how do you test a power supply with a paper clip

1. Get a paperclip. To start the test you just need a paperclip. ...
2. Disconnect all peripherals from your psu. For preventing any kind of pc damage make sure to disconnect all the peripherals from your psu to your pc. ...
3. Detect the 24-pin power connector. The 24-pin power connector is actually connected to the motherboard. So remove the power connector.
4. Detect pin and put paperclip (showed in the step) Now, this part might be complicated for some people, but do not worry I am here to help you ...
5. Turn on the psu. After everything is done, turn your psu on. If you see that the psu fan starts spinning that means the psu is working properly.

Full Answer

How do I test my power supply (PSU)?

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. To find pin 4 and pin 5, count from the left with the clip facing up and the pins facing toward you. Bend your paper clip so the ends can be inserted into pin 4 and pin 5.

How do I connect a paperclip to the power supply?

4. Insert one end of the paperclip into the pin 16 5. Insert the other end of the paper clip into pin 17 that has a black wire going into it. (you can also plug it in on any of the black ground wires) 6. Flip the switch on your power supply to the on "|" position.

How do I know if my power supply is dead?

The Paperclip Test : Is my power supply dead?: The Paperclip Test Print If your unit is not giving any signs of powering on you can test it using the Paperclip test. 1. Flip the switch on the back of your power supply to the off position "0".

How to use a multimeter to test a power supply?

1 Plug the power supply back in and turn it on. 2 Find a pinout chart for your power supply. ... 3 Set your multimeter to the VBDC setting. ... 4 Connect the negative probe of the multimeter to a ground (black) pin on the connector. 5 Connect the positive probe to the first pin that you want to test. ... More items...

How do you test a power supply for a paperclip?

Bend the paperclip and insert one end into the green pin (PS_ON) and the other into any of the black pins (Ground). Flip the switch at the rear of the PSU, and listen for the internal fan. If you can hear the fan, this should verify the power supply is turned on.

How do you test if a power supply is working?

The AnswerPlug 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 can I test my power supply alone?

1:443:34How to Test your Computer Power Supply By Itself - (Test if PSU is DOA)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo that green wire and any black wire can be any black wire. So we leave that there like that makeMoreSo that green wire and any black wire can be any black wire. So we leave that there like that make sure it's touching nothing and then we continue just to turn on our power supply from the wall.

What pins to jump to test power supply?

You MUST connect the wire to the fourth pin from the left when you looking directly into the connector with the clip on top and the wires leading away from you. If you are using an older or value-oriented PSU, you can also easily identify this pin as the only one with a green cable plugged into it.

Is the PSU paperclip test safe?

PSA: Using the paperclip trick to test a PSU is DANGEROUS.

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

1:305:58What PSU Do I Have? [Simple Guide] - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf you can find the serial number of your PC. You may be able to use that to identify the powerMoreIf you can find the serial number of your PC. You may be able to use that to identify the power supply. This could work even without the specific serial.

How do I know if my 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 know if my power supply is faulty?

Signs of a Failing PSUPC Won't Boot at All. As the central hub of the energy of your computer, if the power supply has died, the computer will fail to start. ... PC Randomly Restarts or Shuts Down. ... Random Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) ... Extra Noise Coming from the PC Case. ... Smoke or a Burning Smell.

How can I test my power supply without a motherboard?

0:031:31How to test ATX PC power supply. How to turn on ATX ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe need to short together green wire which is power on to any of ground black wire I'm gonna useMoreWe need to short together green wire which is power on to any of ground black wire I'm gonna use this paper clip which is enough for testing purposes anyways. We can make a switch between these.

How do I manually start my power supply?

1:152:59How To Jump Start A Power Supply (PSU) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo now I have the paper clip in if I turn the power supply on it should be jumped. Now anotherMoreSo now I have the paper clip in if I turn the power supply on it should be jumped. Now another method of jump-starting power supplies these little connectors. This one came with my EBG a power supply.

How do I test a 12v power supply?

