Question about PSU Upgrade

[Carmen813]

I noticed in sysfan last week that my 12v line was reporting a voltage of only 8.6 volts. I currently have an Antec Truecontrol II 550 Watt PSU. I purchased a new powersupply from newegg based on the Sysfan reading, the PC Power and Cooling silencer750W quad.

I read on the BFG forums that you can measure voltages using a multimeter. Having a handy multimeter, I followed their instructions and found out that my 12v line voltage was a rock solid 12vs, varying between 11.96 and 12.04.

I know that my current PSU has dual 12v lines. Is it possible that one of the 12v lines is at 8.6v, and the other is ok? The one I measured was the one powering my hard drives and such.

I tried several connectors and didn't notice any with a very low voltage. I'm know wondering if my current PSU is perfectly fine, and I should return the Silencer for a refund when it arrives.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

System Specs:
Athlon X2 5400+
4 GB memory (2 DDR800 dims)
9600 GT
2 Harddrives (250 & 320 GB)
X-fi Platinum
G15/G5 keyboard/mouse
DVDRW
2x 12 CM case fans
1x 80M case fan

 

[Carmen813]

Well I did some more digging, and based on what I found, the 12v rails draw from the same source, so voltages should remain the same unless one raid is overloaded. I don't think that's the case, but if anyone has any input I'd appreciate it.

 

[theAnimal]

The only reliable voltage readings are from a DMM.

 

[F1shF4t]

If your voltage was 8.6V on the 12V rail, your comp would not work.
Software readings are almost always innacurate.