500w PSU...questions?

**Sweeper** · April 20th, 2002, 04:53 AM

Just popped in a 500w PSU to replace my 250w MAX PSU. Powmax 6100-LE. Shown Here
For some reason it doesn't show my +12.00v but shows my -12.00v. ..I dunno.... The -12.00v , how low is it supposed to be? It did help cool the system down with the extra fan on the back of the PSU.

But the numbers are a bit confusing...

**KenKun** · April 20th, 2002, 05:57 AM

Hey sweeper ...

i wouldn't get so much worried about this readings ..
Check mine and you will see that Sandra didn't get most of them correctly .. yet my system is stable and without a single problem ...
Beside, MBM5 gives me better results (just this -12v reading is wrong in most programs

)

Regards

<edit> BTW.. congrats on your new PSU .. i hope you can now OC your video card without a problem

**Sweeper** · April 20th, 2002, 06:00 AM

Curious as to why it won't show my +12.00v???

**KenKun** · April 20th, 2002, 06:04 AM

Well, why don't you use MBM5?.. you will get nice detailed summery about your voltage activity ...

**Dax_Brandy** · April 20th, 2002, 06:22 AM

Sandra always warns users that "...implementation may known to vary...blahblahblah". so you can't really get reliable results from time to time.

**JimG** · April 20th, 2002, 12:49 PM

Well, seeing as any of these programs gets their info off a chip on the motherboard (most likely some Winbond chip ... unless you're using an Asus board, in which case they have some special chip for that) ... why don't you check the BIOS? There should be something called PC Health Status. Check that and see if you have the 12 V displayed. Obviously your system is getting the 12V, otherwise it wouldn't boot.
Definitely get Motherboard Monitor to check the voltages and temps.
The -12V is from the "old days" of computing. It was used for serial devices I believe, and exists today only for compatilibity. The current is limited to 1 A. I read this somewhere on PCGuide, but I can't find it right now.