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Do you have an Enermax PSU with a low +5V line? Fix it

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DaddyB

Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2002
Location
Toronto, Canada
My +5V line was running at 4.757V idle (it would get as low as 4.5V under load) and it was causing me some trouble, so I set out to fix it long ago... I finally came across some useful information on a few German websites and decided to try the mod they were showing. It worked wonders, now my +5V line is 5.1V under heavy load and it seems as though my problems are gone.

This is a voltmod, so if you dont have any experience doing this kind of stuff get some help from someone who knows what they are doing. All you need is a 1.5K ohm resistor (or potentiometer if you want to be able to adjust it).

All you have to do is add the resistor to the one numbered labeled R82 in older PSUs and R73 in newer ones. I put together a little site with more detailed info and a few pictures if you want to try it out. A little note though, this will also raise your -5V line and your 12V lines a little (about 0.6V-0.8V).

Without this mod I probably would have had to buy a new PSU but I happened to have the right resistor lying around (OK I had to steal it from an old AM car radio that hasn't been used since 1988)and now I'm happy with my system again...

If you want to try the mod check this out.
 
Good job on the write up :)

I've been meaning to do something like that for a long time, but never did get around to it-

I find that mod on another forum last summer and had great success also; the only thing I did differently from you was to use a pot for adjustment as needed.

I had my 5v line at 5.1v when running an XP1600@1950, which was FAR beyond what I could get pre-voltmod.
 
Thanks,

I thought this would have generated more interest, I was searching for a mod like this for a long time and I know there are a lot of Enermax owners out there... Enermax is like the Intel of the PSU world, they are the most well known brand name so a lot of people buy 'em.
 
If this is not already covered in the aforementioned mod, I wanted to interject one caveat. Never adjust a PSU output based upon the voltage reading reported by the monitoring circuitry on the motherboard. That circuitry is just not all that reliable. As far as that goes, never adjust a PSU output voltage based upon the voltage on the motherboard, regardless of how it is measured (real voltmeter vs. embedded monitoring circuitry). Adjust a PSU output voltage based upon the voltage actually coming out of the PSU, as measured at one of the 4-pin molex connectors or the actual ATX connector on the PSU side. This has been covered ad-nauseum in the sticky "Why is my 5V so low".

Hoot
 
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