How To Test Your Power Supply With A Paperclip

Well my motherboard died on me and I decided to make this video. More content to come when I get my new PC parts!

[@lennylicious69420]

Thanks a lot dude. I had a little Corsair CX 450M for 2 years and never got a mobo to test it with. I was gonna throw it in the trash. Thankfully with the help of your video it spun to life. Now I’m planning to use it in a budget rig

[@JacobNozicka]

Dude!!! You're the man! I'm so new and just bought first psu for first build. I dont hve motherboard yet. Still on way. I thought my power supply was a dudd. So glad i know it works now.

[@corsairsports]

I learned a huge amount. Thank you! I should have watched this 2 years ago! Very clear. Good speaking voice. Better than 90 % of videos i have seen.

[@JoesVids]

Thanks for the kind comment!

[@simondalton7488]

@@JoesVids Thanks this was amazing! I know my PSU is good and NAS motherboard dead. :(

[@rvnico]

Thanks!! I nudged my PC and it turned itself off, so I began worrying. Thought it was the PSU so I did this. After unplugging everything for this tutorial and plugging them back in, it worked. Turns out a cable wasn't in correctly. Thanks again for helping my stupidity :)

[@JoesVids]

Glad that was an easy fix!

[@GKrutz]

Thank you so much for this info it was just what i was looking for due to solid color wires. Using a psu for powering my amp in house for my subwoofer and fyi works amazing.

[@JoesVids]

Thanks for watching and I'm glad it was helpful!

[@RahimYeet]

@@JoesVids Zdmhjxx

[@BlackCat0315]

Part way through my new build and wanted to test all the installed fans before going any further and this worked a treat. Admittedly, I was cacking myself cos I ain't never done it before but it worked and RGB light spread throughout the room. :) Wonderful.

[@JoesVids]

Great! Hope everything goes well with your new build.

[@Gaming_Fella]

Out of all the vids i watched to fpix my new rig ... You are the ONLY ONE who explain where green is...

[@danielcocom5728]

woah that " from Belize " part really surprised me ; great video man nice to see a tech video from a fellow Belizean

[@JoesVids]

Always nice when a fellow Belizean finds one of my videos. Glad you liked it and thanks for watching.

[@b0xf0x13]

Me, too. You speak english better than half of the people I know here in the States, lol.

[@JoesVids]

@@b0xf0x13 🤣 Thanks!

[@TheLarryBrown]

​@@b0xf0x13 No big deal, English is a Belizen's native language. I would be impressed if he could speak Spanish.

[@jerry1192]

Thanks for the explanation for black wires. Every other videos always talking about green and black.

[@SuperMegaDragonKiller]

Good stuff. Just had a new psu and wasn't powering up my MB, and had a black cable so this has helped. PSU fan does speed up. So back to testing...

[@donmoras69]

This video was so helpful, I was worried that the PSU I just bought was DOA cause I don’t have all the pieces now. Now I know is working perfectly

[@leifhanson8900]

Joe, thank you for this video. I have a few old parts that I need to test and you saved me time and money! I appreciate it!

[@JoesVids]

Glad you found the video helpful.

[@ancestralx2770]

I remember my It Head does this and Im still applying this on my work up to until now :)

[@chrondog805]

Mas chillo! Thanks for your help bro. This help me out how to power up my other power suppy install in my Tt Thermaltake. This tower was given to me as a gift for the new year. One mans computer tower is another mans treasure. Came with an extra power supply strip for more fans. After helping allot of people and I was star struck. Shorts story short. Thanks for the help. I used to the electric straps on my ankle to ground your self so the cord is not in hands way. Also some special ankle straps for static electricity and special smocks shirts. Thanks for the help and peace out buddy.

[@astatalol]

I was testing this method for a Dell Optiplex 390 and at the end literally you mention this model has that button, tysm!

[@VonDankDaFyd420]

Best vid out there on this yet!!!!!! THANK YOU!!!

[@JoesVids]

Thanks for the kind comment.

[@fedupred577]

Toastye Walters Lemme guess, you had to power a PSU for your light's heatsink too?

[@VonDankDaFyd420]

FedUpRed no just a external gpu riser cuz case was too small.

[@redraider7614]

At first I thought it was the Mobo but it ain’t! Thank you for saving me a heart attack!

