Q&A for How to Start a SMPS Without a Motherboard

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Question

I sprayed Collins near the fan but it is not working now so what next?

Community Answer

Don't spray any liquid or chemical in an SMPS fan; it can be dangerous as it may harm you (electric shock) and it can break the fan (which may be why yours is not working). In your case, the SMPS parts may be now faulty due to contact with liquid. You may need to replace the fan.

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Question

Why do I need a green and black pin when starting SMPS?

Community Answer

The green and black pins are needed to check the serviceability of the SMPS without connecting it to the motherboard.

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Question

What do I do if I tried this, but it blew up my PSU?

JVz

Community Answer

This is not going to blow up the PSU. I have tried out testing more than 2000 SMPS in this method, but was not successful in blowing out even one PSU so far.

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Question

Why does my SMPS start but the fan doesn't operate?

JVz

Community Answer

SMPS fan not spinning is not a good sign. Clean the fan and check if dust is preventing the fan from spinning or replace fan with a new one. The SMPS fan needs to be functional to remove the heat inside the SMPS and assist in keeping the components cooler.

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Question

What does SMPS mean?

JVz

Community Answer

SMPS - Switch Mode Power Supply. SMPS is an electronic device that incorporates a switching regulator to convert electrical power efficiently.

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Question

My SMPS fuse gets short-circuited; how can I replace it?

Community Answer

Patch the terminals of the fuse with solder.

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Question

What do I do if I don't have a 12v output?

Community Answer

Connect the green wire and black wire on a 24 pin connector with the help of a wire or pin, then turn on the switch.

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Question

What do I do if I connected the green and black wires, but my SMPS won't run?

Community Answer

Two options: 1. Take the SMPS to service professionals. 2. Replace with a new SMPS as per your requirement.

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Question

I installed a new power supply for my CPU, but it doesn't open when I turn it on. Is it possible that the motherboard is broken or dead?

Community Answer

It is possible that the motherboard has failed. You would want to test it again with the bare number of components to make it work (i.e. the CPU, graphics card, and 1 stick of RAM) - this will help eliminate any other components that could possibly be causing the motherboard to not turn on. If it still doesn't turn on, then I would check to see if there are any bad capacitors on the motherboard; check for capacitors with a domed top sticking up, or any capacitor that looks swollen. I have fixed a few motherboards where a single capacitor caused them to fail.

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