You’re concerned your computer troubles stem from a failing (or outright fried) power supply unit. How can you test the unit to be sure that it’s the source of your hardware headaches?
Today’s Question & Answer session comes to us courtesy of SuperUser—a subdivision of Stack Exchange, a community-driven grouping of Q&A web sites.
The Question
SuperUser reader Sam Hoice has some PSU concerns:
How can Sam test things without damaging his current computer or other hardware?
The Answer
SuperUser contributor Grant writes:
Adrien offers a solution for readers who may not be comfortable jamming wires into their power supply unit’s MOBO connector:
USE CAUTION HERE (Though you’d only be shocked with a max of 24 volts)
Plug the power supply into the wall. Find the big 24-ish pin connector that connects to the motherboard. Connect the GREEN wire with the adjacent BLACK wire. The power supply’s fan should start up. If it doesn’t then it’s dead. If the fan starts up, then it could be the motherboard that’s dead. You can use a multimeter to check if there is power output from the power supply.
With a little careful shopping you can even find a highly-rated PSU tester for a measly $6.
Have something to add to the explanation? Sound off in the the comments. Want to read more answers from other tech-savvy Stack Exchange users? Check out the full discussion thread here.
