Signs of a dying PSU?

pirate252 · 01-04-03, 04:25 PM

My PSU is acting funny...the motherboard monitor (from asus) that i am using is telling me that the VCORE is flucuatioing from 1.776 to 1.792 every few seconds, in the bios the voltage is set to 1.75, i tryed increasing it to 1.775 then it flucates there too (all the way up to 1.809)...my 5v rail changes from 4.999 to 4.972, and 4.945, all these are taken right after a reboot, no activity going on...the 3.3 line goes from 3.328 to 3.344, one person told me that my PSU was dying and to get a new one and leave my computer off, but i have been having so many problems with this stupid thing i dont want to take it down again lol, is it dying or not?

Thanks

Matt

warnerwh · 01-04-03, 05:53 PM

You may want to test it with a multimeter. That's the only way to get an accurate reading. Also your 5v rail numbers are dangerously high if those are correct. That's 20% over! Even if you need a new PSU you can swap one out in ten minutes. Looks like you have a nice computer, it'd be a shame to damage it with a PSU going out.
Is your system stable? If not then I'd try a new supply.

larrymoencurly · 01-04-03, 06:34 PM

Aren't small fluctuations like that, 0.5% to 1.8%, due to the monitoring software taking measurements only infrequently, like every second or so, and the inaccuracy of the mobo's measurement hardware?

Does the Vcore variation have much to do with the PSU anyway, since Vcore has its own regulator on the mobo?

pirate252 · 01-05-03, 12:49 AM

Yeah that was a typo, replace all those 5's with 4's lol

pirate252 · 01-05-03, 12:50 AM

Where do i check the voltages with the multimeter?

warnerwh · 01-05-03, 11:37 AM

You can check at a molex connector on the 5 and 12,. The 3.3 is usually orange which can be checked at the plug on the motherboard. Just ground the other probe to the case or to a black. This is the only accurate way to test it. Remember to test under load also as this is what may be causing you problems. The numbers you show above should be fine as 5% is generally considered acceptable.

cwb27 · 01-05-03, 12:21 PM

Fluctuations in the second decimal place, for example between 4.94 and 4.91, are not THAT big of a deal, fluctuations in the third decimal place are even less of a deal. It's when you're jumping around between 4.83 - 4.91, for example, you gotta be concered.
Again though, don't always believe the software, slap and multimeter on that beast and get the readings from the source.

01-04-03, 04:25 PM	Thread Starter #1
pirate252 Member Join Date: Jun 2002	Signs of a dying PSU? My PSU is acting funny...the motherboard monitor (from asus) that i am using is telling me that the VCORE is flucuatioing from 1.776 to 1.792 every few seconds, in the bios the voltage is set to 1.75, i tryed increasing it to 1.775 then it flucates there too (all the way up to 1.809)...my 5v rail changes from 4.999 to 4.972, and 4.945, all these are taken right after a reboot, no activity going on...the 3.3 line goes from 3.328 to 3.344, one person told me that my PSU was dying and to get a new one and leave my computer off, but i have been having so many problems with this stupid thing i dont want to take it down again lol, is it dying or not? Thanks Matt Last edited by pirate252; 01-05-03 at 12:52 AM.
	QUOTE Thanks

01-04-03, 05:53 PM	#2
warnerwh Registered Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Portland, OR	You may want to test it with a multimeter. That's the only way to get an accurate reading. Also your 5v rail numbers are dangerously high if those are correct. That's 20% over! Even if you need a new PSU you can swap one out in ten minutes. Looks like you have a nice computer, it'd be a shame to damage it with a PSU going out. Is your system stable? If not then I'd try a new supply.
	QUOTE Thanks

01-04-03, 06:34 PM	#3
larrymoencurly Member Join Date: Jul 2002	Aren't small fluctuations like that, 0.5% to 1.8%, due to the monitoring software taking measurements only infrequently, like every second or so, and the inaccuracy of the mobo's measurement hardware? Does the Vcore variation have much to do with the PSU anyway, since Vcore has its own regulator on the mobo?
	QUOTE Thanks

01-05-03, 12:49 AM	Thread Starter #4
pirate252 Member Join Date: Jun 2002	Yeah that was a typo, replace all those 5's with 4's lol
	QUOTE Thanks

01-05-03, 12:50 AM	Thread Starter #5
pirate252 Member Join Date: Jun 2002	Where do i check the voltages with the multimeter?
	QUOTE Thanks

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01-05-03, 11:37 AM	#6
warnerwh Registered Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Portland, OR	You can check at a molex connector on the 5 and 12,. The 3.3 is usually orange which can be checked at the plug on the motherboard. Just ground the other probe to the case or to a black. This is the only accurate way to test it. Remember to test under load also as this is what may be causing you problems. The numbers you show above should be fine as 5% is generally considered acceptable.
	QUOTE Thanks

01-05-03, 12:21 PM	#7
cwb27 Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada	Fluctuations in the second decimal place, for example between 4.94 and 4.91, are not THAT big of a deal, fluctuations in the third decimal place are even less of a deal. It's when you're jumping around between 4.83 - 4.91, for example, you gotta be concered. Again though, don't always believe the software, slap and multimeter on that beast and get the readings from the source.
	QUOTE Thanks

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