# Load profile of a headlight **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 5, 2023, 3:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/load-profile-of-a-headlight/193720 "2023-11-05T03:07:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2023, 11:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/load-profile-of-a-headlight/193720/21 "2023-11-08T23:41:13Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > Are you able to measure the 3.3V 5V and 12V supply Voltages while attempting to turn the computer on? There’s no 3.3 but I can measure the others. > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > Most people just swap in a different known good power supply to test to see if it’s the board. Apparently most people have spare power supplies. > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > Power supplies are supposed to have a minimum load on each output. All the power supply testers I’ve seen put just an LED on each line, not a real load. > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > I’ve blown out the 3.3V regulator by loading down the 12V and leaving the rest disconnected. Odd. I have no 3.3. > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > You said a regulator on the motherboard is bad. I did not. > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > It could be the power supply for the CPU or memory. The failure still happens with the CPU and RAM removed. ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 2:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/load-profile-of-a-headlight/193720/22 "2023-11-09T02:26:24Z")
> [@RandomTroll](#): > > > [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > > > Are you able to measure the 3.3V 5V and 12V supply Voltages while attempting to turn the computer on? > > There’s no 3.3 but I can measure the others. The orange wires are 3.3. Red is 5V and yellow is 12V on ATX normally. The new ATX12VO standard from Intel is 12V only. But that’s really new. I’m not sure what someone is supposed to do if they want to plug in a SATA hard drive. Those require 3.3 and/or 5 and 12V. Perhaps you have a non standard motherboard and power supply? > [@RandomTroll](#): > > I did not. I misread what you wrote. > [@RandomTroll](#): > > The failure still happens with the CPU and RAM removed. Removing a non powerd CPU or RAM on a non functional power supply wouldn’t affect the error you are getting. Boards are moving more and more toward local regulation. I don’t like it since it puts one of the most unreliable electronic devices, which is a power supply, on the board itself. Local regulation for the CPU, and memory has been going on for a long time. But they’re trying to have power for the USB ports and PCIe slots locally regulated on the newer stuff. They advertise that the new 12V only power supplies are much more efficient, but they neglect to mention the efficiency of the lower Voltage supplies that have now been moved out on to the motherboard. ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 3:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/load-profile-of-a-headlight/193720/23 "2023-11-09T03:26:21Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > The orange wires are 3.3. Red is 5V There are no orange wires or red wires. This is not an ATX motherboard. The PS is a Lite-on PS-4241-01. It’s a Lenovo ThinkCentre M93p 10A8. It was made in 2015. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/load-profile-of-a-headlight/193720/24 "2023-11-09T21:33:37Z")
> [@RandomTroll](#): > > dd. I have no 3.3. How old is your computer? Integrated circuits that require 3.3 volts (instead of 5 volts) are used in newer computers. Done to reduce power supply needs and heat. The transition to 3.3 volts began quite some time ago as I recall, circa 2000. ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2023, 11:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/load-profile-of-a-headlight/193720/25 "2023-11-09T23:00:22Z")
That’s what I recall as well. I assume that 3.3 is generated somewhere on the motherboard. As I wrote in the previous message, it’s dated 2015. ---
**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2023, 4:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/load-profile-of-a-headlight/193720/26 "2023-11-11T04:44:04Z")
In case anyone cared about the saga of my broken computer, the problem wasn’t the power supply or the RAM; it had to be the motherboard. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/load-profile-of-a-headlight/193720.md?page=1)