Are my voltages slowing my PC?

[raybob95]

Other than my -5 and -12V, etc., being radically off, my +12V is currently reading 11.73V in Easy Tune. Speed Fan tells me 11.84, and sometimes 11.71. I haven't been checking the voltages the last few years, but this seems awfully low to me.

My other voltages in Speed Fan:

VCore: 1.55V (this is what it should be (Standard is 1.5), but CPU-Z tells me 1.552 and 1.568)
+3.3V: 3.31V
+5V: 5.11V
-12V: Usually -8.66V
-5V: -3.2V
+5VSB: 2.12
VBAT: 0.00 (WTF?)

Is SpeedFan accurate, and are these voltages slowing down my system?

EDIT: EasyTune5 is now telling me 11.66V on the +12V.

Hopefully my voltages aren't a problem and don't get lower, because my PSU built into my case, and a new PSU would be a whole new system, and transferring everything into the new case.

 

[Mondoman]

You probably don't even have -5V and -12V supplies. Your +12V sounds fine: the spec is +/- 5% ( or 11.4V to 12.6V). Remember that Speedfan just shows you all its categories, even if you don't actually have such a voltage or sensor on your MB.

 

[theAnimal]

Measure with a DMM.

 

[raybob95]

Don't know how to.

I know my PSU does have all those categories because it says on the side what color the -5V, +5VSB, -12V, etc., wires are.

As for my mobo having the sensors, that I do not know.

 

[raybob95]

You probably don't even have -5V and -12V supplies. Your +12V sounds fine: the spec is +/- 5% ( or 11.4V to 12.6V). Remember that Speedfan just shows you all its categories, even if you don't actually have such a voltage or sensor on your MB.

OK, so 11.4 is the minimum. my EasyTune +12V Voltage is now reading 11.59, and last night were 11.63.

Not sure why this is happening, but hopefully it stops before it gets down to 11.4, and deep fries my mobo.

 

[Mondoman]

A better quality power supply should keep the voltages in a tighter range.

 

[jsc]

Most PSU's now do not have a -5 volt output. But they do have a -12 volt output.

The blue wire is the -12 volt lead.
The purple wire is the 5VSB (Standby Power Supply) lead. It is always on as long as the PSU is plugged into the wall outlet and the PSU power switch (not the case switch) is on. Because it powers the onboard LED, it also gives the mistaken impression that "my power supply is good because the motherboard LED is on".

If you have a -5 volt output, it will be on a white wire. If you do not see a white wire on the main PSU plug, you do not have a -5 volt output from your PSU.

 

[RetiredChief]

Important point - is that +12 V reading 11.6V at idle, or under load. If at idle then Ditch the PSU. May not be slowing PC down, but your asking for troubles.

You should run a 3 D graphics application, such as a game, or a benchmark and note the +5 & +12 V under load. Furmark is a great bench mark to load system. Just google it.

theAnimal is rigth, if posible use a DVM, at least to get a warm fuzzy that software is correct (For +5 and +12). Your +5 Looks fine and as pointed out ignore neg 5 & 12 V.

While the standard may be +/- 5 % a "Good" PSU will be closer to the 3%. Which is what I use. The 5 % limit for example is based on low limit for TTL chips (4.75 V). Not sure rational for +12 V.

 

[theAnimal]

Don't know how to.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=84&threadid=2268102&enterthread=y

 

[raybob95]

I just realized that this may be the reason my PC occasionally resets itself after 20 minutes of extreme load.

I'm running ORTHOS (CPU Stress) and HDTune Benchmark right now, and will check the +3.3, +5, and +12 Voltages.

EDIT:

NVM, my HDTune expired, guess I'll just be stressing the CPU.

EDIT AGAIN:

Well, EasyTune is currently reading 11.6 exactly while stressing CPU and RAM. Also 11.6 under CPU Stress only. SpeedFan tells me that my +5V is at +5.4V. The +3 is same at +3.31.

NEXT TEST: Well, I declocked my CPU back down to 1.8GHz, devolted it back down to the standard 1.5, and my voltages are now: +3.32V, +5.27V, and 11.73V on the 12. not much better. Now I downed my CPU to 800MHz and 1.2V, and the voltages are now: 3.33V, 4.87 (WTF?) and 11.9V. So clearly, my CPU being overclocked is now the problem, and I am not willing to declock to 800MHz just to raise it to 11.9. LOL though, my CPU temp went down from 44 to 29C. At 1.55V it gets up to 53C under load, at the highest clock I can get it. (A sad 2.01GHz)

OK last thing, and WTF. SpeedFan sees my +5V (not the +5VSB) as alternating between 2.83, 3.33, 4.87, and 5.4V. Is that the problem, or just totally a wrong reading?

Oh, and I'm downloading Furmark now.

 

[delluser1]

Like theAnimal said, use a DMM instead of the software

 

[RetiredChief]

The best bet when getting "screwed" up readings via software is as theanimial and I suggested, use a DVM. They are relatively cheap and are useful for many things. You can pick them up at auto parts store, radioshack, and walmart. Does not have to be expensive.

Open case - Insert black meter lead into one of the center 2 pins on a molex connector. Power up PC, use the red meter lead and insert into the Red molex pin for 5 V and yellow lead for the +12V

PS if your +5 V is showing below 4.5, Your computer probably would be very unstable and or turn off

 

[raybob95]

I'm trying to figure out a way how to not kill my self, as the ends of my multimeter contacts have been broken off. But for now, off to bed

But I'm doing furmark right now, and checking the voltages.

NVM: My PC can't even run FurMark.