Power supply voltages

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kevin Kilzer
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Kevin Kilzer

I am having trouble with the TV tuner in my new PC. The symptom is
that after a few seconds or minutes the entire machine crashes with a
hardware error, and requires a reset to reboot.

According to speedfan, these are the voltages:
-12 consistently about -9.15
-5V fluctuates randomly between -6V and +1 volt
+12 consistently about +11.2
+5 is about 4.8.

I take it this is not normal. Any comments?

P.S. The guy at the shop where I bought it has replaced the TV card
twice, and returned it to me yesterday with a new brand/model. I will
return to the shop tomorrow with this power supply information, but he
is closed today.

Kevin
 
Kevin said:
I am having trouble with the TV tuner in my new PC. The symptom is
that after a few seconds or minutes the entire machine crashes with a
hardware error, and requires a reset to reboot.

According to speedfan, these are the voltages:
-12 consistently about -9.15
-5V fluctuates randomly between -6V and +1 volt
+12 consistently about +11.2
+5 is about 4.8.

I take it this is not normal. Any comments?

P.S. The guy at the shop where I bought it has replaced the TV card
twice, and returned it to me yesterday with a new brand/model. I will
return to the shop tomorrow with this power supply information, but he
is closed today.
Click to expand...

My guess is you need a more powerful power supply. Go to a used
computer store and try to get a subsitute. It should be about $5.
 
$5.00 Power supply will smoke your MOBO , then Barbaque your CPU,
immediately after that French fry your TV card.( Trust me I've had that
experience )

Cyrus
 
So what do those voltages read when TV tuner card is
removed? Also what is the 3.3 volts? If your computer shop
guy have minimal knowledge, then he would have taken those
voltage readings, varied the conditions, and then say exactly
where the problem is or is not. You may not just have a power
supply problem. More obvious, is a competence problem with
the guy in that shop.

In the meantime, what did you measure voltages with. If
using the motherboard monitor, then you still don't have
sufficiently valid numbers.

Also how do voltages change when multiple task access all
peripherals simultaneously. One task continuously reads
directory of floppy. Another read hard drive directory.
Another reads directory of some other networked drive. Sound
card playing music. CD-rom also being read. All this
happening simultaneously - then what are those voltages?
Again, a shop guy with minimally acceptable knowledge would
have done this up front as first symptoms.

-5 volts going to +1 volt? Major fubar. Big time problems
- assuming a responsible measuring device was being used.
 
11.2 V on the 12 V rail is too low. If this was measured without the PS
being under a load, then it is way low- I'm surprised you don't crash while
surfing the net. Generally +/- 5% is acceptable. What is the amperage rating
on the 12 V rail? On most modern systems, at least 18 amps is recommended,
the AMD 64 wants more.

Fitz
 
Kevin said:
I am having trouble with the TV tuner in my new PC. The symptom is
that after a few seconds or minutes the entire machine crashes with a
hardware error, and requires a reset to reboot.

According to speedfan, these are the voltages:
-12 consistently about -9.15
-5V fluctuates randomly between -6V and +1 volt
+12 consistently about +11.2
+5 is about 4.8.

I take it this is not normal. Any comments?

P.S. The guy at the shop where I bought it has replaced the TV card
twice, and returned it to me yesterday with a new brand/model.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a power overload to me, but you need to measure the
voltages with a digital meter because the mobo can give inaccurate
readings, and with one of my mobos MBM5 said that my +12V rail was at
+10.6V (SpeedFan gave crazy readings) while it was actually +12.1V.
But it's common for the readings of the negative rails to be wildly
wrong.

With some mobos it's a no-no to use both the AGP slot and the PCI slot
right next to it at the same time, and I have one where that PCI slot
can't be used if the mobo's built-in USB2 ports are activated.
 
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