How High Or Low Can Your Voltages Be?

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07-14-2004, 11:33 AM
Storm

ive been looking at my temps and voltages for a week or so now, and my temps are fine (CPU stays at 36, but thats prolly since i dont play any games and such, besides, my whole case is overcooled, running 4 fans when i only need 1 :P)

but the thing is, my 12v voltage line keeps showing up @ around 12.416....... kinda steady on that......

now i know thats not a major diferance, and my fans will definity not be harmed by it, but what about my mobo? if its dangerous or damaging, what do i do about it?

or am i just freaking out? :P
07-14-2004, 11:36 AM
angel_of_death57

my +12V is around 12.59V and i have my intake and exhaust fan with 2 optical driversand my hard drive and normal things all on a 300W PSU but i am getting a new PSU seen a 450W or somthing.

What PSU you got.
07-14-2004, 11:45 AM
Storm

300W standard PSU that came with my AOpen H600B case

oh, btw, im monitoring everything with AsusProbe 2 (came with my mobo)
07-14-2004, 01:01 PM
clocker

You need to take a reading with a digital multimeter to know what your voltages really are.
07-14-2004, 02:38 PM
Storm

hmmmmzzz, that sounds like a lot of work (since i dont have one)

so........... what are the chances of my voltages being off that much that it can cause harm to my system?
07-14-2004, 02:52 PM
angel_of_death57

Well like i said mine is 12.59 and no damage to my system i use Speedfan
07-14-2004, 02:56 PM
clocker

Quote:

Originally posted by Storm@14 July 2004 - 07:46
hmmmmzzz, that sounds like a lot of work (since i dont have one)

How much energy have you put into monitoring/worrying about your voltages already? You could easily allay your fears by begging/borrowing ( or, as a last resort, buying) a multimeter.

I doubt that your PSU will hurt your system as it sits right now.
Random reboots or BSODs would be one indication that something is wrong, but not necessarily caused by your PSU.
07-14-2004, 02:58 PM
Spicker

mine says 11.73 :unsure: is that good or bad? :helpsmile: :blink:
07-14-2004, 03:18 PM
Storm

Quote:

Originally posted by clocker+14 July 2004 - 16:04--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (clocker @ 14 July 2004 - 16:04)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Quote:

Originally posted by Storm@14 July 2004 - 07:46
hmmmmzzz, that sounds like a lot of work (since i dont have one)

How much energy have you put into monitoring/worrying about your voltages already? You could easily allay your fears by begging/borrowing ( or, as a last resort, buying) a multimeter.

I doubt that your PSU will hurt your system as it sits right now.
Random reboots or BSODs would be one indication that something is wrong, but not necessarily caused by your PSU. [/b]

well im not having any problems now........ and i havent put that much time in monitoring it..........

just looked at the nice graphs every now and then ;)

thnx for the answer......

<!--QuoteBegin-jaigandhi5@14 July 2004 - 16:06
mine says 11.73 :unsure: is that good or bad?  :helpsmile:  :blink:[/quote]
2 low might only cause your system to lose power, or things to work a lil slower....... it will just be underpowerd....... no chance of damaging the system (though you might get some other failures)

but the youre not that much under what it needs, and it will prolly run just fine (seeing as you can run diskmans and such @ half their required voltage rate :P)

to high voltages however can cause damage (though i have no idea of what whould be "to" in this case ;))
07-14-2004, 03:45 PM
lynx

Voltages shown by Speedfan, MBM5, Asusprobe etc are notoriously inaccurate. The sensor chip only uses an 8 bit A/D converter. Best accuracy with a high quality device us usually 0.5 LSB. In other words 1/512 of full scale. But the A/D used on motherboards are very cheap low quality devices, probably with an accuracy of about 2 LSB, or 1/128 of full scale, about 0.1V over 12V.

This is then relative to a reference voltage also determined from a very cheap device, and can ofter be 2% inaccurate or worse, about 0.25V over 12V. You can see that a reading can easily be out by 3% or more.

As has been said before, measure the voltages with a digital multimeter to get a base reading and find out how accurate your onboard sensor readings actually are. If you then change the system configuration (excluding the mobo) you can quickly work out whether you've got potentially damaging voltages.