0:161:19How to Check if your Power Supply Works | weBoost - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipStart by turning on the voltmeter. And setting it to 24 volts. Place the negative lead on theMoreStart by turning on the voltmeter. And setting it to 24 volts. Place the negative lead on the outside. And positive lead on the center pin of the barrel connector.

Never Easy

The next step was to open up the case and double check connections. After some unplugging and replugging, I still wasn’t getting any power. There were no lights, no beeps, no response of any kind.

Paper Clip Test

For the first step, I verified the I/O switch was flipped to “O” on the power supply and made sure the power supply was completely unplugged except for the AC cable into the wall. On the 24 pin connector, I used a paper clip to bridge pins 4 and 5, highlighted below:

Power Down

It was after midnight and I knew I had to be up at 5am so it was time to call it a night. I started the warranty process the next morning to get a replacement. Part of that process was to cut the 24 pin connector and send a photo of that along with the serial number in the same photo. If you noticed the photo above looking a bit odd, that’s why.

How to test a power supply?

How to: Test a power supply unit. If your system is having issues turning on, you can check if your power supply unit (PSU) is functioning properly by performing a test. You will need a paper clip or a PSU jumper to perform this test. IMPORTANT: Make sure that you jump the correct pins when testing your PSU.

How to test a PSU?

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. To find pin 4 and pin 5, count from the left with the clip facing up and the pins facing toward you.

How to check if a PSU is working?

To test your PSU: 1 Shut off your PSU. 2 Unplug all cables from the PSU except for the main AC cable and the 24-pin cable. 3 Locate pin 4 and pin 5 on your 24-pin cable.#N#To find pin 4 and pin 5, count from the left with the clip facing up and the pins facing toward you. 4 Bend your paper clip so the ends can be inserted into pin 4 and pin 5.#N#If you're using a PSU jumper, insert the ends into pin 4 and pin 5. 5 Turn on the PSU. 6 See if the PSU fan turns. If it does, the PSU is functioning normally.#N#NOTE: Many Corsair PSUs have a zero-RPM feature that results in the fan only spinning for a moment after the PSU is powered on. This still indicates that the PSU is functioning normally.

What are the components of a motherboard?

These components include, the motherboard itself, the CPU, the memory modules, the hard drive and the optical drive as well as any video cards that your system my use.

What does it mean when a PSU fan turns?

If the fans turns, then this means that the PSU is, at least, delivering some voltages out and overheating might not be occurring. If, on the other hand, the fan does not turn, then overheating is, most, likely occurring and the PSU will eventually fail and may damage some other components, in the process. This test works ninety nine percent of the time. There is, however, that one percent. If you want to be sure of the power supply’s functionality I would suggest that you purchase a power supply tester. This will give you, more, accurate results then the PSU Paper Clip test.

How to test power supply?

Make a paper clip tester. You can use a paper clip to help test your power supply and trick it into thinking that it has been switched on. To do this, straighten a paperclip and then bend it into a “U” shape. This paperclip will act as the pins that are inserted into the power supply that give it the “Power ON” signal.

How to check power supply output?

1. Check the output through software. If your computer is functional and you can load your operating system, try using software to check your power supply’s output. SpeedFan is a freeware program that will read your computer’s diagnostics and report back your temperatures and voltage’s.

How to check if my computer is still receiving power?

To check your computer’s power supply, try using a paperclip in order to see if it's still receiving power. Start by shutting off your computer and unplugging the supply unit from the wall. After unplugging the unit, open your computer case and disconnect the power supply cables from the components.

How to tell if a power supply is working?

Check the fan. Once the power supply is receiving power, you should be able to hear and/or see a fan moving. This will let you know that the power supply is at least working. If the power supply does not turn on at all, double check your pins (after unplugging) and try again.

What is the green pin on a computer?

The green pin is typically pin 15 on a pin chart.

Can a power supply be bad?

Yes, theoretically, a power supply should still be able to function if only one of the pathways is bad. It can depend on which pathway it is, but it's certainly possible.