how to check a psu?

[Hicks12]

Now this may sound a bit odd but does anyone know how i could test my psu without it being connected to my hardware because im trying to make my case really quiet and so far ive ruled out, case fans, cpu fan, heatsink fan and graphics card, im 99% sure it isnt the hard drives as the noise is more a big cooling fan sound so ive narrowed it down to the power supply, the noise is loud because ive changed cases(from 5 80mm fans to 6 silent 120mm fans lol). So basicly how do i use a power supply without a power switch?

[Will404]

This webpage ought to help:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php...ory&ndar_id=25

[TheReaFireblade]

Buy yourself a PSU Tester

Google 'PSU Tester' to find other makes/models.
Maplin have a few though. I have the PSU Tester II myself

[Pob255]

A multi-meter tends to be better and give more useful info, however it seems Hicks12 is on about PSU fan sound levels not power levels.

As Will linked to, it requires the grand total of 1 paper clip.

One other thing to do is a simple ellimination exercise, open your case, unplug all your extra case fans.
You should now be down to graphics card + cpu + PSU. it is generally safe to stop both the cpu fan and graphics card fan for a short time before they build up too much heat.

It's a good idea to boot into the BIOS and go to the hardware monitor page for running these sort of live test, as you can keep an eye on cpu temps (although not gpu heat) and everything is pritty much ideling so powers and heat levels are low.
just be carefull not to touch any exposed soilder joints or circuit boards in general. The top of capatiserters, heat sinks, plastic surrounds/cases are all fine as they are not live. Just be carefull when digging about inside you pc while it's powered up, 12v can give you a shock but nothing fatial unless you have a heart condition but you're more likely to short something expensive/vital to your pc

A simple way to stop a fan is if you can access the central hub, then carefully put your fingure on it, slow it down, press slightly to stop it. To restart the fan simply remove your fingure.
Advantages: quick & simple to both start and stop.
Dissadvantages: requires 1 hand to keep it stoped risk to fingures (small risk of friction burn, bigger risk from fan blades sliceing fingures)
One tip here is plasters, helpful for both after the event but also before as a mini-flackjacket for your fingure tip

Unplugging the fans, yes you can pulg and unplug fans iin a live pc, but again be careful, makeing partial contact with the pins when putting the plugs on can cause problems (tends to happen when lineing up plugs and pins just before pushing it on, I've only done this once fried a resitor on the motherboard, the motherboard stilled worked but that fan socket didn't anymore.)
Advatages: no real risk to fingures, simple.
Dissadvantages: small chance of electronics damage, graphics card with stock coolers tend to be too fiddely to risk this methord/impossible to get at, if your motherboard is crowded the same can be true for the cpu.

Jam is with a cocktail stick, simply put a cocktail stick between the blades of the fan and fins of the heatsink/mesh of a fan grill to prevent the fan from turning. (note, cocktail stick is better than a match because of the extra length, although long matches work just as well)
Advantages: no risk to fingures, fans can be stoped before starting the pc.
Dissadvantages: while simple to restart the fan it's not advisable to apply when a fan is already spinning. (depending on fan speed and sharpness there's a good chance of bits of flying wood or damageing the fan)


I had a go at my girlfriends pc the other day to finally sort out a fan sound issue with it and as I tend to do I used methord 1, why yes I do have a couple of small cuts on my fingures as I type this although that was from being slightly careless and catching my fingure on a case fan I wasn't trying to slow down Scythe S-Flex fan blades are rather sharp.

[Hicks12]

thanks for the options, ive done kinda what you said already with stoping fans etc and narrowed it down to the powersupply or something that iam unaware of that is inside my case , my psu works fine in terms of voltages with a .02~ between load on the 12v. Currently using the pc for another good 10hours(work etc, mostly im afk lol) so after that ill try that guide.

Thanks again.

[Will404]

Good, good, hope that it is all fine.

[Koolpc]

What PSU do you have?

I am like you. I like a really quiet pc. I bought a Corsair PSU. One word.: Awesome

Really quiet!!

