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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Trebeck on November 15, 2008, 06:43:27 pm

Title: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: Trebeck on November 15, 2008, 06:43:27 pm
I have a pc power supply (400w) just sitting alone.  Can I turn it on without a motherboard connection?

Thanks
Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: Kevin Mullins on November 15, 2008, 06:47:57 pm
There's typically a single green wire in the harness that needs tied to ground in order for it to turn on.
Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: ideft on November 15, 2008, 06:53:19 pm
yes on main header pins.  On an ATX power source I believe it is the green wire and you have to jump it to a neutral wire(black).  Just look on the internet for the pin outs for your power source.

example:

http://pinouts.ru/Power/atxpower_pinout.shtml (http://pinouts.ru/Power/atxpower_pinout.shtml)

look at the description for the green wire.
Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: Bleagh on November 15, 2008, 07:30:07 pm
You don't want to run it without it powering anything.  It will burn out.  I assume you plan on powering a jamma board or something?  That should work fine.
Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: garnerb350 on November 17, 2008, 01:04:22 pm
You don't want to run it without it powering anything.  It will burn out.  I assume you plan on powering a jamma board or something?  That should work fine.


I was thinking of hooking up 2-4 cooling fans to a power supply to supply air through my cabinet enclosure. Would that be ok to run and not burn out a power supply?
Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: HaRuMaN on November 17, 2008, 01:08:41 pm
You don't want to run it without it powering anything.  It will burn out.  I assume you plan on powering a jamma board or something?  That should work fine.


I was thinking of hooking up 2-4 cooling fans to a power supply to supply air through my cabinet enclosure. Would that be ok to run and not burn out a power supply?


A 400 watt PSU is overkill to run 2 - 4 fans...

Just get a 12 V DC wall wart and hook them up that way.
Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: FrizzleFried on November 17, 2008, 02:03:09 pm
...or just buy a couple 110v fans...  :dunno
Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: garnerb350 on November 17, 2008, 02:48:20 pm
The power supply is a hand me down( free)...I was just wondering what to do when i cross that road...
I was wanting to hook up the fans and also coin door lights....

You don't want to run it without it powering anything.  It will burn out.  I assume you plan on powering a jamma board or something?  That should work fine.


I was thinking of hooking up 2-4 cooling fans to a power supply to supply air through my cabinet enclosure. Would that be ok to run and not burn out a power supply?


A 400 watt PSU is overkill to run 2 - 4 fans...

Just get a 12 V DC wall wart and hook them up that way.


HarumaN.... what does the 12 V from wally world look like?
 
Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: Ginsu Victim on November 17, 2008, 02:56:07 pm

HarumaN.... what does the 12 V from wally world look like?
 

He didn't say Wal-mart, he said wall wart.  :laugh2:
Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: HaRuMaN on November 17, 2008, 02:59:16 pm

HarumaN.... what does the 12 V from wally world look like?
 

He didn't say Wal-mart, he said wall wart.  :laugh2:

 ;D

Any 12 V DC transformer that you plug into a wall, usually an ugly black box that takes up too much space on an outlet, therefore a "wall wart"...

 :duckhunt
Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: garnerb350 on November 17, 2008, 03:02:57 pm
 :banghead:

I'm an idiot....LOL
Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: fatfingers on November 17, 2008, 03:33:11 pm

Your fans and coin door lights will do just fine with that PSU.  I am doing just the coin door lights (well, and my marquee light) using a PSU.


Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: garnerb350 on November 17, 2008, 03:48:32 pm
Thanks!.... :notworthy:
Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: Trebeck on November 17, 2008, 05:44:28 pm
Maybe I'll try the wall wart route.  Thanks all.
Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: vputz on November 19, 2008, 08:51:56 am
I once ran a bunch of "zombie" SCSI drives (+controller) in a raid array using a non-mobo PSU by jumping the connectors with a switch.  It worked just fine for many months (and acted like it would have kept on working).  Really silly-looking; I ripped the controller and drives from an old Dell server, but since the Dell PSUs are nonstandard (and I couldn't match the connector to the SCSI board) I had to have a regular PSU for the mobo and keep the Dell PSU running as a zombie for the drives.

Worked fine for months.  It's probably overkill as mentioned, but you should be able to do it no trouble.
Title: Re: Turning on a PC power supply without a mobo
Post by: ark_ader on November 19, 2008, 01:28:47 pm
You can still get those 85W AT power supplies.  They are great for lights, fans, and anything 12v.