Does my PSU work?

[Remmy]

I'm about to start building a PC, so far I only have my PSU and case, so to check if they were working, I plugged a built in case fan to the PSU, then plugged the PSU in and turned it on, the red power light came on on the PSU, but neither PSU fan spinned, and nor did the case fan i'd plugged in. Is this just because i've not connected everything else like the MoBo and stuff, and is this normal for a PSU?

 

[~Darkseeker~]

does it make any odd smells? The PSU fans will only spin when the PC is turned on, e.g. it would need a motherboard attached i think.

So, a PSU alone, just plugged in, wont spin.

 

[Mutant Corn]

What you did when you flipped the switch was put it in standby mode, which for most purposes is still "off".

With that switch still "on", take a paperclip or something similar, and the 24-pin motherboard connector. Stick one end of the paperclip into the contact for the green wire, and the other end into any black wire. It should turn on then.

 

[djpeterman]

Your need to connect it to a mobo before your see the fans spinning. Also, if your building a new system I would recommend you invest in a quality PSU. Don't skimp on that, it's crucial to keep everything and prevent hardware failure.

-- Derek
http://petermancomputers.com

 

[Indigo]

djpeterman is almost there. Mutant Corn is correct however, those two wires will allow you to test a power supply's ability to power on, and any devices attached to it will power on accordingly. If you're squeamish about connecting wires together with a paper clip, just about any power supply tester will turn the unit on and in addition to testing the power supply, will power on devices attached to the PSU.

But djpeterman is right about one thing, don't buy cheap power supplies. If it was less than $40 for 500 watts or more, it is going to blow up in your face someday. Maybe not right away, but someday is a strong possibility.