How to turn on the power supply. How to run a computer power supply without a computer

It happens that it becomes necessary to turn on the PSU (power supply) of the computer without the participation of the computer itself, more precisely, without connecting to the motherboard.

Basically, such a need arises when, for example, it is necessary to check the health of the power supply or in order to power some device with a voltage of 5 V or 12 V.

So I somehow had to use the ATX PSU as a power supply for my D-Link modem.

You can also use the ATX unit as a power supply for an old radio and for many other things.

Turning on the power supply without load

I will describe two options.

First way

In order to start the ATX unit, you just need to close the green and any black wires on the power supply connector (PS-ON and GND pins, respectively, see the figure below).

Here's what it looks like in real life:

It also happens that on some power supplies these wires may turn out to be of different colors (you know, the Chinese), then I recommend taking a closer look at which wire you have is the PS-ON output.

Second way

If there was no piece of wiring at hand, then the same steps can be done using the usual paper clip. We close all the same colors of wires.

Why can't a computer power supply be turned on without load?

Now a few precautions.

If you do not do this, the voltage conversion circuit may fail and require an expensive ATX power supply repair, and maybe its complete replacement due to the economic irrationality of the repair.

By the way, it happens that some power supplies simply may not start without load.

For many fairly experienced users of personal computers, it is no secret that any power supply without motherboard by connecting certain pins on the main 20/24 pin chip.

Such a need may arise when you need to check the performance of the unit, in which the system unit does not respond to pressing the power button. After all, he is the first suspect in such cases.

In this article, we will tell you which wires you need to close in order for the computer power supply to start.

What contacts to close to start the power supply?

If you need to know the performance of the block, then The best way to do this is to force its launch. Despite the fact that in cases where there is no reaction to pressing the power button of the system unit, the power button and even the motherboard can be the culprits.

So, to begin with, we completely de-energize the block. That is, we pull out the wire going to the outlet. After that, take a piece of wire or a paper clip.

Green wire - starting. It must be closed with any black.

This is how it looks on the diagram:

Pinout of the 20-pin power supply connector

After the contacts are closed, you can insert the power cable into the outlet. Please note that if there is a button on the back wall, it must also be enabled.

Breakdowns and malfunctions in the operation of a computer are an integral part of the operation of the device. Breakdowns (damage) can be software and hardware. Software problems are related directly to the software, while hardware problems imply a breakdown of physical components computer system. Both groups of breakdowns require immediate and competent intervention of a specialist.

A computer power supply (or Power Supply) is a secondary element of a computer system that is necessary to fill the computer nodes with an energy flow. direct current. explaining in simple words, Power Supply is the computer's electrical power source.

The need to connect PS without auxiliary elements arises in such cases:

The need to diagnose the operation of the device.
In the process of renovation.
When using multiple power supplies in one computer case.
Diagnosing the performance of new circuits.

Power Supply. General information. Standard start power supply

Using an electrical power supply helps protect your computer from frequent power outages. An obligatory element that is attached to the Power Supply is a fan (other names: cooler, cooler). It performs constant cooling of PS, protects it from overheating, which can lead to breakage.

The standard process of turning on Power Supply involves pressing the "Start" button on the motherboard, which activates the process of powering the unit. There is a widespread belief that it is impossible to turn on the power supply without a motherboard, because it does not start without voltage, but this is just a delusion.

If when you press the power button on the computer, it does not turn on and does not react in any way, then we can assume that the motherboard is most likely out of order or the Power Supply is broken. Before buying new expensive components, you should diagnose the operation of existing ones.

How to turn on the power supply without a computer

To turn on the power supply without a computer, you should pay attention to the tables of the locations of all the necessary pins on the connector. The pins of a standard ATX block are shown in the table below:

Color	Signal	Contact	Contact	Signal	Color
Orange	+3.3V	1	13	+3.3V	Orange
Orange	+3.3V	1	13	+3.3V sense	Brown
Orange	+3.3V	2	14	-12V	Blue
The black	Earth	3	15	Earth	The black
Red	+5V	4	16	Power on	Green
The black	Earth	5	17	Earth	The black
Red	+5V	6	18	Earth	The black
The black	Earth	7	19	Earth	The black
Gray	power good	8	20	-5V	White
Purple	+5 VSB	9	21	+5V	Red
Yellow	+12V	10	22	+5V	Red
Yellow	+12V	11	23	+5V	Red
Orange	+3.3V	12	24	Earth	The black

The three shaded pins (8, 13 and 16) are control signals, not power.
"Power On" is pulled up by the resistor to +5 volts inside the power supply, and must be low to turn on the power.
"Power good" is held low until the other outputs have reached the desired voltage level.
The "+3.3V sence" wire is used for remote sensing.