[peterb]

Buy yourself a PSU Tester

Google 'PSU Tester' to find other makes/models.
Maplin have a few though. I have the PSU Tester II myself

Don't buy one of those - they are a complete waste of money. All they tell you is that there is a voltage on the relevant rails, which is next to useless. (Unless the PSU is completely dead)


As a subsequent poster said, a multimetwer is better test, as it gives the actual output voltage, but to comprehensively test a PSU, it need to be liooaded up to the maximum output on each rail, and the voltage measured under load conditions.

Dummy loads are large resistors that run hot, and at the wattage we are talking about, expensive. To (for example) load up a 5 volt rail to 30 amps, you would need a 6 ohm resistor rated at 150 Watts.

[Hicks12]

What PSU do you have?

I am like you. I like a really quiet pc. I bought a Corsair PSU. One word.: Awesome

Really quiet!!

in my specs but its a xclio 700wgreat power, granted these are budgety type psu but the quality so far cant be faulted(imo), rails are stable and is quad rail at 18amps per rail. I cant say the noise is from the psu but it looks like it(havent tested yet), never noticed when it was in my other vcase because i had 5 80mm fans at full lol.

[Will404]

What PSU do you have?

I am like you. I like a really quiet pc. I bought a Corsair PSU. One word.: Awesome

Really quiet!!

Corsair 1+, I got the HX520, and it is silent. I can hear the HDD over it!!!

[Mithrandir]

but its a xclio 700wgreat power, granted these are budgety type psu but the quality so far cant be faulted(imo),

I've read xclios are solid psus.

Also do you use anti-vibration pins with your fans/HDDs?

[Hicks12]

I've read xclios are solid psus.

Also do you use anti-vibration pins with your fans/HDDs?

sadly no, i couldnt justify the price of £4 for 2 fans when i have 6 fans to mount, thats £12 just to mount fans , the cm690 has anti vibration screws for the hard drive mount and tbh its pretty quiet after formating it into partitions, its not a hard drive sound its the fan blowing air type of noise.

So far this xclio is solid , just a shame it has 3 years(or might be 2years0 warranty instead of 5 like corsair .

edit: while this thread is active, anyone care to suggest ways to minimalise noise? as mith mentioned the pins(will look on ebay perhaps) but anything else? as long as it doesnt void my warranty on items im all for it lol.

[Will404]

You could line your case with some of that sound proofing stuff. I dont know how much of a differance it makes though, have only heard about it.

Here is a link:
http://www.acoustiproducts.com/en/acoustipack.asp

There are many others, but this one caught my eye.

[Mithrandir]

sadly no, i couldnt justify the price of £4 for 2 fans when i have 6 fans to mount, thats £12 just to mount fans , the cm690 has anti vibration screws for the hard drive mount and tbh its pretty quiet after formating it into partitions, its not a hard drive sound its the fan blowing air type of noise.

I was looking at the anti vibration fan mounts a couple of weeks back. They are around £2.50 delivered on ebay from a few sellers. Anyhow, have you cheaked each fan individually as one or two maybe faulty.
Alternatively, something to do with the air pressure in the case?

[Koolpc]

I only use one exhaust fan in my case and that spins slow and quiet. CPU heatsink fan is the same one (Noctua NF-S12 800RPM ), slow and quiet. Graphics card has a Zalman cooler on it, silent! HD is sitting in a CDrom bay on foam, can't hear it.

PC is very quiet indeed. Can hardly hear it.

[Hicks12]

I only use one exhaust fan in my case and that spins slow and quiet. CPU heatsink fan is the same one (Noctua NF-S12 800RPM ), slow and quiet. Graphics card has a Zalman cooler on it, silent! HD is sitting in a CDrom bay on foam, can't hear it.

PC is very quiet indeed. Can hardly hear it.

lucky you , im unlucky as my card is a bfg and so cant change the cooler(wish i paid £10 more for evga lol) and have to have it on around 50% which is louder than anythign else in ym case and 45% is alot quieter but the temps are much hotter, hits over 70C now in games which is sad.