[fioreskater]

ya im putting a computer together and i got a psu its a solarmax 300watt how can i tell if its good without damaging any of my computer componts? theres barely nothing to it wieghs about a pound came with the computer case it says its for amd processors which i have

Edited by fioreskater, 27 August 2005 - 12:38 AM.

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Hi

If you are building a new system & the psu is 300W & it came with the case, then don't use it! 300W is not powerful enough for most new systems & the ones that come with cases (unless the case is a very good brand) are generally rubbish (I've never even heard of solarmax).

However, as a general answer to your question: If the PSU is brand new, you can get an idea of how good it is from the specs. If the PSU is not new & you want to check it to make sure it won't damage the board, you can use a multimeter to check the output voltages. You want to check that the voltages are not only correct but also consistent.

The colour of the wires indicate the voltage (using black as zero):
red +5V
orange +3.3V
yellow +12V
blue -12V
white -5V
purple +5V
grey +5V (this one is particularly important as it is the power_good signal)

Be warned however that if you decide to do this, you will need some way of powering the PSU on, bearing in mind that it must be checked COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED from the computer. This means that you need to bridge the green wire (PWR_ON) with one of the black wires using a paper clip or similar, bent into a U shape.

If there is any doubt about these instructions, then don't do it or ask.

[Samm]

Hi

If you are building a new system & the psu is 300W & it came with the case, then don't use it! 300W is not powerful enough for most new systems & the ones that come with cases (unless the case is a very good brand) are generally rubbish (I've never even heard of solarmax).

However, as a general answer to your question: If the PSU is brand new, you can get an idea of how good it is from the specs. If the PSU is not new & you want to check it to make sure it won't damage the board, you can use a multimeter to check the output voltages. You want to check that the voltages are not only correct but also consistent.

The colour of the wires indicate the voltage (using black as zero):
red +5V
orange +3.3V
yellow +12V
blue -12V
white -5V
purple +5V
grey +5V (this one is particularly important as it is the power_good signal)

Be warned however that if you decide to do this, you will need some way of powering the PSU on, bearing in mind that it must be checked COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED from the computer. This means that you need to bridge the green wire (PWR_ON) with one of the black wires using a paper clip or similar, bent into a U shape.

If there is any doubt about these instructions, then don't do it or ask.

[UV_Power]

Yeah, if it came with the case, chances are it's not the best. It may be good, but not great.

If you really wnna be sure, you can invest in one of these....