• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Power supply tester.....

S

silicon

Senior member
I have several PS's at home, 3 in fact and i want to test these somehow. i think 1 has some problems but the other 2 i don't know.
Should I buy a power supply tester for this and is this the best way to test them? I see Amazon have a selection but was hoping someone could recommend something. i know they should be tested under load also. TIA!
 
I have an older Rosewill tester from Newegg that works well.

A good tester has built-in resistors to supply the load. You want to test the PSU with only the tester attached. If you have a bad PSU and it surges as it dies it can burn out motherboards and hard drives if they are connected.
 
I don't think there is really anything out there that can truly test a PSU outside of expensive pro setups. A marginal PSU can test good with those cheap testers. For the hobbyist, the only probative way to check for PSU issues is to have a "known good" unit on hand to swap in. The testers only show if the PSU powers up and can handle a tiny load.
 
crashtech said:
I don't think there is really anything out there that can truly test a PSU outside of expensive pro setups. A marginal PSU can test good with those cheap testers. For the hobbyist, the only probative way to check for PSU issues is to have a "known good" unit on hand to swap in. The testers only show if the PSU powers up and can handle a tiny load.
Click to expand...

It's still a lot safer than powering a defective PSU for the first time using your new $1,000+ build. It won't catch all problems but might save you a lot of pain.
 
DaveSimmons said:
It's still a lot safer than powering a defective PSU for the first time using your new $1,000+ build. It won't catch all problems but might save you a lot of pain.
Click to expand...
I'm not really disagreeing that one ought to take all the care possible with the tools on hand, but I would suggest that the best insurance against a PSU failure that might destroy components is research, then buy a quality PSU that has protection circuitry built-in to prevent such catastrophies.

These little testers can't give us meaningful info about the quality of the PSU, it's protection circuitry, or how it will perform under a real life load. The only real use of them is to determine whether a PSU has completely failed or not.
 
crashtech said:
I'm not really disagreeing that one ought to take all the care possible with the tools on hand, but I would suggest that the best insurance against a PSU failure that might destroy components is research, then buy a quality PSU that has protection circuitry built-in to prevent such catastrophies.

These little testers can't give us meaningful info about the quality of the PSU, it's protection circuitry, or how it will perform under a real life load. The only real use of them is to determine whether a PSU has completely failed or not.
Click to expand...

I agree with that, the PSU is a part you should never cheap out on for a serious build. To reuse some old parts I'd consider buying a cheaper Bronze PSU but otherwise I spend the extra for a good Seasonic.
 
I keep a known good power supply on hand to swap out if necessary. I bought it only for this purpose. I use the cheap tester to quickly see if any rail is out of spec without having to take out the power supply. I know it doesn't test under a proper load. I just use the tester to see if the PSU is working or not. I've got a multimeter if I want to test further. I usually don't go that far. After Step 2, I just order a new power supply. I don't care what is not working, just that it's not working.
 
Last edited:
What would be neat is if they made something like these testers but with no resistors, just a pass-thru cable, so that it would give voltage readings under load. That would actually be useful info, and wouldn't involve the hassle of pinning through wire insulation or finding the right spot on the mobo.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top