$10 DC Power Supply - 1 Day DIY 

That sped up laughter caught me off guard xD

Thank you for going in to more details, as most just fly right thru it. I particularly appreciated the standby mode. I have an older model but no main power switch that came with it. Without a main power switch, the one LED lite that came with it would stay on as soon as you plug the unit in and even when you connect a switch to green and black, the LED would stay on until you unplug the AC. The details you did go over in your video was enough to fill in all the little gaps I was experiencing on my mod!

I like how you made it simple to understand cause I have 2 or 3 of them lying around that I want to turn into a bench supply. keep up with the videos

Great video. You might want to add a disclaimer. Reading through some of the comments/questions, it's quite obvious some people trying this are clueless about electricity and electronics. 12 volts is not going to electrocute anyone. But, at 20+ amps, you're going to get a heck of a burn. You are also exposing yourself to the household mains. Brushing across that will ruin your day.

Great video! Easy to understand and cheap/simple to do! I have a spare power supply sitting on a shelf downstairs...can't wait to make a benchtop power supply!👍😁

absolutely brilliant sir.just superb,lovely clear and concise, keep up the great work.

Cool stuff man I'm into making this project up next week cheers 👍

wonderful! thanks so much

awesome work :D

thank you very helpful

great video. I also added a potentiometer on one of my 12v lines. Works great. I just blew one when I accidently touched another power lead to it.

Instead of a conventional resistor as a dummy load I use a car bulb inside the box, it is kept cool by the fan and it also acts as an "on" indicator. :-))

Hi! Great video. Will try one of my power supply, I don't use anymore, from a Dinosaur computer. Thanks for sharing your gift. Stay safe.

Great video. I'd like to do this so I can test car audio gear. Recently decided to put a system in my car. Got a nice deal on a used PPI 900.5 amp, some BNIB speakers, BNIB Alpine HU from car audio forum guys. And a good deal on a Polk subwoofer ready to go in a factory box from Amazon Warehouse. So had to know right away if it was working. Middle of February freezing cold. Had to do the mad scramble 1 day in my unheated garage, 1 day in my buddies driveway. Then the rca's I bought were bad. Another day figuring that out too. Man I wish I knew about this then. Would have saved me such a hassle. Thank you

Detailed and well done, you sir have gained a subscription.

I learnt something thank you

Nice job. You covered all the details very well. I would also be looking to install a voltage and current regulator and perhaps meters. Then it would really be a primo power supply for the workbench. I used to use a 1 amp 12 volt supply (with ad hoc regulators as needed). It was built from a conventional transformer rectifier bridge and filter capacitor. Many times I wish I had something beefier. I've got several of these around in old computers around here(almost a dozen)

GOOD MAN...I LIKE IT

lol at 11:35 powering a quadcopter, with no transmitter on, and the props on the motors. One day you'll learn that lesson ;) Nice work on the power supply!

Nice easy conversion! One change I would make is that instead of reserving a red wire for the Power On LED, I would use the grey wire. The grey wire is the Power OK confirmation signal to the PC, which also carries 5 volts but only after the unit is switched on AND the unit has performed a self-check. So, not only does it confirm that the power is ON, it also assures you that the unit is working properly and the voltages will be within reasonable expectations.

super idea!

Coole Drohne 👍 Danke fürs Video - Top

nice build.

awesome bro

you owesome man

Hey Dan, great vid...any chance you could do one with an LED screen which allows you to adjust voltage and amps so it can be used in more applications

GOOD WORK DEAR GOD BLESS YOU MORE .............

Man that's pretty slick bro. I've done the same sorta thing but one step further. Rip a 24 pin socket off an old motherboard glue it into the back of a project box and wire all your switches, posts, metering etc into that. Two advantages man, 1: Fried PSU? Unplug, toss, plug in new. 2: Even in my example where I have current limiting, 6 panel meters, etc. the break out box, takes up less space on me bench than the ATX metal case. On the other hand, two boxes is a little more cumbersome if you need to take it anywhere, but still, it's rare that it leaves the bench and a minor inconvenience compared to building again when it fries. I fry so many :/ Good build man, good vid.

You can use the -12v wire with the +12 and have 24v max and -5v, -3v

Nice good job Sir

love your hard work plus your workstation :D thumbs up bro, subscribed :)

thenk you sir

Great job brother 👍

THANKS MUCH

great video! I am working with a evga 430 w1 PS, do I need to group and solder all red, yellow, black cables together like you did? or can I use one red, one yellow, one black soldered to their own banana jack? hope that makes sense. thank you.

Very clean and precise video! I was just wondering if I could use this set up to power a car stereo?

