How to test my PSU?

[Guest]

There was a power surge and I lost power and my PC was on eve I lost power. It was plugged into a surge protector and the surge led was on, but it's kinda old so I don't know if it actually prevented any damage. Is. There anyway to test if my PSU had taken any damage during the power surge? Like could it be outputting less, or could it be more prone to failure?

 

[Baumy15]

if its a new PSU it should have surge protection and some motherboards have surge protection too so I don't think it would have sustained any damage.

 

[Bossyfins]

You can use the PSU Paperclip test. Take a paper clip and bend it. Insert one end into the GREEN cable, and the other end at any black cable.

But dont do it yet, If anyone can confirm I am right

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/support/faqs/power-supplies
Test in this link

 

[geofelt]

You can buy an inexpensive psu tester like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA5DG27D5985

The paper clip test shows simply that the psu can be can be powered on, but nothing about voltages.

If the tester shows the psu is dead, you can be assured that the psu is dead.

If it passes, there may be issues under load, and there is no way to test without actually trying it out or without expensive diagnostic equipment.
But, you are probably safe enough to try it in your pc.

 

[westom]

There was a power surge and I lost power and my PC was on eve I lost power. It was plugged into a surge protector and the surge led was on,

Provide one fact that said a surge existed. Knowledge also means numbers. For example, a blackout is zero volts. A surge is thousands of volts hunting for earth destructively via household appliances.. Did you have a surge or a blackout (power off)? Those are two completely different anomalies.

Second, why would damage exist? If a PSU is damaged, it does not power on. Surges do not degrade. Either you have damage (maybe to multiple appliances). And must be concerned for damage to all other household appliances. Or a surge did not exist.

Paper clip test or the PSU tester cannot say a PSU is good. Both can only identify some types of PSU failures. Other testing can say whether a PSU is good - without doubts. But that would be for other reasons such as a manufacturing defect; not due to power off.