[@johndee3830]

Thank you very thorough and intriguing into why static discharge is issue in America and not Belize

[@JoesVids]

Thanks. In Belize, we have high humidity over 75%. Low humidity increases the risk of static discharge damaging electrical components.

[@Pulsed101]

Power supply is D.E.D. Last time I buy a "premium" PSU 😭 Thankyou so much for your video.

[@complx501]

oooh a channel from Belize niceee... Hey bro appreciate the knowledge building a PC this weekend n just bought a new PSU im getting in this week along with some untested used parts so wanted knw how I can test in case any issues come up... Thanks, from Buttonwood Bay, Belize.

[@JoesVids]

A fellow Belizean, nice! Hope the info is useful and hope your PC build went well.

[@complx501]

@@JoesVids actually gonna build 2maro... It's all older used parts... But shall see how it goes shud be good...

[@JoesVids]

@@complx501 Been using a used Asus x370 motherboard for 2 years now without any issues, so hope everything you get is working fine.

[@complx501]

@@JoesVids nice bro lol that's actually one of the really good ones... I have a 3700k with 32GB DDR3 and a Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H motherboard... Supports SLI as well as has an old M2.Sata connect... Pairing that with a older GTX 970 just need to test all the parts n buy a case probably gonna shop one from GS-COM or so

[@slimyelow]

Thanks for this. I should have done this before ordering a new PSU while in a total panic. After this test I plugged the connector back onto the MOBO and viola, my system is up and running again. It was however a weird situation with an EVGA 500W 80. For the second time now for now reason the PSU fan started spinning like crazy, almost like a hair dryer. Even after putting the PC to sleep. I pulled the plug but after that the System seemed completely dead. No start, no lights, no electrical noise.

[@dapz]

You mentioned that static is an issue in some places but not others? Is there a way to elaborate? I'm really interested on why that happens, as I've never heard that before.

[@JoesVids]

Someone else had asked this as well, so I'll just copy/paste my old answer, "I believe it is the high humidity in Belize like other tropical locations that keeps static shock at bay."

[@dapz]

@@JoesVids oh ok thanks. I'll build my next PC underwater. JK.

[@JoesVids]

Lol!

[@jeparaaeromodellingclub4633]

So, your mother board and gpu is ok?

[@TheLarryBrown]

it's because some places, like the USA, know how to handle delicate electronics and other wuffos, like this guy, don't bother. Ask him what the water heater on his shower looks like.

[@ArshanIdk]

My fans were all connected i unplugged the GPU too so it wouldn't cause extra problems I had one of them silent modular the fans didn't spin so at least im happy it's the PSU motherboard would turned out way more expensive 😅😢 Tnx it helped so much

[@jotarokujo6729]

Thanks man bought a used psu for cheap and was really afraid of just putting it in . This test helped

[@sasquatchish]

This is the best fucking tech video I have ever seen in my entire life. You just say what's up.

[@FrozenInPain]

And this was officially my final test to find out it was my cpu, and had gut instinct it was. Rip i7 9700k

[@pimpjuice757]

Great video. All other videos simply say green to black. Mine are all black. Been searching for this video for days!

[@JoesVids]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful!

[@cereal65]

Great video Joe! Some feedback: I really like your tech videos, they're informative, well set up and fun. editing is really good. Intro music was a bit too loud, all in all, this was a great video, I learned something and will be using this when troubleshooting, Thanks and keep up the good work!

[@JoesVids]

TC, it has been a while! Thanks for the feedback!

[@Putri-nl2gg]

This felt dangerous af 😂 atleast I now know that it is my psu thank you!

[@mikeoxlong1167]

Very good video, a lot of knowledge there and very well articulated! Thanks so much !!!

[@JoesVids]

Thanks for wtaching.

[@TaijiArban]

My corsair psu(which I bought two weeks ago) failed after I changed my graphics card. I put the old psu back in without using the gpu and it worked. I was mad...

[@WillofD2008]

Woah I had the same problem as this video. Thanks a lot man, at least now I where should I start my troubleshooting. 😄

[@razajaffari9771]

thanks man it really worked with my power supp so thanks for sharing this informative video .

[@JoesVids]

Thanks for watching and you are welcome.

[@Fujiwaramoguu]

Have a 700b psu sitting in my closet for at least 3-4 years, thought it was broken, gonna try this since I'm building another computer and the psu are crazy high price wise, wish me luck ❤️

[@JoesVids]

Good luck.

