Voltage question...

[Krusty]

I put arctic silver 5 on and so I reinstalled ASUS probe to test some things out as it "cures".

Problem is immediately upon installing and running probe it's beeping nonstop.

Seems the 3.3v probe is registering below 2.96 a lot (averaging 2.96, which juuuuuuust triggers the 10% warning beeps). It even drops to 2.92 a couple times.

Should I be worried? What is the 3.3v? Is that the drive cables? I have a DVD-ROM, a CD-RW, 2 HD, and a splitter for a fan all running off the drive plugs (the flat ones with 4 pins).

[OOZ662]

I have NO experience in that at all, but IIRC, the molex (4-pin ones you hook to your drives) cables are on the 12 and 5 volt rails. The fan connecters MIGHT be 3.3v...I think they're 5 though. I really can't remember what runs off the 3.3v rail...

[Krusty]

I have 1 CPU fan and 1 chassis fan that go through the motherboard. I have 1 other fan that runs off an adapter from one of the 4-pin HD plugs. PSU has its own (doesn't show up on meter). Not sure how long this has been going on mind you, I stopped using ASUS probe a long time ago.

[Hajo]

think some video cards also run off 3 volt....check your video card specs.

Some run 6v...some 3v.  I don't think a .008 drop in voltage is critical to 3 volts.

[EagleDNY]

Originally posted by Krusty
I put arctic silver 5 on and so I reinstalled ASUS probe to test some things out as it "cures".

Problem is immediately upon installing and running probe it's beeping nonstop.

Seems the 3.3v probe is registering below 2.96 a lot (averaging 2.96, which juuuuuuust triggers the 10% warning beeps). It even drops to 2.92 a couple times.

Should I be worried? What is the 3.3v? Is that the drive cables? I have a DVD-ROM, a CD-RW, 2 HD, and a splitter for a fan all running off the drive plugs (the flat ones with 4 pins).

I'm always worried when the correct voltage isn't going somewhere.  How old is your power supply?  Any problems with it?  3.3v is used on RAM (most of which is 2.5v now).  

Undervoltage kills electronics as much as Overvoltage, so I'd be worried.  Putting arctic silver on shouldn't make a difference in voltage one way or the other, so I'd say either your power supply is going bad or asus probe is way off.  You might want to check the Asus site and see if they have any notes on your motherboard too - could be a bios issue.

EagleDNY
$.02

[Krusty]

Well the PSU is as old as the machine (about Jan of this year). It dipped to 2.8 earlier today, several times. It's averaging 2.9 something.

I've got an old old video card, so I don't think it's guzzling power. I've got 2 sticks of ram. If that's the only thing the 3.3v is used for, so I really need to worry? I'm flat broke (and looking for work) so I can't afford to replace the PSU.

[EagleDNY]

Well, check the bios notes and read up on the asus probe software.   There is a chance it is just giving you a wrong reading - especially if everything seems to be acting fine.

EagleDNY
$.02