3.3V rail reading 3V

[hjeong1114]

My Abit utility was reporting 2.7-3.0v on the 3.3v rail, so I took a multimeter and measured it and it was indeed in that range. All other rails are fine. I've had some problems with the computer freezing often, and I am wondering if it's time to change the PSU. Or could it be the Mobo?

Here's the brief specs of the system:

AMD athlon 64 x2 4400
Abit AN8 ultra mobo
512x2 kingston hyperX DDR400
128MB Geforce4 6800GT
2 SATA HDDs
420W PSU
etc...

the system is 3 years old.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Kraynor]

What brand is the PSU? If it's one of the lower-tiered brands then it might just be time to ditch it and get a new one. I personally recommend the PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750W one. Probably one of the best PSUs you can get without paying a small fortune.

Of course, if you want more power, can't go wrong with the Corsair HX1000.

 

[skit75]

I guess it depends where your measuring. Pins 1,2 & 3 in the ATX standard are your 3.3VDC rails. I doubt you will see any voltage present if it's not plugged in(unloaded). If your measuring only 2.7VDC-3.0VDC at this test point, it may be your PSU as the rail has not even made it to the mainboard's voltage regulator's at this stage. Start with your PSU in my opinion.

Also, he has no need for a 600W+ PSU in this system. His current rig will do quite well with another 400-500 Watt supply.

 

[allengorden]

No need to get so technical, Just borrow a good PSU to test.