Btw, low voltages are not necessarily safe for your system. They can be a sign that you are trying to draw too much power from the psu. If the psu is under strain in this way, an otherwise relatively harmless voltage spike could blow through the protection circuits in your psu, sometimes dramatically damaging many of your system components.
07-14-2004, 03:45 PM
Spicker

thanx for the info ;)

btw i have a 400W dual Fan PSU :01:
07-14-2004, 05:54 PM
tesco

Quote:

Originally posted by jaigandhi5@14 July 2004 - 10:53
btw i have a 400W dual Fan PSU :01:

450watt dual fan psu. :01:
:P
07-14-2004, 06:06 PM
SingaBoiy

Quote:

Originally posted by ROSSCO_2004+14 July 2004 - 09:02--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (ROSSCO_2004 @ 14 July 2004 - 09:02)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-jaigandhi5@14 July 2004 - 10:53
btw i have a 400W dual Fan PSU :01:

450watt dual fan psu. :01:
:P [/b][/quote]
350 single fan PSU

B)
07-14-2004, 07:23 PM
Storm

Quote:

Originally posted by SingaBoiy+14 July 2004 - 19:14--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (SingaBoiy @ 14 July 2004 - 19:14)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Quote:

Originally posted by ROSSCO_2004@14 July 2004 - 09:02
<!--QuoteBegin-jaigandhi5

Quote:

@14 July 2004 - 10:53
btw i have a 400W dual Fan PSU :01:

450watt dual fan psu. :01:
:P

350 single fan PSU

B) [/b][/quote]
:"> 300W single fan :unsure:
07-14-2004, 08:10 PM
pc-gamer-dude

420 watt dual fan PSU
07-14-2004, 08:36 PM
tesco

I just got out my multimeter and tested my voltages.

From the molex connector I got a range of 12.22 to 12.29 and once it went to 12.32.
Not too bad, i expected better.

on the 5v line I got a range of 4.90-4.98...once it went to 5.01 but didn't stay and hasn't gone back to it.

How do I check the -5, -12, and the 3.3 volt lines??? im guessing for the two negative's I have to switch the black and red wires around on my multimeter?
07-14-2004, 09:56 PM
lynx

If it is a digital multimeter, it will simply show a minus before the reading, just as you have done. If it is an analogue meter then you simply reverse the connectors, as you have suggested..

Just connect the black wire on your meter to any ground wire on the 20 pin plug and you should be ably to measure all the other voltages except vcore on that plug. I don't know where you measure vcore, I've never done it.
07-14-2004, 10:22 PM
tesco

Quote:

Originally posted by lynx@14 July 2004 - 17:04
If it is a digital multimeter, it will simply show a minus before the reading, just as you have done. If it is an analogue meter then you simply reverse the connectors, as you have suggested..

Just connect the black wire on your meter to any ground wire on the 20 pin plug and you should be ably to measure all the other voltages except vcore on that plug. I don't know where you measure vcore, I've never done it.

oh, i wasn't eaning to do it that way...
I thought i could get them while running my whole system, that way I will know the voltages while the system is running eerything...surely it would be different that way..

and i dind't ask for vcore, cause i know it would probably be impossible to get it...isn't that just done between the motherboard and the cpu? you'd have to touch one of the pins with the multimeter to get it...

ok, well i;; try to find 3.3v next time my comp is apart, too tired today to open it up again.
07-14-2004, 10:53 PM
lynx

There's no problem measuring voltages on the 20 pin connector when the system is fully running. In any case, that's the only place you will be able to get at 3.3v, -5v and -12v.

Oh, and +5v Standby too.
07-15-2004, 03:58 AM
tesco

Quote:

Originally posted by lynx@14 July 2004 - 18:01
There's no problem measuring voltages on the 20 pin connector when the system is fully running. In any case, that's the only place you will be able to get at 3.3v, -5v and -12v.

Oh, and +5v Standby too.

How am i supposed to have the comptuer running and check the 20pin connector...its gotta be connected for the system to run. :lol:
07-15-2004, 04:00 AM
clocker

Are you certain you really want to know this information?

