3.3v rail reading abnormally high

y0yy0y
edited November 2004 in Hardware
The hardware monitor that came with my mobo (soyo dragon kt7a ..I think, been a while since it's been installed, heh) is reading my 3.3v rail at 3.8 - 4v. I need to know how serious of a problem this is and what the 3.3v rail does exactly. I don't have the money to spend on a new psu right now, but if this is going to damage any other components I could probably make an effort.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

-Jason McClellan

Comments

  • TheLostSwedeTheLostSwede Trondheim, Norway Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    y0y,

    Do you have a multimeter there at your disposal? Even if you think it's scary to measure voltages, i can assure you that this method is safe and really easy. You don't have to touch your mainboard at all to do this. Let me know, and i'll make a little "how-to" with pictures. Check your psu's specifications and look up how many amps the 3.3V line can take at X% of load and time. But if it was 3.8-4v all the time in the reality, i would change the psu immediately. The 3.3V line provides voltages to many things on a computer.
  • y0yy0y
    edited November 2004
    Mackanz,

    I don't have one here, but I'm sure I could get my hands on one. I have no problem with digging around in the computer, I've built several. I'm just not an overclocker and I've never had to deal with voltage issues before, thus my lack of knowledge on what the 3.3 rail actually does.

    The chart on the PSU says 20 amps for the 3.3v rail. Also, it combines the 5v and 3.3v rails for 165 watts. It's a 300 watt supply total.

    So do you think maybe the mobo monitor is reporting wrong, is that why you're suggesting I check the voltages with a multimeter? I'll gladly do it if you show me how.

    Thanks

    -Jason
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    Yes, that is the guess, that your monitor is wrong.
    I swapped mobos between two cases, same mobo, same psu.
    Now the voltages are odd. When I checked with a meter everything was fine.
  • TheLostSwedeTheLostSwede Trondheim, Norway Icrontian
    edited November 2004
    y0y,

    Here is a few shots on doing it the easy way. Note that measuring a molex or atx/ext plug doesn't mean that exact voltage is used on the mobo's rail, but it gives a result that are within a very close margin. I'd say the mobo uses about .1 less on the 3.3v line if you measured it on the mobo instead. But this will tell you if there's something wrong at least.

    First, set the multimeter to what the picture says. All or most multimeters looks like the photo. Then take the red pin and put it into the orange cable on the flat connector of the psu, the one that Intel uses i think. Stick the pin into the same hole the orange cable goes into and the pin should stay there pretty firm. There are 2 orange cables, either one of them will do.

    Then take the black pin and have it against something that is grounded. Could be the desks metal frame, could be the top of the case. The case works most of the time. A screw that holds the psu in the back of the case always works as ground. Then just read the display. Take a note what the reading are when idling the computer, then take a reading under load.
    Sorry for the bad quality of the pictures, but the light is horrible in this room.
  • y0yy0y
    edited November 2004
    Thank you much. I'll get my hands on a multimeter and try that out. Thanks again.
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