How to Check If a Power Supply is Dead

My Computer Not Turn On ... Power supply is faulty?

Troubleshooting Power Supply Bad fairly straight forward. Since the Power Supply is an independent problem with the PSU is not usually the result of a configuration problem.

There are some you can check even before you decide on the power supply is damaged. The first and best way is to use a power supply tester to check for faulty PSU. Unfortunately people do not have one until you need it, so there are some troubleshooting steps manually you can do to check the power supply is bad.

How To Power Supply Problems Poor or defective (PSU)

WARNING: Power Supply contains internal components that can store electrical charge. Do not try to repair the internal parts of the Power Supply you risk personal injury and also void the warranty on the PSU.

01. Check the AC power cord plugged into the Wall outlets and PSU.

PSU usually can be difficult when connecting the AC power cord so make sure that the cables and power supply is good to interact with one another.

02. Check the Power Supply plugged into an AC outlet.

If the wall outlet, ask yourself if it is controlled by a switch on the wall. If so have moved?

If you use a power strip or surge protector make sure the power button is set to "On". Usually there is a small red light indicating it with a decent power strip or surge protector.

03. Check the On / Off switch to the Power Supply itself.

Most new power supplies all have On / Off switch. This is a small black switch on the back of the power supply has one and zero it. (It may look like I / O on switch).

Make sure this switch is set to "On". If the switch is set to one (1) This indicates that the power supply is turned "On". If set to zero (0) means that the PSU is currently turned off. Make sure that the move was set to one (1) position.

04. Check the Power Supply Voltage Switch.

In most of the new Power Supply have a red switch on the back which shows the voltage. It can be set for either 115V or 230V.

In the United States in all our households use 115V AC wall outlet for standard equipment. If you're in the U.S. make sure that your Power Supply is set to 115V. If you are from Europe I think your PSU should be set to 230V.

05. Check 20/24 Pin ATX Power Connector and 4 Pin ATX Power Connector

Most motherboards require you to connect two Leading Power Supply Power from the power of your motherboard.

Leading the main power is 20/24 pin ATX power connection plugs near the memory slots on your motherboard. Authority necessary to lead the second is a 4 pin ATX power connection.

Make sure that both leads securely plugged into your motherboard. You should feel a little click when it is correctly inserted.

It is not uncommon to lead to think hard and do not go all the way. To ensure that the ATX power lead is firmly connected to each disconnect and reconnect it to the motherboard.

06. Use the observations to the Power Supply to Know if damaged.

If your motherboard has a power LED, the light is turned on. (The motherboard power cables are usually present even when the system is off.) If it shines because it confirms the board is receiving power from the PSU and the problem may lie elsewhere.

You can see or hear the fan in the power supply spin when trying to power the system. If you do not see or hear them knock it could be a sign of a bad power supply.

Is the power supply makes a crack or pop when you try to start the system? If so, this is a sign that the inside of the power supply fails.

Do you see sparks or smoke out the power supply? If so this is a sign that the inside of the power supply fails.

The power supply smell like burning electrical components. If so this is another sign of failure of components in the power supply.

07. Use another Power Supply for Testing

If you have done all the above steps and still can not determine if the problem is the result of a bad power supply is used additional power supply (if applicable) or a PSU from another system and try to start your system Power Supply both.

If this power to other power supplies that have been assigned your original power supply is bad or damaged.

Troubleshooting a Bad Power Supply Summary

If you have determined your Power Supply bad you have two basic options.

If your power supply is still under warranty send it to the retailer or manufacturer for RMA replacement.

If your power supply is outside the warranty period will need to buy a new power supply.

If you have any questions or comments about this article feel free to leave them below.