[@iamghostwitagun3800]

That’s the problem there, you were watching the news.

[@Daedraflame]

very helpful video thanks for sharing. as I have an editors pc that just died on him and this video helped him test the psu many thanks.

[@chillwithlofi]

Nice video, simple, clean and informative.

[@Hescalledjahfrman]

Tysm! I returned my mobo thinking it was the issue, not even considering the psu! Good thing I was right

[@JOHN27398]

Thank you for your help

[@Highland-gs1ev]

Liked and subscribed. Thank you for this helpful tutorial.

[@JoesVids]

Thanks for watching and glad you found the video helpful.

[@joelmathew1715]

So my fans stop spinning like a second after it turns on so is it faulty?

[@quinnclarke3433]

Joel Mathew depends on your psu, it could be because it has an automatic fan that adjusts to how much energy it’s using

[@Rippedyanu1]

Also depends on if you have eco mode enabled

[@VVVVV99611]

Then what the heck are we looking for? This isn't helping.

[@zeydose4264]

Did you ever find out if it was faulty

[@jakovage9480]

try rearranging your RAM, or exchange it

[@leestrz4153]

I did this test. I was cautious about it too. worried I would get shocked. just be careful it isn't so bad. anyway thank you for this. I have the thermaltake 850w RGB. built my new pc yesterday and the darn thing wouldn't turn on. did this test and for the first time, the fan turned on the PSU and the rgb. when connected to my mobo it didn't do that. not sure why. now on to the next phase... I really don't want it to be the mobo.

[@pepehabichuela1004]

Thank you very much brother.

[@OKtGCGOEM1SS]

THANK YOU - PERFECT!

[@Sammy102093]

I ended up getting a jumper bridge since i didn't want to risk getting shocked and rip, my PSU fan did not spin at all but still clicked. Tbf, I had it for 9 years

[@blzmo]

thank you🙏 you saved my day!!

[@JoesVids]

Glad you found the video helpful!

[@Doctored_image_LIAR]

Thank you! I used a jumbo paperclip to jumpstart my EVGA 1000. Finally got my miners up and running. 👍

[@andycheng2379]

Thank you soooooo much this worked for me to check if everything is working correctly !!!!

[@imbored4821]

THANK YOU SO MUCH. I was dead about to return my psu until I found it was the CPU that was the problem

[@imaptest1639]

thanks for the great video! have a new DIY box that does not boot up, tried this and PSU gives one click and no action, so will be returning PSU back

[@ZULNEKO]

i want to skip and just watch the tutorial but i cant cuz ur opening is cool

[@JoesVids]

🤣Thanks!

[@gunguygamer5999]

Useful Video! Thanks Mann! 😍

[@JoesVids]

Thanks for watching!

[@saboorshaikh6008]

Thank you so much this helps me a lot

[@fariqrashid898]

Thanks bro, its always a hassle testing a psu with the mobo. Nows its easy.

[@dammittom4067]

Thanks Joe!! now I'm one step closer to fixing my PC... lol

[@JoesVids]

Glad you found the video helpful and good luck with fixing your PC.

[@gamesremastered1]

Great tip, thanks. I have the same issue, just clipped it and kicked in fine till I connected it to motherboard and no life at all

[@JoesVids]

Thanks, but also I'm sorry about your hardware issues.

[@gamesremastered1]

Hi again, Well actually it wasn’t motherboard issue at all...it was my PSU believe it or not. I changed that and no problems...old one was way past the warranty.So always it’s good to make sure your Power Supply is operating correctly.I was sure it was motherboard. Gigabyte that is, seven years old and still great performance. Cheers.

[@JoesVids]

@@gamesremastered1 Good that you found this out! A cheaper replacement in the end.

[@danielhategan1479]

Thanks alot,helped me testing the case fans and the psu.The motherboard is coming later😁

[@adsensedd]

Man I just had a hard week at work, finally got up on Saturday to play Red Dead Redemption and discovered my PC wouldn't turn on. We had a black out 2 days ago. Tested power supply, the fan spun for a second, then just a couple of crackling noises and the beginning of a bad smell. Fried PSU I think. Thanks for tips.

[@CowboyTech]

Excellent video. I have a job coming up to test a power supply. Support told me to use a paperclip. "WTF?", I asked myself. In 3 years of tech work, I had never heard of this. But, how does shorting these two wires together prove that the power supply works? Thanks.

