Power Surge took out PC, safe to test PSU?

Bageland2000

Bageland2000

Limp Gawd
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Jan 19, 2013
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Can I test a PSU in a new build that may have been damaged in a power surge?

I've gotten conflicting opinions so I'm opening a separate thread here to try to get a straight answer. A few weeks ago, a power surge took out my desktop PC. It was getting a bit old so I didn't fall to my knees and cry, but one component that I really wanted to transition to a future build was my Corsair AX860 PSU. It's a beast and I paid a pretty penny for it. However, if there's a chance that testing it in a future build could damage my components because the PSU's reliability was compromised by the surge, I won't risk it.

Is there a chance that it will damage new components? Is there a way to test the reliability of the PSU before connecting it to new components? Are my custom cables safe?

I'm not looking for anecdotes or opinions, I need to be directed to hard facts/research so I can make an informed decision. Thanks for the help! I can't seem to find the answer on my own...
 
You could do a basic test if you have a multi-meter and turning on the PSU by connecting the power good signal and ground together with a paper clip or like, then test voltages to see if they're not high or low.
IIRC, power good should be the green wire on the MOBO connector, but you should double check before hand.
 
I just did a full test with a multimeter, everything read within tolerances (que HL1 professors making foreboding comments).

I'm waiting for the PSU tester to arrive tomorrow. How safe am I to test on live hardware!?

HAHLP guys, I'm scared.
 
Bageland2000 said:
I'm waiting for the PSU tester to arrive tomorrow. How safe am I to test on live hardware!?
Click to expand...

If by "PSU Tester" you mean one of those dongle looking things with a row of LEDs that turn green when voltage is within a specified range, it's not going to tell you what you don't already know from a multimeter test.

Checking the voltage with no load on the supply is not a valid test, the PSU needs a nominal load to have the power rail voltages checked. You'll also need an oscilloscope to check the ripple current, because the voltage can appear to be fine, but have out of spec ripple and cause all sorts of problems.
 
GiGaBiTe said:
If by "PSU Tester" you mean one of those dongle looking things with a row of LEDs that turn green when voltage is within a specified range, it's not going to tell you what you don't already know from a multimeter test.

Checking the voltage with no load on the supply is not a valid test, the PSU needs a nominal load to have the power rail voltages checked. You'll also need an oscilloscope to check the ripple current, because the voltage can appear to be fine, but have out of spec ripple and cause all sorts of problems.
Click to expand...
It had extra features, but essentially yes, it was just one of those testers.

So weirdest thing: my PC is completely working fine. I pulled everything apart, and there were bent pins on the motherboard CPU socket. How this happened with a previously working PC is beyond me. The pins were barely bent, so it was very easy to get them back into place. Once that was done, the PC booted up perfectly. So while I'm super confused, I have my PC back so I'm VERY happy right now.
 
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