Any way to check Power supply functionality?

Question

Recently I've been having trouble with my BFG 6800GT in WoW (The card overheats wayyy up to 79-80c and then shuts down after 15 or so minutes). This problem only happens with WoW and F.E.A.R. I've been unable to remedy this issue, and it was suggested that my power supply might be biting the bullet. I have a 'refurbished' Dimension 9100, and I put in the old ATI x300 that came with the card and am now starting to get the same issue while playing World of Warcraft (The card will undergo a VPU reset and the screen will blank, and occasionally will give me a 'NO SIGNAL' warning on my monitor and force me to restart the PC) BFGTech suggested I check the power being distributed from my PSU to see if it was going bad, so I downloaded PC Wizard 2006 but I still can't get any info on the power supply..   The PSU in the 9100 is supposed to actually support even a 7800GTX so the 6800GT should be no problem unless the PSU is faulty.   So, back to the question..Is there any way to check the voltage being sent out from the PSU?   Thanks

mccarthy001 · Answer

One easy way to check for one parameter is to purchase, for $7 or less, a power supply tester unit. These are small handheld devices and take just a few seconds to use. I've been able to use one on a suspected faulty Dell-shipped PSU (DIm 8400) and sure enough, it failed on the tester unit. You'll want a tester which has the 20+4 pin ATX connector; and, you will want it to have a 4-pin molex connector, too. It should show voltages on each of the six rails.

Here is one which would do you for $5.90 . It doesn't have the 4-pin molex connector but it would do the trick for you in this case since the PCI-Express connector in your 9100 comes directly from the PSU. http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=ATX-PT&cpc=SCH&srm=0

Chuck in Austin · Answer

The PSU tester that's mentioned would cost $13 shipped.
For 19 bucks more (after rebate) you could buy a Thermaltake 430watt power supply from Newegg. When I suspect a bad component I switch it out with another. First the PSU then the video card.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817153023

Message Edited by Chuck in Austin on 03-10-2006 12:47 AM

ShiftyVonW · Answer

As tempting as it is to buy another PSU, especially for such a cheap price, I'm a bit worried as to whether or not it would fit in to the case.   I've had to RMA things to Newegg a few times before, and it gets a bit tiresome.

fredha · Answer

The best way to check your powersupply's output is a digital multimeter. You can get one for $5-10, Put your system under a load like heavy gaming and take readings off a spare molex connector. Yellow is 12V, Red is 5V, and black is common. You can get a 3.3V reading from the main power connection, usually orange. If your voltages are falling below 5%, you could have a power problem.

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Any way to check Power supply functionality?

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