Thanks for this video, it's very very important,I am smail from Algeria

Very useful 👌 video

I think this is very cool, in fact I ordered a PS and the binding posts, LEDs, etc.off Ebay. I noticed the amps on mine are 14 on the 12v and 5v and 20amps on the 3.3, do I still need a resistor or resistors.? If so what size and on which voltage line? Thanks!

Thanks. Great tutorial. Can I run cctv cameras from this psu? Thanks again.

Its a good idea to use the "all good" wire (grey) for the led . This means is any of your voltages are incorrect or not functioning the led wont light . Other than that , good work :)

Thanks sir

I died a little watching you use a tap as a center punch. Good video!

Great video. Any chance you could put a link to where you got the dummy load and 330ohm resistors

can you tell me when you bundled up all the 12v,5v, and 3 volt wires is this to get more amperage ? or why was this done?

Just an fyi you could also get a usb charging board.. and run a wire to the 5v and ground and use that as a external cell charger as well. Nice Project.

Hello, I have done a DIY atx work bench supply unit. I successfully completed the project and was using the 12v line briefly. I finished and unplugged my ATX psu and sat it to the side. I return to use it again the same project as before and It doesn't turn on. I am getting a 5v from my standby. My Green is soldered to a ground. I have completely take it back apart. Redone all the wires and checked my load resistor. My Brown wire is hooked to my orange, my grey is hooked to a resistor than to a ground. I have a 5v line hooked to a 10w 10ohm resistor. I am using fuses on all power lines also. They are still in working condition. SO after i do some doctoring and make sure all is well. I plug her in and nothing. But im getting my 5v standby. So its harnessing power and after turning it off you can tell the circuit is good simply because the meter will read 5v for a good min before SLOWLY dropping down. I have tested the other power leads with no luck. I thought maybe the fan was shot. Any advice would be beneficial . Just looking for brainstorming ideas to tackle next. This is not my first atx mod either. I have built a few. Even using them to power Car amps for partys and etc..

Awesome helicopter

👍👍👍

thank you for the great video this is just what I was looking for! I'd just like to ask, is it possible to make a variable power supply out of a computer psu or is it not worth the trouble?

i am pretty new to this, so if there is no load resistor, the supply will be unstable ? After u connect the resistor, juz put it inside the box randomly? How did u connect the LED's? As I said, I am pretty new to electronics.... thanks!

Nice one bro

Using this idea for a covered patio for car speakers, fog lights from a truck and a 12 volt water pump. For our hillbilly hottub. Didnt wanna have to use a car battery from afar. And keep it charged.

hi.. thanks r making awesome video such as this one.. i am trying to make one similar.. everything works out fine when testing.. but when i put my +12v bundled wire to the binding post the atx wont start.. where does it go wrong?

Nice stuff but why do you need an on/off switch, if the atx power supply already has one?

Great video. Much easier to follow than the other atx to power supply videos I watched. Maybe I missed it, I rewatched several times so I don’t believe I did, but you do not explain how to wire in the 2 LEDs. I assume standby is wired to the original on/off power switch and the master on light to the new master power switch? I’m no expert and don’t want to screw something up as we’re dealing with potentially fatal currents here. Any advice or an update would be appreciated. Also are the LEDs why you have 2 330ohm resistors listed in the parts list but don’t show them being used?

If I only want a 12V power supply, do I still have to have the load resistor on the yellow wires? I have no need for the 3.3v or 5v. I plan on shrink wrapping the 3.3v and 5v wires and stuffing them back in the case.

This is a great video. I am wanting to wire up a couple of railway wigwag lights in my garage. The bulbs are 12.8 volt, so why not hook them up? Right?? Great for the Man Cave and looks cool when someone comes in. I want to hook them up to my garage door opener. I bought the wigwag relay and the computer power supply, but now I wonder if I have enough power to operate the incandescent lights. The bulbs are 12.8 V and 26.9W. The power supply states that +12 has 16A. I don't know what the Watts are.

Great video, very well explained. I however have a project that requires a +12V and -12V power source. Can you provide some direction if that is possible?

Is there a way I can control the A for the 5V to make it lower or on a certain number? Thanks

Im learning slowly abaut this transformers i like your video i have a question im planning to buy a 54000 lummens led 12v 6w coud i do it with the com.power suply thanks

could you also use a constant current circuit on the output to load the source to keep it stable rather than a passive resistor? (op amp)

Hello where in the line you solder this load resistor i see they have 2 cable but they start from where and they go where?

Great video can you please elaborate for a dummy like myself where to connect the dummy resistors

i have a question from which wire you sold it to show the red light for power on and green to show all are working

I really wish they had 24v I need one with 5,12 and 24 that can push at least 140W. I want to use it for lighting design to. Will the output current not be to high for led strips or is that not a problem?