[@JoesVids]

Thanks for watching! The paperclip test is very basic and can only turn on your PSU; so the paperclip test only proves that your PSU is not completely dead. A PSU that turns on can still be faulty and you would need to use a multimeter or PSU tester to check the voltage output of each pin to verify if the PSU is fully working. Now if the PSU doesn't turn on with the paperclip test, that usually means it is not working.

[@TheLarryBrown]

It's because those two pins need to be shorted in order to turn the PSU on. those two pins open=off, those twos pins shorted=on. You are using the paperclip to simulate the normal power switch on the case of the computer. Even if the PSU has an on/off switch on the back it still won't turn on unless it's connected to the motherboard. How does it know that it's connected? It looks for a short on those two wires. When testing the PSU you want to do it disconnected from the motherboard, otherwise a short on the motherboard could be making the PSU malfunction. Since it is disconnected from the motherboard you need to ground that green wire to fool the PSU into thinking it's connected. As for "proving" it's working, not really. You are "proving" that it can power on and spin its fan, which gives some evidence that it's not totally dead but does not "prove" it is putting out correct voltages and currents.

[@CowboyTech]

@@JoesVids Thanks!

[@CowboyTech]

@@TheLarryBrown Thanks!

[@t3chnod3lic]

Worked a treat. Many thanks.

[@sageminentjunky5197]

Why is static discharge not a problem in other countries? Thanks for the info i just bought a psu from china off ebay and in broken english its telling me to do this with a pair of "motal twoozora" metal tweezers i think it means but wasnt sure why. Now i understand. But the whole time i was trying to think of a reason why electric static discharge is not a problem where you live. Please, please correct me if im wrong, I do not think location has much to do with electrostatic force. What do you mean??? I'm not saying you're wrong, i just want to know WHY. Thanks and thanks for the video.

[@JoesVids]

Thanks for watching, I meant in Belize we don't have to worry about the amount of ESD from our body frying computer components. This has to do with the high humidity we have in Belize and other tropical locations. I believe humidity needs to be below 60% in order for a static charge to build up and in Belize our humidity level is typically over 80%. We have other issues, like coastal cities and villages being able to enjoy nice sea breeze but having to deal with rusting of computer components over time.

[@xxlilrhxx2979]

Thank you so much bro 🙏

[@scrub9882]

This man saved my setup

[@JoesVids]

Glad you found the video helpful.

[@fernandovaldivia9265]

I just got my pay but I dont want to force in the paperclip because I might damage the 24 pin

[@fernandovaldivia9265]

And what if it spi s and then it stops

[@Zack0409]

Thanks. Unless I’m dumb and doing it wrong it looks like the paper clip test proved my psu died. Thought that was the case because even my rgb fan lights that remain on even if pc is off weren’t working. Guess my 600w wasn’t strong enough for the 3080 after all. Fingers crossed that my gpu isn’t fried when I get my corsair 850w tomorrow.

[@JoesVids]

Yes, hopefully, it is only your PSU that is the issue. 🤞

[@dezient3816]

I wasnt expecting that you're from Belize (you kinda remind me of Prik the tattoo artist in belize city)

[@PREPERMIKE2012]

My EVGA 650 Supernova 80+Gold power supply NEW was received bad from the MFGR and after talking to tec assist and doing this method it proved my power supply is bad.

[@JoesVids]

Hate getting faulty new equipment but it happens sometimes. I hope you are able to get a refund or replacement.

[@trilliedon8728]

Alot of people when they first buy a PSU they think that it’s not working because the fan isn’t spinning when the plug it into a current and nothing else

[@MxGiK3HuNNx]

This has to be satire he just said in Belize there’s no such thing as static electricity in Belize lmaoooo

[@JoesVids]

🤔Hmm, at what point did I say that?

[@teary9362]

Tbh I’m just hella scared to do the paper clip test I don’t wanna get electrocuted

[@chokingsplitz9445]

As long as it's unplugged you're fine

[@chokingsplitz9445]

Ok sorry

[@chokingsplitz9445]

I tried it today

[@chokingsplitz9445]

Have it unplugged from the wall then put the paper clip in plut it in the wall and boom

[@Nizz8daGrizz8]

Works. Thanks man

[@menaceemmanuel]

Abhishek Bachchan is here! 🤣😂

[@rauldempaire5330]

Thank you , very useful ...in this time of lockdown...

