PC Power & Cooling + MBM5

[ronin1967]

Just installed a new PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 524 ATX PSU.

Here is a screenshot of MBM5:

I notice some of the voltages fluctuate.
Vcore 1.78-1.79
Vagp 1.55-1.57
+3.3 3.34-3.36
+5.00 5.00-5.03
+12.00 12.41-12.47

Also my Vcore reads 1.79 but is set at 1.75 and my Vdimm reads 2.59 but is set at 2.50

Would how I have items connected effect these readings?

I have 2 hard drives connect to one lead.
I have 2 CD-ROMS(1 DVD and 1 CD-R/RW) connected to one lead.
I have the floppy the 2 front air intake fans and the CPU fan connected to one lead.

[Holst]

In my experience what CDrom's fans and HDD's I have connected makes virtually no difference to mt PSU and associated voltages, and no difference at all to overclocked stability.

If those voltages are accurate thats looking like a good PSU. You want 5.00v on the 5v line, not 5.5v like some people beleve.
Running 5.5v is how you kill things, as several people posting in Epox topic have found out recently.

[ronin1967]

What about the fluctuations? I know it is staying within the 1% tolerance, but why does it fluctuate? My Forton Source 350WATT PSU provided similar numbers, what makes the PC Power & Cooling so much better?

[Uncle Bob]

Those are some respectable numbers, I wouldn't be too worried about it. Perhaps the fluctuations come from the device used (the winbond chip i presume). If you are really concerned, hook up a reputable and calibrated volt meter to a molex connector. It should provide some steady numbers. Nice PSU's I was looking at their website

[ronin1967]

Thanks UB, I having been using MBM5 to check my numbers, downloaded USDM from EPoX, it actually gives me slightly different numbers, most notebaly +12V(on MBM5 it's 12.47 and on USDM it's 11.795). I like the new PSU, thought it would be a little more stable, my old Forton Source 350Watt gave me almost exactly the same numbers.

[Uncle Bob]

Cool. I had forgotten all about USDM ! I'm always looking for another way of measuring online voltages.

[Random Nonsense]

The reason it fluctuates is that it takes time for the PSU to react to varying loads etc. So when power requirement changes it will momentarily blip!

My sparkle goes haywire on this machine, VCORE is set to 1.85, and it bounces between 1.71 and 1.89!!! The reason your old PSU was giving similar results was that it wasnt loaded right up. If you fully load the PCpower&cooling, and your old one, you would see why the PC power&cooling one costs so much. I need one

[Holst]

Try a multimeter RN.

[Áedán]

Originally posted by ronin1967
I notice some of the voltages fluctuate.
Vcore 1.78-1.79
Vagp 1.55-1.57
+3.3 3.34-3.36
+5.00 5.00-5.03
+12.00 12.41-12.47

If you're seeing fluctuations in the order of a hundredth or two of a volt, you may well be seeing the noise generated by the converters in the voltage sensing chip. No-one ever said they were high quality converters!

In addition, voltage drop under high load is normal and is engineered for, both in the power supplies, and in the processor. Providing rock stable voltages under all loading conditions would significatly add to the cost of the PSU, the motherboard and would require a different power connector! (Significant = over 3x)

AidanII

[Random Nonsense]

Originally posted by Holst
Try a multimeter RN.

I would if i have one! But where would i measure VCore?

[cloasters]

Good Q, RN! Where do you safely meter Core Voltage and the 3.3v rail??

Believe it or not, many PC owners would give an arm and a leg to see such tiny voltage fluctuations from their PS's.

425W Turbo-Cools and Silencer 400's are $143. For 1% tolerance on all of the rails "that matter," I think they are reasonably priced.

[Áedán]

Originally posted by cloasters
For 1% tolerance on all of the rails "that matter," I think they are reasonably priced.

I very much hope they have remote sense on the PSU then! It's very difficult to get to 1% without being knowing how much power is getting through to the load. Power produced <> Power Consumed!

AidanII

[Áedán]

Originally posted by Random Nonsense
I would if i have one! But where would i measure VCore?

Across any of the secondary MOSFETs. As they act as the rectifiers, the drain should connected directly to the smoothing inductor/capacitors that supply VCore.

AidanII

[Holst]

I just tend to poke the board with a multimeter in a highly unprofetional way untill i fond what im looking for.

[Random Nonsense]

/me pictures holst at the EPoX office looking dazed and blackened in front of small pile of dust

[Uncle Bob]

Originally posted by Random Nonsense
/me pictures holst at the EPoX office looking dazed and blackened in front of small pile of dust

Doods! Come on, it's only 3, 5 or 12 v DC! Sure it may be up to around 50 amps, but everybody knows the real fun doesn't start till you get to 4160 v 60 HZ 3 phase and 300 amps inrush locked rotor! That's what I have to test on occasion at my work. The other days it's simply 480v @ 500 amps. Just remember, be safe and live to tell about it. We tend to jury rig stuff to get it going and that's where most accidents happen.

[Daniel ~]

And just think! UB is in charge of an oil refinery!! uh oh!

[Uncle Bob]

Originally posted by Daniel ~
And just think! UB is in charge of an oil refinery!! uh oh!

Working in the electrical "field" for over 25 years and still no home permanents!