Power supply problem?

[tw]

Originally Posted by glatt

I just looked up some instructions online for testing a power supply. It's fairly involved.

Procedure is simple. First, do not disconnect or remove anything. Buy or borrow a digital meter. Set to 20 VDC. Measure a purple wire from PSU where it connects to the motherboard. It should read about 5 VDC. Report that number to three digits.

Measure the green and gray wires both before and when the power switch is pressed. Report those 3 digit numbers.

And finally, set the system so that it is accessing as many peripherals as possible. For example, download from the Internet, while playing complex graphics (ie a movie) on the video controller, while powering multiple USB devices, while playing a CD, while playing sound loudly, while ...

Measure any one yellow, oranage, and red wire while all these devices are powered. Also report those three numbers. The next reply will actually report what is and is not defective without doubt.

A power supply tester is virtually useless. Cannot report many power supply failures. Do not report about other parts of the power supply system. No numbers mean a reply can only be speculation.