Before you learn how to turn on the power supply without a computer, follow these tips: do not start the PSU without applying at least some load. The circuit that converts electricity may break and then the ATX block will need to be replaced. Such repairs can be quite costly.

How to run a power supply without a motherboard:

Close the Power On contact to zero. In almost all cases, it is colored green.
Short to ground - any contact colored black. Enough to close just one. Closed contacts look like this:

If you are using a pin chart, then take the simplest paperclip and touch it to pins 15 and 16. So in a simple way you close them. The table above will help you navigate the contacts of the ATX PSU. After the desired contacts have been closed, Power Supply should start. If this does not happen, then you can close the green wire and the other black one.
Try your best not to overload the Power Supply. Connect to it, for example, HDD or disk drive.

Chinese block manufacturers very often confuse the English names for the colors gray (gray) and green (green), so the green wire may be gray. In any case, try to navigate the table.

Replacement of the ATX PSU is expected in the event of a breakdown of the old copy or in the event that the constituent elements of the personal computer were replaced: more powerful video cards, processors, motherboards, more random access memory. In the case of such a PC upgrade, the power supply becomes unable to supply power to all components of the PC. First of all, you need to remove the existing ATX element, install a new one and test its performance. You just need to know the basic concepts of circuitry and follow the instructions below:

Necessary improvised tools: standard size Phillips screwdriver.
It is necessary to de-energize the personal computer - this process involves pulling out the power cord from the PSU.
The next step is to remove the wall of the system unit, usually it is removed from the left side of the case by unscrewing a few screws.
Remove any accumulated dust from the computer components with a brush or vacuum cleaner. Please note that cleaning the computer from accumulated dust should be done at least once every six months.. Only after complete cleaning of dust, you can proceed to the next steps.

Disconnect all wires belonging to the PSU from other devices. Pay attention to the possible presence of special latches in the connectors. Do not pull out the connected wires abruptly.
After disconnecting all the wires, unscrew the screws that attach the PSU to the computer's system PSU. Thus, the old power supply will be removed.
To connect a new power supply, repeat all the steps exactly the opposite: fix it to the system unit, carefully connect all its wires to the necessary elements, connect a 220-volt power cord to the power supply.

The need to supply power to the adapter to connect the hard external drive via USB socket to personal computer made me think of the JNC LC-200A power supply that had been gathering dust on the mezzanine for a long time. There is a voltage of 12 and 5 volts, there is enough current. What can I say - a profile power supply in such situations is always the best option.

He fulfilled his function successfully. I decided not to look for another power source for these purposes, but the abundance of wires coming out of it confuses me. And there is only one way out, since I decided to use it constantly - refinement is needed.

I disassembled the power supply into separate nodes, painted the case, drilled holes in the lower part for the terminals and installed rubber feet on the bottom (which I put in the first place, otherwise you’ll assemble the whole table with the iron of the bottom).

I put the terminals on all types of available voltages, let them be. Red "+12", "+5", "+3.3" volts, and black "0", "-12", "-5". Moreover, using their various combinations, you can get a very wide range of constant output voltages.

Got paid. The wires going to the fan were previously simply soldered - I installed a connector in case it was necessary to disassemble the power supply in the future.

Of the output wires, he left two bundles intact, shortened and combined the rest (in accordance with the color and, of course, the output voltage).

The board was in place, shortened wires to the terminals, solid harnesses brought out.

I screwed the upper part of the case into place, left a power connector for connecting hard drives with an IDE interface on one output harness, and installed a connector for drives with a SATA interface on the other. I signed the power terminals in the simplest and most accessible way - I printed out the necessary designations, pasted tape on top of the text, cut it out and pasted it.

