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Is my PSU dying? ..hurting my O/C?

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InvisGreenMan

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2004
Location
South Dakota
I had to RMA my first Fortron 530 because of a startup issue. When I got this one back I was running good rails. (see below) Now the rails seem to be getting lower. I am only running one adda .15amp 1.80W 80mm case fan, and an 80mm zalman slimfan on my zalman card cooler off the mobo fan headers. The 12V rail is really what bothers me...

MBM5 average over a 5 day period:
+3.30V - 3.30V :)
+5.00V - 4.85V
+12.00V - 11.20V :-/
-12.00V - 1.38V
-5.00V - 1.52V

When I bought the PSU brand new the rails were:
+3.30V - 3.30V
+5.00V - 5.05V
+12.00V - 11.87V
-12.00V - no idea
-5.00V - no idea

This is the PSU for the system in my sig.

thanks guys
 
y waste your tyme finding a problem when u can solve that problem with a PCP&C 510w(650w) Deluxe..with built in adjustable Rails for $197 plus reviews all good....i kno u kan rack up money some how if u kan it would be much worth it....BTW use a DMM to get Realistic Rails be4 you go an purchase or return anything...
 
Sophisticated said:
y waste your tyme finding a problem when u can solve that problem with a PCP&C 510w(650w) Deluxe..with built in adjustable Rails for $197 plus reviews all good....i kno u kan rack up money some how if u kan it would be much worth it....BTW use a DMM to get Realistic Rails be4 you go an purchase or return anything...

Wow this is very helpful :rolleyes:

I'm also having the exact problem with my AntecTrue550w. I dont have a multimeter to check and i will check it with a multimeter b4 make any further conclusion.

Is your PSU hot/very warm to touch? Mine is very warm to touch.

That sounds very strange for a Fortron530w.
 
Ignore MBM 5 readings. Grab a multimeter & check those rails. I have the Antec True Control 550W PSU. Even without adjusting the rails I was sitting over 12, over 5, & right around 3.3.

I have plenty of things in my case to eat the voltage right up. My PSU is pretty warm (not HOT though). Of course I have my cd-burner right above it in the 5.25 bay & it majorly restricts the 90mm fan sucking air in & pushing out the back (80mm fan), but I think it's alright.

Unless your having problems, I would not assume anything is wrong based on MBM 5.

Sometimes you get a dud PSU though, just like anything really. Take my DFI MOTHERBOARD FOR EXAMPLE! Ok we won't go there, but yeah, multimeter, multimeter, multimeter! =]

-ºb§
 
OK, now MBM5 is reading them at 3.30V, 4.57V and 10.52V!!! I have a digital multimeter, where is the easiest/safest/best place to chack my rails?
 
Check the 5v and 12v at any 4 pin molex... black/red for 5v, and black/yellow for 12v. The 3.3 is black/orange - you need to get that from either the back of the ATX connector or the auxilliary connector (6 pin AT like connector).

If you get normal readings, look to see if the P4 power connector and ATX connector are damaged at all.
 
Well ****!

Multimeter says:
12.00V - 10.60V
5.00V - 4.60V
3.30V - 3.38V

Do I need to RMA the PSU again?

Edit: Please give me some good news...I just sleeved this PSU a couple weeks ago.
 
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Wow, looks fairly accurate with MBM 5 readings. I'm shocked, anytime on any system that I have used MBM 5 to check rails.......always way off.

Anyways. Those rails are super low. Actually your 12v rail is unusually low & makes me wonder how your PC even boots.

I honestly do not understand how your volts could be so low with what you are running in your PC (granted everything you run is in your sig). I do have some good news, you can save your sleeving & use it again!!

Only thing I would suggest is moving things around on your cables. Don't have your video card & hard drives & cdroms all on the same 4-pin molex cable. If you do have two HD's & your video card on one 4-pin molex cable then I would switch that around. Hopefully someone with some better input can come along & give you better advice, sorry to hear about the problems Invis, I know how frusterating it can get. =/

-ºb§
 
Well how should I switch this up then...? this is the way I have the stuff connected right now.

~CD-ROM - DVD-ROM - floppy are all on one line.
~SATA drive has it's own SATA connector line
~(2) front intakes and the blowhole on one line (all of these fans are .15amp 1.80W ADDAs)
~7Vmodded Tornado on it's own line
~the rear exhaust ADDA (again .15amp 1.80W) connected to the mobo header
~zalman 80mm slimfan on top of heatpipe cooler is on the mob header too

I run folding 24/7. I have tried restarting the computer to see if the voltages change...they did not. Later on I am going to turn the system completely off, unplug it from the UPS and let it cool down for a while.

GRRRRRR

Edit: I took all the two fans off the mobo headers and changed out the tornado for a panaflo, which is connected to a 4pin molex. Didn't change a damn thing.
 
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One thing you could do is mod your PSU so you can adjust your rails. Not sure if that PSU already has the option for that ( don't believe so ). Easiest thing would be to return it though.

The only rail that is very questionable is your 12v.
 
Looks like you're headed for another RMA... IIRC the Fortron 530w does have adjustable rails, but this isn't meant to compensate for a malfunction. If you adjusted it for 12v again (assuming the pot even has enough range to boost it that high) and the fault turned out to be just intermittant, suddenly you'd have 14v or more being pumped into the system.

Better to RMA it and let the factory refurb it and sell it to someone else ;)
 
I guess I will RMA it this week sometime...

OK, should I just get an antec PSU? TrueBlue 480W...more? I need to stay in the $80 range.
 
Help me out guys...I don't want to have a crappy PSU...

I never hear bad things about the Antec PSUs

Two RMAs for one PSU is overkill...
 
The Antec 480w and 550w will do fine if you're unwilling to trust the next Fortron RMA replacement.
 
I'm going to be adding the stress of a Swiftech MCP600 for my watercooling soo, but that will not overstress the 480W will it? It is rated for 9W I believe.
 
If you are not experiencing computer problems with your new ps, don't worry about the voltages. However, you do need to check why you have low voltages.

Would it be possible to move your computer to another room with different CB line or to a friends house? Try that and see if this makes a change.

Your +12 volt line looks very low. The way I understand it, the higher the demand (load), the more voltage the ps will provide on +12 rail. The +5 rail will drop (less voltage) with higher damand.
 
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