Coolmax 14909 PS-224 LCD 24-Pin ATX Power Supply Tester

by ANTOnline

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000GFJAB4
• Item model number: 14909
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,847 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Coolmax LCD 24-Pin ATX Power Supply Tester makes it easy to check an ATX power supply. Made of durable aluminum with an LCD display, it is simple to plug in, and then the LCD displays the voltage. It is great for testing power supplies with various connections.

A built-in alarm tells you when there is overvoltage, undervoltage, and no voltage.

Product Description

COOLMAX 20/24 PIN ATX POWER

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Device, January 3, 2007

By 

S. Cendales (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Coolmax 14909 PS-224 LCD 24-Pin ATX Power Supply Tester (Personal Computers)

Great device for testing power supplies with many different types of connections. This is of the modern type that allows for SATA connectors to be used for testing of electrical current coming from the power supply. Must already be knowledgeable of power supplies and their currents to know how to use. This is a great device that substitutes for the multimeter for those who find it too complex.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Techie must-have, November 5, 2007

By 

Elroy Holcomb "Cornfield_Craziness" (Howe, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Coolmax 14909 PS-224 LCD 24-Pin ATX Power Supply Tester (Personal Computers)

My original power supply tester was only a "power present" tester with simply an LED and an on-off switch. That proved to be very inadequate for power supply testing. This tester by Coolmax will accurately test all power outputs from any standard power supply and lets you know if they are within usable range or not. This item has more than paid for itself by eliminating misdiagnoses of power supplies and also is light, small and easily added to any portable tech kit.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Tester, But Spend Some Time Testing It First...., November 17, 2009

By 

Loren Malm (Anderson, IN USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Coolmax 14909 PS-224 LCD 24-Pin ATX Power Supply Tester (Personal Computers)

Summary:
This is a nice product, but the documentation could be better.... Note, I was shipped a PS-228 instead of the PS-224, which is just fine with me however if you are reading this review, be aware my comments address the PS-228 and not the PS-224 since I was shipped a PS-228.

The Good:
The physical build quality on this unit is very good - it's built for a rough shop work and the aluminum case feels and looks like it will take the abuse of constant use for years to come. The display is very nice and easy to read backlit showing all the details you need; this is important for me since it seems like I'm always testing under a desk or somewhere dimly lit. Some other reviewers mentioned the 24 pin jack on the PS-224 was not well made and there was great difficulty in connecting the power supply - this must have been isolated to the PS-224, the PS-228 connects easily and correctly every time across several makes of power supplies I've tried. Testing an ATX power supply would be difficult without a unit like this.

The Bad:
If you decide to buy this unit, grab a known-working power supply and spend some time verifying this tester is working and you understand how it works before using it for troubleshooting. Unfortunately I did not have a known good power supply handy, and my first test with this unit was on a suspected bad power supply. In my initial test, I connected the 24 pin main power connection and the PS-228 beeped continuously and indicated a "LL" (zero voltage fault) with the +12V2. This seemed to indicate the power supply had a fault, so I obtained a new one and replaced it - but that didn't fix the problem, which through some more manual testing I discovered was with the video card.

What I didn't realize is that unless you connect both the main power cable and one of the accessory power cables, the unit will register a fault with the +12V2 (showing LL as zero volts) which may lead you to believe (as it did me) that the power supply has a problem. The best way to avoid all of this is just to do some testing of this tester against a known good working power supply so you understand what must be connected in order for all of the checks to be "passed."

One other note - I was shipped a PS-228 instead of the PS-224, which is just fine with me. If you are interested in the differences between these testers, check the coolmaxusa website. Other than the minimal documentation, I would rate this tester as five stars, -- well worth the money if you are in a position to have to test computer power supplies even occasionally.