The reverse side of the assembled power supply. The power button is located in a convenient niche, accidentally turning it on or off is almost impossible. And this is not a trifle, since if the power is disconnected from an external hard drive connected to the computer, adverse consequences are possible. It is incomparably more convenient to use the modified power supply for connecting the liquid-heater, I would say even comfortable. Plus, the ability to use the power supply and to obtain a wide variety of other constant voltages.

Getting different voltages - connection table

We get	Connecting
24.0V	12V and -12V
17.0V	12V and -5V
15.3V	3.3V and -12V
10.0V	5V and -5V
8.7V	12V and 3.3V
8.3V	3.3V and -5V
7.0V	12V and 5V
1.7V	5V and 3.3V

Also, the PSU has become more compact and mobile, so it will have a lot of applications - the need for a powerful and separate source of various voltages often arises. Project author - Babay from Barnaula.

Recently, I began to often encounter a malfunction of the PC power button - power buttons. Previously, I did not betray her great importance and did not pay due attention. But in vain!

It happens that there is power in the network, the power supply, when the corresponding contacts of the connector are closed, starts up with a half turn and works fine. The motherboard signals with its LED the presence of standby voltage, but by pressing pwr buttons Nothing happens. Computer won't turn on!

Of course, there can be a great many reasons for this behavior, but still, you should pay attention to the PC power button!

What to do if the computer does not turn on?

1. It is necessary to check the performance of the power supply.

2. Start the PC bypassing the power button, which is located in the PC case.

How to check the power supply of a computer?

I answer. Express check of the computer power supply is carried out as follows:

1. Disconnect all power supply connectors from the computer (from the motherboard, from the video card, from all kinds of hard drives, coolers, and so on).

2. Now you need to short two wires on the next connector. It is the widest of all that come out of the BP. You can short any black wire to a green wire. As a rule, I I close the green and near black(Earth). You can do this with a regular paper clip or tweezers.

If 220 volts is supplied to the power supply from the outlet, the wires are closed correctly, the power button on the PSU itself (there are such models) is turned on, and the power supply fans do not start, then the power supply may be faulty. On the contrary, if when you close the indicated contacts on the computer power supply connector, you see that the fans inside the unit rotate, and not just twitch or are silent, then the power supply is working.

At the same time learned run computer power supply without computer!

Many experienced craftsmen may object that such a check cannot accurately show the serviceability or malfunction of the PSU. And they will be partially right. But we do an express check, which in this case is quite enough. Moreover, not every user has a load stand or at least a multimeter to delve further.

After checking the power supply, we connect all the connectors back. And we solve the following problem.

How to start a computer without a button?

Each motherboard manufacturer may have a different pin arrangement. That's why the best option The search will open the documentation for your motherboard and find the location of these pins there. The documentation for the motherboard must come from the store, if you lost it or the seller did not give it to you (which happens very rarely), then the documentation for the motherboard can be downloaded on the Internet on the official website of the manufacturer, if you have access to the Internet!

If there is neither one nor the other, then we are looking for the inscriptions on the connectors. As a rule, they are signed with letters Power Switch (PW Switch), Power ON, On-Off, not to be confused with PWRLED.

Here are the typical pinouts of connectors from some manufacturers:

MSI Motherboard

Asrock motherboard

Asus motherboard

Motherboard Biostar

Epox motherboard

Gigabyte motherboard

Foxcon motherboard

Intel motherboard

We remove our connectors and carefully briefly close the contact PWR SW and Ground. The computer should start. What to close? Ballpoint pen!

If the computer starts up, then the conclusion is obvious: the power button is faulty. What to do in this case? Try reconnecting the button to the motherboard connector, there may have been a bad connection. If it doesn’t help, remove the button, and then, according to the circumstances, either repair the button or replace it.

To get out of this situation for a while, you can connect instead of the power button reset button(reboot) and use to enable it.

Thanks to such simple steps, you can start the computer without any problems, but this should not be neglected, and it is better to fix the start button on the case as soon as possible in order to avoid unnecessary problems.

Attention: Neither the author of this article, nor the administration of this site, bears any responsibility for possible problems that may arise in the process of turning on the computer in this way. You will perform all of the above actions at your own peril and risk, and will be solely responsible for possible problems that are not described in this article.

Therefore, if you do not have sufficient qualifications and knowledge, I recommend that you contact a specialist.