert the black probe into any of the Black (-) sockets, and insert the Red (+) probe in the five different colored sockets, one at a time. Below are the five different colors and their corresponding rail Voltages. The Voltages should be within about ten percent of the given values.

Yellow +12VDC

Blue -12VDC

Red +5VDC

White -5VDC

Orange +3.3VDC

Thank you dc3 for your addition of information you provided and your support to the information I provided above.

Bruce.

Your welcome Bruce. I have a vested interest in this procedure.

Caperjack is a very knowledgeable and respected member here. But in this case, I can't agree with their conclusion.

dc3, on Sep 22 2010, 11:38 PM, said:

I agree with is statement 100%

Bruce.

I actually have and use one of those testers,[and a multi meter ]for years now ,so never had the need to use the jumper wire so never really knew it full function ,thanks for another good lesson ,im always learning something new here that's' why i like it so much , thanks guys /gals

caperjac, on Sep 23 2010, 04:56 AM, said:

This is not meant to hi-jack s1lents0ul's thread, but I have to comment on your post above and advise you caperjac that I have also learned a lot from you as well and your input is always welcomed.

The topics in Internal hardware are open discussion topics, this is what makes Bleepingcomputer such a useful web site, not only can we offer advise to each other, but we can also have open discussions related to the subject of the thread. This in my opinion, allows for different point of views and interaction from various members and adds a touch of a family environment to the topic as well.

Thank you for being a part of the BC family caperjac!

Bruce.

MrBruce1959, on Sep 23 2010, 12:12 PM, said:

thank you ,i agree and open is good as long as it stays with subject , so just to add ,i made my post about the tester being the best thing in this case because in the posters original post they said they had no computer to test it in ,so my opinion is the jumper will only show that the fan works ,not if any of the other plugs function

Yay for Family Time! lol

Thank You all for the added input above and beyond what I was looking for, it was all really helpful!

EDIT> I was wondering something about its power ratings.

People Familiar with Car amps, would relate this this question more, but these arent cars we are putting together, or car sound systems, so i post here...

The power output of the PSU I got is 1000 watts. Is that RMS or MAX. At 80% effecient, its actual output is 800 watts, but is that RMS or MAX. Just curious, if anyone knows for sure.

This post has been edited by s1lents0ul: 24 September 2010 - 08:18 AM