What will you do if you don't like your voltages?
07-15-2004, 09:19 AM
lynx

Quote:

Originally posted by ROSSCO_2004+15 July 2004 - 04:06--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (ROSSCO_2004 @ 15 July 2004 - 04:06)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-lynx@14 July 2004 - 18:01
There's no problem measuring voltages on the 20 pin connector when the system is fully running. In any case, that's the only place you will be able to get at 3.3v, -5v and -12v.

Oh, and +5v Standby too.

How am i supposed to have the comptuer running and check the 20pin connector...its gotta be connected for the system to run. :lol: [/b][/quote]
If you've got thin enough probes they should simply push down alongside the wires at the BACK of the connector, with it still plugged in to the motherboard. If not, slide a paperclip down alongside the wires, and take the reading from the paperclip.

Sorry, I assumed you realised this, it is standard practice.

Edit: @clocker, I think in Rossco's case it is simply a theoretical exercise, like you and I he simply can't leave well enough alone. :P
07-16-2004, 09:17 AM
angel_of_death57

Right i got these voltages from speedfan are they ok or should i scrap my 300W and get a 400+

VCore: 1.54V

+12V: 12.59V

3.3V: 3.12V

Vcc: 4.99V

Vin2: 0.00V

5Vsb: 4.85V

Vbat: 0.00V
07-16-2004, 09:59 AM
lynx

Quote:

Originally posted by angel_of_death57@16 July 2004 - 09:25
Right i got these voltages from speedfan are they ok or should i scrap my 300W and get a 400+

VCore: 1.54V

+12V: 12.59V

3.3V: 3.12V

Vcc: 4.99V

Vin2: 0.00V

5Vsb: 4.85V

Vbat: 0.00V

Are those readings accurate?
Are you having any problems?

If the answer to both those questions is yes, then you possibly should.
If the answer to the second is no, then you probably shouldn't.
If the answer to the first is no, and accurate figures are normal, then you probably shouldn't.

That leaves a sort of maybe, and yes, in which case i suppose you sort of maybe possibly should.
07-16-2004, 10:37 AM
angel_of_death57

Well its Speedfan and might be a little out. I have had no problem at all everything running smoothly but with the fans i have and all that maybe i should get a bit more of a PSU.

Thanks for help lynx
07-16-2004, 06:06 PM
tesco

Quote:

Originally posted by lynx+15 July 2004 - 04:27--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (lynx @ 15 July 2004 - 04:27)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Quote:

Originally posted by ROSSCO_2004@15 July 2004 - 04:06
<!--QuoteBegin-lynx

Quote:

@14 July 2004 - 18:01
There's no problem measuring voltages on the 20 pin connector when the system is fully running. In any case, that's the only place you will be able to get at 3.3v, -5v and -12v.

Oh, and +5v Standby too.

How am i supposed to have the comptuer running and check the 20pin connector...its gotta be connected for the system to run. :lol:

If you've got thin enough probes they should simply push down alongside the wires at the BACK of the connector, with it still plugged in to the motherboard. If not, slide a paperclip down alongside the wires, and take the reading from the paperclip.

Sorry, I assumed you realised this, it is standard practice.

Edit: @clocker, I think in Rossco's case it is simply a theoretical exercise, like you and I he simply can't leave well enough alone. :P [/b][/quote]
oh ok lol, didn't realize i could do this.

@ clocker, are you talking to me or the thread starter? either way, if im not happy with my voltages ill just ignore them, if they are good ill keep testing them over and over to make me feel good about myself. :lol:
07-16-2004, 07:59 PM
Storm

Quote:

Originally posted by ROSSCO_2004@16 July 2004 - 19:14
@ clocker, are you talking to me or the thread starter?

i have a (nick)name you know <_<
07-16-2004, 09:30 PM
tesco

Quote:

Originally posted by Storm+16 July 2004 - 15:07--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Storm @ 16 July 2004 - 15:07)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-ROSSCO_2004@16 July 2004 - 19:14
@ clocker, are you talking to me or the thread starter?

i have a (nick)name you know <_< [/b][/quote]
sorry, i was too tired and lazy to check who started the thread. :lol: