Way to test Power supply?

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EclipseGST303

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Hi, my computer has been acting up lately. I have a cheap PSU that came with my case, but in the past 3 years or so it hasnt given any problems. I bought a new video card, and i think it may be using more power than my PSU can handle. Its a 350w, with a lot hooked up to it.

Just wondering if there is a way to see if everything in my computer is getting enough power? The main reason i kind of think it may be the PSU is because the LED's on the front of the case were dimming and flickering. But that seems to have stopped now. Any ideas?
 
Turn it on and lick the molex's. If you explode, you've got plenty of power.

But seriously, if yer experiencing brown-outs, go buy a new power supply. They're cheap and vital. Don't waste time troubleshooting it.
 
Ya, im planning on it, just wanted to see if thats really whats causing the video lag.

What brands would you reccomend? I dont want to go too cheap on it, but at the same time, PSU's are pretty cheap, and dont want to pay much.
 
EclipseGST303 said:
Ya, im planning on it, just wanted to see if thats really whats causing the video lag.

What brands would you reccomend? I dont want to go too cheap on it, but at the same time, PSU's are pretty cheap, and dont want to pay much.
Some people say it matters (the brand) but I honestly don't care. As long as it is well made (and you can tell by just looking at it) and comes from a company people have heard of, who cares.

Cost is irrelevant. Think of it this way: If said power-supply goes bonkers, you stand to lose a LOT more than the cost of the power supply.
 
For properly testing PSU's i'd recommend a "multimeter". Seen HERE You can buy them ranging anywhere from $20 to $200+. For standard PC / PSU diagnostics i'd recommend something that is at least $40. Or if it's cheap make sure it's a quality brand.

The one in my link is similar to the one i have.
 
Or, as a really easy solution, go into your BIOS and have a look at your voltages. It'll be in the "Hardware Monitor" section, if you have one. You should have 3V, 5V, and 12V. If, for example, your 3V says "2.2V", then you don't have enough power, and the PSU is going bad. And it's time to go to Newegg and spend $15 on a new 550W POS PSU. I bought 3 a couple years ago, I'm still using one, my friend is using another, and I still have a spare in case mine goes. All for far less than buying an expensive brand-name one. When I had a $120 PSU (right before this one), it lasted a little over a year and then the 3V sunk and I couldn't use it any more. Cheap PSUs, in my (admitedly rather limited) experiance, are more than worth it.

-CC
 
LOL - $15 dollar PSU. It's good that you'd admit your limited experience. Because the theory you've developed about "more" cheap PSU's are better then (1) expensive, quality, solid, backed by a 5 year warranty PSU... Proves that....

There is much more that can happen to your PC from a cheap faulty PSU other then the PSU just not working... It could potential screw you out of many expensive components... Do some research young padawan learner...
 
heavier it is, usually the better it is. i got a nice 500W aspire psu for 48 dollars after rebate. not bad. around 34A on the +12 line. and im getting a solid 12.12 i think on the 12volt last time i checked.
 
Heres the numbers mines putting out now

Vcore = 1.69
3.3v = 3.2
5v = 4.65 - 4.7
12v = 12.2


Seems decent to me....So what else could be causing my computer to lag down while playing games? It seems about every ten minutes the fps drops to about 10(on different games), then i have to minimize and then maximize to smooth it out. I dont have any virus's or adware, and I recently reformatted. Any ideas?

This is with a 6600gt

Edit: Oh ya, and when i try and take screenshot in BF2, my computer just restarts. :amazed:
 
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