Guide: Mike "Neon Cowboy" Lady
Editor: Joe "Roadee" Dawson
Design: Allan "Zardon" Campbell

 

 

Also, if you’ve never used a particular outlet for a pc before it might be a good idea to make sure it’s properly wired and grounded. This little yellow tester comes in handy and you can pick them up for a small amount at most hardware stores. I happened to get this one at Wal-Mart.

It’s pretty easy to use, just plug it in and compare the lights to the diagram on the label.

Two yellows and no red which means we are safe to go ahead with using this socket.

Now I get out my handy power supply tester. This tester lets you start up a power supply with out being connected to a mother board. Basically what it does is simulate a mother board load and makes sure that the PSU is operating correctly by testing the output voltage levels on the +5V, +3.3V & 12V rails. A complete description can be found at this link: www.antec-inc.com/

And for the tester pictured above at this link: pcpowercooling.com

Now for some testing I usually test any new power supply with old hardware first. It can save you a lot of money. To do this you’ll need a few components like an old hard drive, CD-ROM, or maybe a fan, like I have pictured above. You’ll also see how I have my PSU tester hooked up to the mother board connector. These testers really come in handy and can be found about $9-20 online, depending on brand.

At this point I have the switch the tester to the ON position and cautiously plugging it into the wall at a safe distance from the unit. (If you’ve ever seen one of these explode you’ll know why) It started right up and the light glowed green and I also made sure the fans are spinning strong. Now just simply disconnect the test components and install back into your PC case.

Here is a shot of the bios. Voltages are within spec so everything looks good.

I also prefer to test my power supplies with a DVM or multi meter, though this is a good idea, it is not really necessary.

This above picture shows how to test the +5V rail. The leads are inserted into the Molex connector to make contact with the RED and BLACK connectors.

In this picture I am testing the +12v rail. The leads are inserted into the Molex connector to make contact with the YELLOW and BLACK connectors.

I hope that you have enjoyed this article and that you find it useful. I would like to thank the DH staff for allowing me this opportunity, and hope to submit more in the near future.