How to turn on PSU without motherboard?

fireberd · 10 May 2013

Powering a power supply without a "load" on each voltage does not guarantee the power supply is good. The power supply "testers" that are available will allow powering on and some will sense voltages, but as that does not put the various voltages under load it does not guarantee the power supply is fully operational.

But, if it will power on when connected to the motherboard, then it will power on if the Green is jumpered to the Black. I suspect a pin is not being inserted fully (making contact) in either the green or black pin and the reason it doesn't power up out of the PC.

N3dot · 11 May 2013

I want to use it as a "lab generator"

Dude · 11 May 2013

Convert to a lab

Warning

Working in a PSU can kill you

Lady Fitzgerald · 11 May 2013

Dude said:

Convert to a lab

Warning

Working in a PSU can kill you

X2 on the warning! People have been killed from opening up PSUs.

If the PSU has a switch and is fully modular, there would be no need to open it up. Just put a jumper in the 24 pin socket so it will come on when the switch is thrown. Output can be taken off the other sockets.

Plan B for a non-modular PSU would be to put the PSU in a case to hide the external wiring. Wires can be run from a SPST switch to the socket on the 24 pin cable or, if you don't plan on reusing the PSU in a computer just cut the green wire and a black wire from the socket and run those directly to the switch. The same would apply to the rails you would be tapping off from to go to binding posts, etc. on the case. You could get fancy and add switches and even voltage meters to each output.

Either option would eliminate the need to open up the PSU, exposing yourself to danger.