FrozenCPU Ultimate LCD Power Supply Tester

Introduction:

   A computers power supply is, without a doubt, the most important part of your system. Without it you don't have a working system. If you've got a good one, life is grand. However if you have a bad one, your computing experience can be filled with random reboots, screen freezes, system or program crashes, and just about any other random event that would make you least expect the power supply. It's one of those things that usually turns out to be the last thing you replace.

  Not too many years ago, diagnosing a bad power supply was a tedious process. It usually came about using trial and error to try to fix your particular issues. Once you narrowed it down to replacing the power supply, and it fixed your issues, you could've been in hundreds of dollars already replacing other PC parts needlessly.

   In recent times, the introduction of the quick power supply tester has been a lifesaver (and PC saver) for many, many people. And just when you thought it couldn't get any better than that, next arrives the next generation "Ultimate LCD Power Supply Tester" branded and brought to the USA by FrozenCPU. This unit is made by long time Taiwanese computer component manufacturer Casebuy.

   It features a small blue LED backlight screen that displays all your voltage readings for your power supply. It'll accept 20/24-pin ATX, SATA, P4, Xeon, PCI-E, Floppy and 4-pin! Not to mention it'll look down right sexy while doing all that. Let's take a closer look at the features.

Features:

• LCD displays ATX power voltages

• Tests 20-pin and 24-pin power supplies

• Tests SATA power

• Tests Pentium 4 power connector

• Tests PCI-Express power connectors

• Tests Xeon power connectors

• Tests Floppy drive connectors

• Tests standard 4-pin power supply connectors

• Tests for +3.3V, -12V, PG, +5VSB, +12V, -5V, +5V outputs

• Aluminum Case

• Accurate Voltage indicator +/- 0.1V

• Displays ATX P.G. values

• Low or High PG aalues alarm

• ATX output connectors check

• Over voltage alarm

• No Voltage alarm

• Low Voltage alarm

A Closer Look:

   The packaging is adequate although the rust color is blah. Inside we have the PSU tester surrounded with some cheap thin cardboard and a small instruction/tip sheet. One thing though, the packaging, both inside and out, looks...worn. This the 2nd PSU tester I've gotten from FCPU and they both literally needed to be wiped down when I got them. I'm sure it's not FrozenCPU's fault, but rather where they got them from. By the looks of them, they weren't boxed up in a "clean room" that's for sure. Luckily, it doesn't effect the product inside.

Retail Front	Retail Back	Inside	What's Inside
Unit Front	Unit Back	Side	Side

   The LCD screen has the typical clear protective cover. The PSU tester's body is made entirely of brushed aluminum. The quality and feel of the tester itself is exceptionally solid. Although there is a small PCB inside, and plastic all around and inside the unit, the whole thing feels like one solid piece. Very well done.

Testing:

   Here's a bunch of pics of the Ultimate LCD Power Supply Tester in action. It's really very simple, but here's the briefing: You plug in your ATX 12v connection to the tester, then turn on your power supply. You'll hear a couple quick beeps while the PSU tester reads your power supply and within 1-2 secs, you'll have a brightly light LCD screen showing you all you need to know. Just remember to leave the 20/24-pin connection plugged while you test the other connections one at a time (although I've had them all plugged in at the same time before).

   The LCD is very clear and easy to read from a pretty wide angle too. The blue LED spills out a little from all open wounds on the tester for a nice effect. I've also included a size comparison shot of this new FrozenCPU Ultimate PSU tester and the last generation FCPU/VH PSU tester. You can see the new one with the LCD is a bit wider, for obvious reasons.

Conclusion:

   Overall this unit worked quickly and flawlessly. Having a PSU tester is important, but having a high quality one like this, with an informative LCD, is just that much sweeter. This new version is far superior in my opinion then the previous generations and honestly I don't think this could get any better at this point (unless it somehow LOAD tested your PSU too!).

   If you change parts around alot, have multiple computers, constantly building and tearing apart components then you need something like this. Remember hooking up a bad power supply to your hardware for even a second could seriously damage or destroy your hardware. It's important to be able to test ALL your vital power supply lines (molex, SATA, PCI-E, etc) too, like this unit can, because just a single bad wire can damage anything connected to it.

   Also, if you like sleeving your own PSU cables, then you absolutely need one of these. After the cables are sleeved, it's virtually impossible to keep them in order. If you mix them up, it's a deathtrap for your hardware. A simple plug into this unit and you'll know with confidence if your power supply is 100% without falter. I think $27.99 for piece of mind is a small price to pay for that confidence and protecting your expensive hardware is worth even more than that.

   If you'd like to pick one of these for yourself, head over to FrozenCPU.com right now and get yours before they're gone! I test every single power supply before I plug it into my machine. I used to use the last generation. Now I'll be using the Ultimate version!