can you check 5v and 3.3v lines with a multimeter?

[Maverick2002]

or just the 12v?

 

[Cyberian]

can you check 5v and 3.3v lines with a multimeter?

Any halfway decent meter should have a scale that will let you read parts of any voltage range selected.
Have you ever used a multimeter?

 

[Pepsi90919]

set the scale to 10 on digital multimeters i'm pretty sure should give you a decent reading. at least i think that's how they work, the 'scale' is just a maximum value. analog ones are the ones you have to worry about multiplying.

 

[Maverick2002]

The multimeter I have is a cheap $20 one from RadioShack. The DCV settings are 500v, 200v, 20v, and 2v. So how can I test the 3.3 and 5v?

No never used one before.

I'm assuming I just turn the PC off, plug the wires into the molex connectors (black - black, red - red or yellow for 12v or 5v?), set the multimeter to 20v and turn the PC on. That doesn't explain 3.3 though.

 

[ApacheXMD]

there is no 3.3v on the molex connector from the powersupply

-patchy

 

[Maverick2002]

exactly that's why I was asking if it's possible to measure the 3.3v line. is the rest correct though?

 

[Pepsi90919]

RTFM maybe?

 

[iwearnosox]

Originally posted by: Maverick2002
exactly that's why I was asking if it's possible to measure the 3.3v line. is the rest correct though?

You can measure the 3.3v line at the main motherboard connection.

 

[Maverick2002]

ok so in other words it's not possible to measure 3.3v while it's being used by the PC.

RTFM hmm ... it says nothing about whether I need to turn the PC off or not before plugging in the wires. turd

 

[NutBucket]

You don't have to turn the PC on and off. Just don't short anything out and you're golden.

 

[NuclearFusi0n]

Just st@b at the motherboard randomly, you can do it!

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: Maverick2002
The multimeter I have is a cheap $20 one from RadioShack. The DCV settings are 500v, 200v, 20v, and 2v. So how can I test the 3.3 and 5v?

No never used one before.

I'm assuming I just turn the PC off, plug the wires into the molex connectors (black - black, red - red or yellow for 12v or 5v?), set the multimeter to 20v and turn the PC on. That doesn't explain 3.3 though.

I am assuming that this is an analog meter if it was $20.
When you set it to the 20V scale, the whole range of the needle is usually 0--20V (you will have to look at the markings to verifty this).
By looking at the lines on the scale you should be able to see where 5.5V and 3.3V are.

e.g. - exactly midway up the scale would be 10V.

 

[Evadman]

yellow is 12v
orange is 3.3v
red is 5v
black is ground

Hopefully you can figure the rest out.

 

[OulOat]

MBM 5 is all you need.