Final Thoughts and Conclusions

Thermaltake's new Dr. Power II Universal ATX Power Supply Tester is a great little tool that is quick and easy to use to check if a PC power supply is operating normally and delivering all the voltages it is supposed to within spec.  It also confirms that the PG (Power Good) signal timing is happening within the recommended guidelines.

In addition to the all-important power supply GOOD – NOT GOOD test, the Dr. Power II tester also lets you test all the various power supply output cables to confirm they are delivering the voltages they are supposed to and at the specified voltages. For most users and most situations the Dr. Power II PSU tester will prove to be a valuable tool.

However, the Dr. Power II is not without its limitations.  If you have a power supply that is working properly under light to medium loads but appears to be failing under a heavy load, the Dr. Power II tester won't be able to help pin point this problem. It only places a very light combined load on the DC outputs (~8W).  It will confirm the power supply starts up and operates normally under a light load but has no way to stress the power supply by applying a heavy load.

Indispensible for any IT shop or anyone who builds a lot of PCs!

The Thermaltake Dr. Power II Universal ATX Power Supply Tester is currently available and typically sells for $39.99 USD.

Strengths
• Universal ATX PSU tester will work with most all PC PSUs
• Quick and easy to use
• Large LCD displays five voltages and PG timing
• Allows testing different PSU cables (CPU, PCI-E, Molex, SATA)
• Includes both Manual and Automatic test modes
• Visual and audible alarm highlights problems

Weaknesses
• Can only apply a light load (can't stress a PSU with a heavy load)

 

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