Discussion What steps should you follow for troubleshooting a PSU?

[Garen D]

Hello all, I have a simple question with a lot of potential answers.

What should I do when trying to troubleshoot my PSU?

For example, So I far I've done the paper clip test and concluded that my PSU was at least turning on and not entirely faulty, but I want to know what kinds of voltages and the like I should be keeping an eye on as I'm testing it with an analog Multimeter. I also wanted to know what those ideal voltages are based off of and if they're reliant on my specific PSU model or if its a widely accepted PSU stat. If you have any other tips for troubleshooting PSUs please comment!

 

[Tom_nerd]

try using another power supply to check that it is the power supply. and generally you cant repair a power supply without risking death.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

You will be looking for around 3.3v at the orange pins, 5v at the red pins, and 12v at the yellow pins.

If your PSU has black wires, here's what the voltage should be at each pin at the 24 pin.
https://www.lifewire.com/atx-24-pin-12v-power-supply-pinout-2624578

Just put your common in a ground pin and probe the other pins to make sure they have proper output voltage. There is a small tolerance (i forget exact percentage, others may chime in with it) so if you see something like 12.125v its probably fine and nothing to worry about.

Just because a PSU has fan spin and seems to output correct voltage, it does not mean the PSU is working.

Once you are done there, disconnect it from power and try the PSU paperclip test which should help drain the power out of the PSU.

If you are comfortable with it you can open up the PSU and inspect it for any visible damage such as swollen caps, any components that look damaged/failed. Be careful, there can be lethal voltages inside the psu, even after power is disconnected.

 

[Garen D]

try using another power supply to check that it is the power supply. and generally you cant repair a power supply without risking death.

Yeah, It's more about figuring out if the PSU in my build is the problem and the proper steps to determine so rather than actually fix the PSU itself.

 

[Tom_nerd]

Yeah, It's more about figuring out if the PSU in my build is the problem and the proper steps to determine so rather than actually fix the PSU itself.

try getting another PC and switching out the power supply.

 

[DSzymborski]

Really, knowing what the PSU actually is would be extremely useful information.

 

[Vic 40]

How to test your psu,
▶ Manually Test a (PSU) Power Supply With a Multimeter by Britec - YouTube

for voltages,