+12V Rail dips

[Gig-O-Ram]

I'm kind of irritated right now...
I read some reviews of my PSU (SilverStone Zeus 560W ST56ZF) and of the 4 or 5 reviews I looked at, at least 3 of them stated that the +12V and +3.3V rails could have been set a bit higher. One even said they went inside and adjusted the pot for the +12V. It almost sounds like SilverStone set the rails like this on purpose, but I can't figure why they'd do that.

My +12V rail runs anywhere between 11.64V and 11.71V, depending on what's happening. The +3.3V runs about 3.28v. I always just thought it might be a flaw in my particular unit.

So - is a .29v to .36v dip on the rail necessarily a bad thing? It's run this way since I got it, and even with the overclock and all the stuff I have in the system, it's never really given me problems. But the dips have always bugged me.

[qazwsx]

is the 12v rail called +12v in speedfan? if so its only running at 8.08v. That doesnt sound right to me.....

[Lead Head]

Originally Posted by Gig-O-Ram

I'm kind of irritated right now...
I read some reviews of my PSU (SilverStone Zeus 560W ST56ZF) and of the 4 or 5 reviews I looked at, at least 3 of them stated that the +12V and +3.3V rails could have been set a bit higher. One even said they went inside and adjusted the pot for the +12V. It almost sounds like SilverStone set the rails like this on purpose, but I can't figure why they'd do that.

My +12V rail runs anywhere between 11.64V and 11.71V, depending on what's happening. The +3.3V runs about 3.28v. I always just thought it might be a flaw in my particular unit.

So - is a .29v to .36v dip on the rail necessarily a bad thing? It's run this way since I got it, and even with the overclock and all the stuff I have in the system, it's never really given me problems. But the dips have always bugged me.

A low 12v rail isn't necessarily bad, its if the rails go lower under load that can be bad. Though, are you checking these voltages with software or with a multimeter?

[gvblake22]

Originally Posted by qazwsx

is the 12v rail called +12v in speedfan? if so its only running at 8.08v. That doesnt sound right to me.....

Yes, it is the +12V rail we are talking about, but software voltage readings are notorious for being grossly inaccurate. I wouldn't trust anything but a digital multimeter. Your computer would probably just shut off immediately if your +12V rail was only putting out 8.08V...

[One4yu2c]

As mentioned, don't go by software readings. If you want to monitor your rails, you can pick up an inexpensive mulitmeter from places like Sears or Radio Shack, and follow the steps in Ty's guide.

With regards to voltages, the ATX specification allows a +/- 5% tolerance. For the +12V rail, that means anything in the range of 11.4 - 12.6 is acceptable. What's of more importance than hitting 12.0 on the nose is a lack of fluctuation. I'd much rather have a PSU registering a solid 11.7, than one that constantly jumps around.

[Gig-O-Ram]

I'm getting these numbers from ITE Smart Gaurdian. I realize software can't always be trusted, but since I don't have a multimeter....

I just checked my BIOS, and I get slightly different numbers:
+3.3 = 3.32v
+5 = 4.86v (where ITE says 4.91v)
+12 = 11.83v

So I guess I'll never really know what the voltages are unless I get a meter. And the 12v rail only seems to fluctuate between 11.64v and 11.71v. It never goes lower than 11.64v.

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by Gig-O-Ram

So I guess I'll never really know what the voltages are unless I get a meter.

Correct.

[polobunny]

Besides, the PSU is not necessarily what is giving you a low or high voltage. Your board might be the one to blame for the reading you're getting.

[Gig-O-Ram]

Originally Posted by polobunny

Besides, the PSU is not necessarily what is giving you a low or high voltage. Your board might be the one to blame for the reading you're getting.

Anything is possible, but if memory serves, I was seeing the dips on the rail even before I set up my overclock and they haven't changed. I did increase the voltage on my RAM slightly, but not enough that I thought it would be an issue. Even with all the fans I now run, the controller, and the second hdd, the dips remain the same.

[polobunny]

Originally Posted by Gig-O-Ram

Anything is possible, but if memory serves, I was seeing the dips on the rail even before I set up my overclock and they haven't changed. I did increase the voltage on my RAM slightly, but not enough that I thought it would be an issue. Even with all the fans I now run, the controller, and the second hdd, the dips remain the same.

That's good, but what does it have to do with the board? I'm just saying that those readings might not be because of the PSU. For one, I know my board gives always a bit lower than 12V, no matter what PSU I throw at it.