Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Pros:
Shows one decimal place precision measurements of +3.3V, +5V, +12V, +12V (second rail), and +5V standby via a nice blue backlit LCD display.
Displays the time in milliseconds it takes for the Power Good signal to go high (this is open drain) on the LCD (3 digits).
Shows go / no-go voltages on SATA / 4-pin MOLEX / floppy connectors via green LEDs.

Cons:
I would like another decimal place on the voltage measurements, but this is just a tiny con as one decimal place is sufficient for the tolerances involved (+/- 5% & 10%).
SATA connector isn't keyed, but putting it on backwards shouldn't destroy anything.
It isn't obvious which way the motherboard connector goes on as it doesn't have the lock mechanism and is a fairly tight fit.
No manual, just slightly confusing minimal text on the back of the display card - not a big deal as this unit is really simple.

Other thoughts:
The unit I received has a power button on the front, which you have to hold depressed for the unit to operate. This makes sense as it must load the supply and heat up somewhat. They must have updated the design without updating the pix.
The go / no-go LEDs that everyone is crabbing about make perfect sense to me - the voltages themselves are already measured at the mobo connector.

Great tester for the typical ATX power supply in that the output readings are accurate and quick. No guessing at whether the P.S. is working..
However, one problem I noted was that it was unable to test the latest HP/Compaq units. I'm told by Coolmax that those P.S. are non-standard and though the 20/24 pin plug looks the same, the pin-outs are different. Coolmax was unable to offer a work around. In defense of CoolMax though, Nobody in our IT dept. has been able to find a reliable tester for those P.S.

If you're looking at this, then you know what this is used for - but - don't be misled into thinking that the cheaper ones with the LEDs do the same job, this baby shows you the actual voltages as well as the time power good takes to go low.

I've had defective power supplies that test good with the LED style testers and wasted time swapping out system boards, only to find it was, in fact, the power supply, and this baby was the only thing that would show it.

I have been needing one of these for a LONG time.

The best part of this one is that it READS out the Volts on the LCD.

I found out that one of my Power Supplies was putting out power but not very constant.

A++++ Product!

As a pc tech, you know that the tools you have define the scope of your skills and capacity for servicing the client. To that end you must have a ps tester in your tool kit. This unit is a handy device for quick and accurate testing of atx power supply's that you will encounter in the field. It's faster that using a mulltimeter and can deliver all the pertinant power stats at a glance with it's lcd display. I only gave it 4 stars due to the very tight fit of the 24 connector port. The plastic mold must be a little off. Great otherwise.

Great value works with any power supply and very easy to read. Highly Recommended for any Tech.

Received it quickly(1 day, thank you Prime), plugged in the power supplies in question and actually found it in great shape . Went on to more in depth troubleshooting, but knowing the PS was good.
Was able to test each output type including the SATA plug. Left it in place for a few hours to see if any changes in overall performance. The tester worked well with no overheating on its part.