How to tell if my PC's power supply is bad?


Birk

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I've been experiencing system hangups for the past week, and they are getting more frequent. Since I haven't been able to identify what's causing them I did an in-place update of Win11, but that has not helped. So I'm wondering if it could be a problem with my PC's power supply. Is there a way to tell if the power supply is OK or not?
 

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Win11 ProAMD Ryzen 5 5500U16 GBRadeon 2100
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Win11 Pro
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PC/Desktop
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BeeLink SER Mini
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AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
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BeeLink SER
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16 GB
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none
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Primary: Phillips 4K; Secondary: LG 4K
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Both 3860 x 2160
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D: 128 GB NVme User data + Windows Temp via Junction Link
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    Windows 10Intel i840016GBNVIDIA GeForce GT710
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    Windows 10
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    PC/Desktop
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    Self built
    CPU
    Intel i8400
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    ASUS PRIME Z370-P
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    NVIDIA GeForce GT710
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    ASUS Xonar D2X
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    Windows 11 on VMware (Release, Beta and Dev)
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Working with a power supply is more difficult with the ATX-style motherboards versus the older AT-style. The AT had the power switch connected directly to the power supply while the ATX has the switch connected to the motherboard itself and the board connected to the power supply. The ATX switch only tells the board to get things started. Even when Off the ATX board still has power to it unless pulling the power cord from the back of it and if a Notebook/Laptop also removing the battery. There are testers available, older ones for the PATA/IDE drive connections and newer for the SATA connections. One software test I use is a bootable Linux LiveDVD or LiveUSB to run outside of the install Windows to determine if its a software or hardware issue. The Linux DVD is fully functional and could be used for long periods to see if the issue comes up, helps narrow things down.
 

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    Win11 Pro RTM Version 24H2 Build 26100.4202Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz12GB
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    Win11 Pro RTM Version 24H2 Build 26100.4202
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    Dell Vostro 3400
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    Intel Core i5 11th Gen. 2.40GHz
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    256GB SSD NVMe M.2
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    Win11 Pro RTM Version 24H2 Build 26100.4202Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz16GBOnboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA a...
    Operating System
    Win11 Pro RTM Version 24H2 Build 26100.4202
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Vostro 5890
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 10th Gen. 2.90GHz
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    16GB
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    Onboard, no VGA, using a DisplayPort-to-VGA adapter
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    24" Dell
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    512GB SSD NVMe, 4TB Seagate HDD
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    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender/Microsoft Security
Good info - thanks. I had completely forgotten about SpeedFan.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win11 ProAMD Ryzen 5 5500U16 GBRadeon 2100
OS
Win11 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
BeeLink SER Mini
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
Motherboard
BeeLink SER
Memory
16 GB
Graphics Card(s)
Radeon 2100
Sound Card
none
Monitor(s) Displays
Primary: Phillips 4K; Secondary: LG 4K
Screen Resolution
Both 3860 x 2160
Hard Drives
C: NVme 500 GB Windows only
D: 128 GB NVme User data + Windows Temp via Junction Link
PSU
External
Case
Mini
Cooling
Internal fan
Keyboard
Logitech Wireless Lighted
Mouse
Kensington ExpertMouse wireless trackball
Internet Speed
500/500
Browser
Brave
Antivirus
Windows Defender
Only true way I've found is to replace it with a known good power supply. Testers I've seen test for voltages but do not test under load.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Proi7 1360P16GBIntel CPU
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 16 5630
    CPU
    i7 1360P
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel CPU
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16" Touch Screen
    Screen Resolution
    1920X1080
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung NVME SSD
    PSU
    65 Watt Dell
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    Dell
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    Dell
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    Dell
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    Trackpad
    Internet Speed
    Google Fiber
    Browser
    Edge
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    Defender and Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    Cakewalk by Bandlab and Presonus Studio One 4.6 Pro recording programs. MOTU recording interface
  • Computer type
    Laptop

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