[@Vuyiswamb]

Thanks i nearly threw away power supplies thinking they are dead

[@itzzzshahh8329]

Once I tested my powersupply with the paper clip it would spin for like 2 seconds then stop does that mean the psu is dead???

[@mcdougal0]

Very good easy to follow video.

[@damincartwright9476]

Thank you 🙏🏻. Mine are all black.

[@JoesVids]

Glad you found this video helpful.

[@aymanfaroukhamed999]

Your Are A great Man perfect thank you

[@JoesVids]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@KanisWulf]

Lirik watched your video on his stream and I realized you were Belizean 👍👍👍

[@JoesVids]

Hey, fellow Belizean. Had to look up who Lirik is as I don't really watch a lot of Twitch content. Thanks for letting me know.

[@bobsonsitecomputerrepair4305]

Just because the power supply turns on doesn't mean it is supplying the proper voltage and amperage needed to properly run the computer or its components. You need to use either a voltmeter/multi-meter and/or a power supply tester as well.

[@JoesVids]

Agreed. This is a simple test as mentioned at 2:39.

[@BrassChuckles]

What, static electricity doesn't occur in Belize? No thunder and lightning (very, very frightening indeed). You got something like 98% humidity there. You must need a snorkel and flippers to get around.

[@JoesVids]

LOL! If you listen again, I said, "...we don't really have this issue." Meaning we don't have to worry about the amount of ESD from our body frying computer components. This has to do with the high humidity we have in Belize and other tropical locations, but I'm guessing you know this.

[@uwuster]

Thanks the 500W power supply from the dumpster passes this test.

[@XBEAST321]

Very Nice Bro Keep It Up

[@eat_your_jimmies]

Thanks, my dude. It worked. Glad to know it wasn't DOA before mounting it and plugging everything in. If anyone gets a Corsair RM1000e, you do not need to plug in fans or any other additional hardware. The paperclip is all you need.

[@djinhomaster]

thanks you bro

[@shovanpaul890]

Thanks buddy you really helped me a lot

[@mariakaliviotou2391]

Press f to pay respects to the brokers gpu and motherboard

[@JoesVids]

Lol! All good, moved on to Ryzen two years now. Still using my old PSU.

[@alloy0455]

How the hell can only some country have static electricity, every one has it. Wtf

[@JoesVids]

When did I say my country has no static electricity?

[@itzp4ul]

This helped me alot thanks

[@thereallynx5336]

Tried this on my Corsair RM650x that arrived today, and it worked! Thank you!

[@jgabrl]

Great video. Thank you sir!

[@ddw34]

Going to use this to power my pump without turning on the system thanks!

[@spikebor]

thanks man, ur a true bro

[@rahatali6004]

Thank You sir.

[@orestesdd]

Thank you for your video. Do you have a recommendation for a multimeter tester?

[@barbaroseryilmaz9254]

Nice one bro. Cheers

[@captainsar]

Thank you man! You really helped me

[@JoesVids]

Glad you found the video helpful.

[@almirtokmanovic8295]

so i did the paper clip test which made my fans twitch but not spin the whole time, when i have everything hooked up my rgb strip on my desk lights up but nothing else works

[@almirtokmanovic8295]

so this would mean its the powersupply right cause my fans dont stay spinning?

[@almirtokmanovic8295]

i figured it out, it was my extra 4 pin cpu power cable header on my motherboard

[@angryblair]

Thanks alot brother. Great instuction.

[@JoesVids]

Glad you found this helpful.

[@orgen666]

By “other peripherals from your computer”, what do you mean? Do I have to unplug everything on my motherboard? Or everything on my psu? Or both?

[@JoesVids]

justdarylyeung I mean unplug your PSU from everything it is connected to: motherboard, graphics card, hard drives etc. You are just isolating the PSU before testing. In hindsight I should of had b-roll of me unplugging the PSU from other parts. Hope this clarifies what I was saying.

[@ClintonomoBay]

I have a Seasonic FOCUS+ and tried doing the paperclip test and it reacts for a quick second but then stays still (i see the fan twitch and hear clicking), but I see a good amount of voltage coming from it using a power tester. Is my psu bad?

[@JoesVids]

Hmmm...you might need to test with a multimeter and test the voltage coming from each pin connector.