Is 14v~ dangerously high?

[Jake_110]

Hi,

My 12v is reading in the 13.72-13.82v range in BIOS. Before cleaning the PSU and other components it was at 15v. Is the 14v~ range at rest too dangerous to play video games?

I'm assuming it's the power supply that's the issue. I'd like to avoid sinking money into a new one; currently I have a CX750M. I posted a thread with more information that I think was a tl;dr here:

http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-3269125/12v-running-high-bios.html

 

[Louise Porkolt]

hi there,

it depends if your 14V is a peak, an average or the RMS.
Sometimes 14v becomes 11v once it is charged ... meaning more current is asked.

so how did you measure : charged or uncharged ?

cheers, Louise.

 

[TJ Hooker]

Official ATX spec says 12V rail should be within +- 5% of 12V, or between 11.4V and 12.6V. So your PSU is out of spec by a fair bit. That voltage might not be especially dangerous in and of itself (although it very well could be, not sure), but the fact that your PSU is so far out of spec is definitely a red flag. I would replace it if it were me.

 

[Jake_110]

hi there,

it depends if your 14V is a peak, an average or the RMS.
Sometimes 14v becomes 11v once it is charged ... meaning more current is asked.

so how did you measure : charged or uncharged ?

cheers, Louise.

That, I'm not sure about. The measurement is the default reading in the ASUS UEFI BIOS Utility - EZ Mode when you start your PC and press F2. Why would it decrease from 14v to 11v when charged? I'd think the opposite would occur because more volts would be required.

And thanks for the response. I'm really hoping I can figure this out, because I'm afraid to risk playing games.

 

[Jake_110]

Official ATX spec says 12V rail should be within +- 5% of 12V, or between 11.4V and 12.6V. So your PSU is out of spec by a fair bit. That voltage might not be especially dangerous in and of itself (although it very well could be, not sure), but the fact that your PSU is so far out of spec is definitely a red flag. I would replace it if it were me.

So, is the issue without a doubt the PSU? Could it be the processor, GPU or something else?

I'm not sure what power supply to buy if I were to choose. I've read about all these tiers and what not. I understand one should be particular about the wattage--don't want to go too high or too low. I've installed the components, but never bought any.

My specs are:
Windows 10 Pro (soon to be Windows 7 when I get my new SSD)
CX Series CX750M
Intel Core i50-3450 CPU @ 3.10 GHz
8 GB RAM
GeForce GTX 970

Thank you for the responses.

 

[TJ Hooker]

That, I'm not sure about. The measurement is the default reading in the ASUS UEFI BIOS Utility - EZ Mode when you start your PC and press F2. Why would it decrease from 14v to 11v when charged? I'd think the opposite would occur because more volts would be required.

If you're measuring it in the BIOS then it would be under low load. If you wanted, you could measure it under load by using something like HWInfo64 and running something stressful, like a game. It would be normal for the voltage to be higher under low load, and then go down under load, but like I said it's way out of spec.

So, is the issue without a doubt the PSU? Could it be the processor, GPU or something else?

I would say it's either the PSU, or I guess maybe your motherboard reading the voltages wrong. Don't think it could really be anything else.

I'm not sure what power supply to buy if I were to choose. I've read about all these tiers and what not. I understand one should be particular about the wattage--don't want to go too high or too low. I've installed the components, but never bought any.

Getting too high a wattage isn't really a problem.

Anyway, this would be a good one: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/qYTrxr/evga-power-supply-220g20550y1

 

[superninja12]

i would defenetly NOT do a stress test with that psu , it might die.
instead replace it with a safer unit when u got enough money.
a psu running that much out of sync (if true) can fry your graphics card before you know it.

 

[Jake_110]

That, I'm not sure about. The measurement is the default reading in the ASUS UEFI BIOS Utility - EZ Mode when you start your PC and press F2. Why would it decrease from 14v to 11v when charged? I'd think the opposite would occur because more volts would be required.

If you're measuring it in the BIOS then it would be under low load. If you wanted, you could measure it under load by using something like HWInfo64 and running something stressful, like a game. It would be normal for the voltage to be higher under low load, and then go down under load, but like I said it's way out of spec.

So, is the issue without a doubt the PSU? Could it be the processor, GPU or something else?

I would say it's either the PSU, or I guess maybe your motherboard reading the voltages wrong. Don't think it could really be anything else.

I'm not sure what power supply to buy if I were to choose. I've read about all these tiers and what not. I understand one should be particular about the wattage--don't want to go too high or too low. I've installed the components, but never bought any.

Getting too high a wattage isn't really a problem.

Anyway, this would be a good one: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/qYTrxr/evga-power-supply-220g20550y1

That looks like a good option. So 550 watts will be sufficient for my rig? Any options at somewhere like Best Buy that would work? If not, I think I will order the one you recommend; I've done research and the reviews are stellar. Before I invest, is there an alternative method to check the voltage that doesn't pose any risks? As superninja12 recommends below, he says NOT to do a stress test.

 

[TJ Hooker]

Yeah, that 550W PSU easily has enough juice for your rig. Sorry, really don't know what kind of options you'd have in local stores. If you find something that looks good locally, you can always search for reviews (or post it here and ask for feedback) before you buy it. I don't really know of any other way to test the voltage. I don't know if it matters though; even if the voltage does come into spec under load, that doesn't change the fact that it's doing things a PSU shouldn't do, and doesn't mean that it's safe.

 

[Jake_110]

Yeah, that 550W PSU easily has enough juice for your rig. Sorry, really don't know what kind of options you'd have in local stores. If you find something that looks good locally, you can always search for reviews (or post it here and ask for feedback) before you buy it. I don't really know of any other way to test the voltage. I don't know if it matters though; even if the voltage does come into spec under load, that doesn't change the fact that it's doing things a PSU shouldn't do, and doesn't mean that it's safe.

Thanks for your help, really.

Could I just buy the same Corsair CX750M? Until now, it's worked perfectly and I believe I'm partly to blame for performance issues because I didn't clean and dust diligently enough. I do like the EVGA PSU linked, but if I ever decide to upgrade to higher tier components elsewhere, I want the wiggle room to do so. I don't want to be held back by a lower power supply if, say, I buy a Titan Z or whatever comes out in a couple of years.

 

[superninja12]

Buy something from seasonic, than ur always good.

 

[prkle]

Motherboard voltage sensors show faulty readings all the time. You could check it with a multimeter for example.

 

[TJ Hooker]

The PSU you had wasn't especially good in general, don't know if I'd buy it again.

If you want a bit more wiggle room, you can get the 650 W version of the PSU I linked before for $10 more. https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9q4NnQ/evga-power-supply-220g20650y1

Will be good for any single GPU system.

 

[Jake_110]

The PSU you had wasn't especially good in general, don't know if I'd buy it again.

If you want a bit more wiggle room, you can get the 650 W version of the PSU I linked before for $10 more. https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9q4NnQ/evga-power-supply-220g20650y1

Will be good for any single GPU system.

I bought the 650W Supernova on Newegg. I am going to wait until I thoroughly clean the case and install an SSD and new RAM after Christmas (both of which I'm receiving as gifts). If the readings for the Corsair PSU are still faulty, then I'll whip out the Supernova and install it. Newegg's extended return policy is implemented, so if I need to return the Supernova because the Corsair is working properly, there should be no barriers. Newegg is pretty good about returns in my experience.

Thanks again for your help (as well as everyone else's). I witnessed first hand that this site's reputation is well-earned!

 

[TJ Hooker]

Yeah, sounds like a good plan.

You're welcome!