Is my PSU suffering?

[EddNog]

Been a long time since I last overclocked and recently caught the bug again because my cousin just got into it and I've been helping him out. Got an old Asus Rampage Formula and a Q9550. Running 450x8.5 with Vcore setting 1.375 (Vdroop underload and it holds steady 1.30). Graphics card is a Sapphire Vapor-X 5870 overclocked to 950 core. I just noticed my 12V rail looks kind of unhealthy, but despite that the system is running fine:

Anybody got any input on if this PSU is will last this way or if I'm threatening to blow the poor thing up? Anyone run their machine in this manner normally with no issues? CPU heatsink is a limited edition n all-copper Thermalright Extreme 120, and attached is a Thermalright 120mm fan with speed reduced to 1400rpm. I'm comfortable with temps under Prime95 burn but the 12V rail reading 9V is kind of irking me and I am curious what others think. I'm pondering pushing for a 4G overclock (have yet to fail booting or even Prime95 at my current setting, but also afraid to push too hard if my 12V rail risks blowing up!).

-Ed

 

[RavenSEAL]

Mine worries me as well, this is relatively new PSU, but its a piece of crap Coolmax 400W, 12v is running at 8.64V. I have a low power system, so it doesn't worry me "a lot", but still, it scares me a bit and its the back of my head every time i see it. Of course, as you can see from the temps, my e8500 is nothing close to OC'd and i have an onboard GPU.

 

[DrMrLordX]

My first impression is that the readings you're seeing in HWMonitor may not be correct. You might need to do some testing with a multimeter or something along those lines.

The folks in the PSU forum might be able to help you out better than I. In fact, I'm sure that they could.

 

[Meghan54]

Do NOT trust software readings for your voltages. They're notorious for being incorrect. I really doubt an OC'd cpu would work properly below 10V being fed to it.

 

[RavenSEAL]

Yea, i just noticed my BIOS picks up 12v @ 12.84.

 

[CurseTheSky]

Yea, i just noticed my BIOS picks up 12v @ 12.84.

BIOS is still a software reading. Here's how to do a proper reading:

Grab a digital multimeter (or voltmeter) and locate a spare molex (4 pin) connector on your PSU. With the computer on, insert the red lead from the DMM into the yellow wire slot of the molex connector, and the black DMM lead into a black wire slot. The reading should be around 12V - anything lower than 11.4V or higher than 12.6V means you have a bad PSU. Repeat for the red DMM lead on the red molex wire slot, and black DMM lead in a black wire slot. This time the reading should be between 4.75V and 5.25V, and anything outside of that means replace it immediately.

If it passes the initial tests, repeat with the computer under load. Something that produces a mixed load (graphics and CPU) such as a modern, demanding game (like Crysis) should be sufficient; you can also try Prime95 or similar and Furmark at the same time.

 

[Campy]

Speedfan shows my 12v at 9.6V, and I have a corsair HX620. I wouldn't take software readings too seriously if i were you

 

[evolucion8]

I had two bad experiences with Coolmax power supplies. Me and my friend had the same Coolmax CUG 700B PSU model, they were notorious to hove around 11.22 to 11.92V, but then during time, like a year later, the 12V rail started to have voltage drops, to the point that my power supply had 9.05V readings and became unstable, and one day, the computer never turned on. Switching to my current PSU and it never goes below 12.05V no matter what.

My friend had the same issue, but putting a hair blower to blow some heat inside of the PSU allowed him to turn his PSU on loll, and then someday, the PC turned off itself and never turned back on. But fortunately enough, no computer parts were harmed with such PSU failures, the are members here that when a PSU dies, they take with them the videocard and the motherboard.