QA

Quick Answer: How To Test A Computer Power Supply With A Multimeter

How do I check my PC power supply with a multimeter?

Connect the negative probe on the multimeter (black) to any ground wired pin and connect the positive probe (red) to the first power line you want to test. The 24-pin main power connector has +3.3 VDC, +5 VDC, -5 VDC (optional), +12 VDC, and -12 VDC lines across multiple pins.

How do I test a computer power supply?

To test your PSU: Shut off your PSU. Unplug all cables from the PSU except for the main AC cable and the 24-pin cable. Locate pin 4 and pin 5 on your 24-pin cable. Bend your paper clip so the ends can be inserted into pin 4 and pin 5. Turn on the PSU. See if the PSU fan turns.

How do I know if my power supply is faulty with a multimeter?

Test the power supply with a multimeter. Plug the power supply back in and turn it on. Find a pinout chart for your power supply. Set your multimeter to the VBDC setting. Connect the negative probe of the multimeter to a ground (black) pin on the connector.

How can I test if my power supply is working?

The Answer Plug the power supply into the wall. Find the big 24-ish pin connector that connects to the motherboard. Connect the GREEN wire with the adjacent BLACK wire. The power supply’s fan should start up. If it doesn’t then it’s dead. If the fan starts up, then it could be the motherboard that’s dead.

How do I test a DC power supply with a multimeter?

Testing your power supply Plug your power supply into an AC outlet. Red probe goes into the tip. Turn on your multimeter and set it to read DC voltage. Take the red (positive) probe from your multimeter and stick it into the end of the power supply plug.

How do you troubleshoot a computer power supply?

Plug the PSU power cable into a wall socket or surge protector, and turn on the computer. Most power supply models have a light on back of the unit that glows when it’s powered on. If it doesn’t light, try a different power cable and a different socket to eliminate those items as the source of the problem.

How can you tell if the power supply is bad?

The most obvious sign of a faulty power supply is when your computer won’t even turn on. Even if everything else on your computer is broken, if your power supply is operational its fan should turn and you’ll still see a power LED light up near the power supply or on the front of the case.

How do I check my power supply without a case open?

There are many watt meters available in the market by which you can check your power supply wattage without opening your computer. Just plug your wattmeter direct to your ac point then plugin your power supply to the wattmeter, now start your computer and you can see your wattage drawn by your computer power supply.

How can I test my power supply without a paperclip?

Splendid. Yeah you can use copper wire for it, the idea it’s to simply complete the circuit between the black and green pin connectors that give the “go ahead” signal to the PSU.

What is a good multimeter for electronics?

The 10 Best Multimeters for Electronic Technicians – Reviews 2022 Klein Tools MM700 Multimeter – Best Overall. AstroAI WH5000A Digital Multimeter – Best Value. Fluke 287 True-RMS Logging Multimeter – Premium Choice. Fluke 117 Electricians True RMS Multimeter. Tekpower Mastech MS8268 Digital Multimeter Meter.

How do you test a power supply circuit board?

To test circuit board properly, touch the multimeter probes to the test points present on the board. Make sure while playing out this step you have your hands on the plastic portion of the probes. You can then go on to check either the voltage or resistance.

How do I know if my DC power supply is bad?

Common power-related symptoms include: Any power-on or system startup failures or lockups. Spontaneous rebooting or intermittent lockups during normal operation. Intermittent parity check or other memory-type errors. HDD and fan simultaneously failing to spin (no +12V) Overheating due to fan failure.

Which multimeter is best for beginners?

Best Multimeters for Beginners (Updated List) # Product 1 AstroAI Digital Multimeter TRMS 6000 Counts Volt Meter 2 Amprobe AM-510 Commercial/Residential Multimeter with 3 Fluke 179/EDA2 6-Piece Industrial Electronics Multimeter 4 TekPower TP9605BT Auto Ranging Digital True RMS Smart.

What brand of multimeter is best?

Best Multimeter Brands Fluke. Part of Fortive, Fluke Corporation is the best multimeter brand. Brymen (Greenlee) Brymen is one of the best alternatives to Fluke for those with lower budgets. Extech. Amprobe. Klein Tools. Agilent / Keysight. INNOVA multimeters. Mastech.

Which Fluke multimeter is best for electronics?

Two the best, updated, all-around multimeters Fluke has to offer are the Fluke 115 Field Technician’s Digital Multimeter and the 117 Electrician’s Multimeter. Both are great workshop tools to have around when working on electronics.

How do I test a PCB with a multimeter?

How to Use a Multimeter on a Circuit Board Plug in your multimeter probes to your multimeter, making sure you observe the correct polarity. Select your multimeter function to measure voltage or resistance by turning the function knob or selecting a function button.

How do you test a PCB for continuity?

To complete your continuity test, place one probe at each end of the circuit or component you want to test. As before, if your circuit is continuous, the screen displays a value of zero (or near zero), and the multimeter beeps.

How do you tell positive and negative on a circuit board?

You can try to find the longer leg, which should indicate the positive, anode pin. Or, if someone’s trimmed the legs, try finding the flat edge on the LED’s outer casing. The pin nearest the flat edge will be the negative, cathode pin.