6:55 While your at it, keep the distance between grounds and the other posts 19m/m (3⁄4 inch) so it can be used with a standard bunch of connectors...It is an industry standard.

I have two questions: ¹ Could you combine the voltage across each post to get ~20V+? ² What modifications could make this a variable power supply?

hello... i have been looking for a tutorial regarding this power supply & i came across yours... your presentation was excellent... may be you can help me with the problem i am having... first.. the yellow wires only have 8.4 volts & second when i hook up the LED strip ( like you did) they flicker at a very fast rate... what am i doing wrong???.. i do have the green & one black wires connected together via a toggle switch... the power supply came out of a very old PC .. probably 10-15 years old... i have intention to use this power supply to light up my model railroad with the LED strip... any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated .. thank you advance .. vinny

Do i have to connect the load resistor to e.g. 5 V and ground?

I would like to ask you would this work for running a car radio or a 12 volt mini air compressor? I just want to be able to listen to music in my workshop and blow up my lawn tractor tires etc when needed. Just not sure if it will supply enough amperage. Thanks for the video nice clean soldering and finished product.

You can also use 24v, 18v & 15.3v

Excellent! Do you have a link to explain the usage of colored wire?

Amazing.. Great ideas👍 Can i use pyrography pen with this ,and how can i make variable voltages with this PSU

6:20 Since this video is 5 years old I think a “what are those?!” is appropriate

Nice 👍 video

Great Post!!!... My supply has 12V1(18A) & 12V2(16A)... I was spooked that maybe I would be creating conflict from separate x-formers... No worries, both circuits continuity at 0 ohms so OK to tie all together for 12V @ 34A... Just Sharing :) Overkill but I load resistored 12V & 5V :P ... also added blade style 30A fuse for 12V, a female USB jack fed by purple(5V @ 2.5A on my supply), a 12V automotive socket & a 12V XT-60 socket... all clean mounted to the housing... relocated fan to exterior of case to make room for all this extra crap ;) haha I think I have just enough room left for a digital V/A display meter on the 12V... HEY, what would a -12V(neg) output be used for???

Nice Weller soldering station you have there :D Sadly mine broke 2 weeks ago after 20+ years of service :(

Great vid. Can you also explain to us where to hook up the LED's ? I am not a electrician and that info would be welcome. Thanks.

8:30 I think some chipmunks got in.

So I built this little project, but my voltages seem to be off. They're consistent, but seem to be double what they should be. I'm getting 26V, 11V, and 6.6V. Any ideas what might be going on? The PSUs I used are older units.

2 question Sir, i seem to have the old style so my 5v is @ 22a and my 12v is @ 10a, i noticed my amps arent the same as yours so can i still use the same work resistors that you suggested in your guide? and my spec label says "DC OUTPUT: 200W" is that what my 12v will put out? cause i want to make this project for my lipo charger as well. thanks and awesome video have to admit it is one of the best i have seen on this topic so far!

Also, for a new power supply could I run two 12v 10ohm resistors in line instead of one 22ohm? I am having a hard time locating a 22ohm resistor.

The problems with cheap PSUs is when they pop, they can kill everything connected to them too. They don't die gracefully.

I feel like I just got an ocular pat down.

I have a PSU with most power on the 3.3 wire (22A), but I have two rails for 12V (10A and 15A). Can I connect 12V rails together and get a total of 25A? And what dummy load resistance should it have?

I got a 750w power supply to run two 12" subs in my house. I need the yellows for +12v but what do I do with reds and orange? I'll only ever use it for this so can I just tape/cap them off? Do I need a resistor?

We have the same line 5V with 40A. How do I know how many watts needed if I want the current to be 2A? So in that case 2.5 ohm resistor, how to determine how many watts needed? thank you

Hello! Good helpful video!! I do have a little problem though. I want to use a computer power supply to power a led panel that I made. The +12 supply which I will use is rated at 10 amps. When I hook my led panal to a 12 volt battery it draws about 6 amps at 12 volts which is correct. When I hook it up to the computer power supply rated at 10 amps in 12 volts, the voltage drops down to about 10.5 volts and it draws a little under 4 amps. I tried hooking a power resistor (5 ohm, 20 watts) to the 5 volt supply and then to ground and the voltage going to the 12 volt led panal went up to 11 volts from 10.5 volts and the current went up to about 4.7 amps from under 4 amps. So that is an improvement but still not optimum. Any suggestions? Should I put a resistor also on the 3.3 volt supply. Thanks for any help. Oh I tried using a different power supply (almost new and even more powerful) and I had the same problem so I don't think there is a problem with the power supply. Thanks !

why you was able to bundle all the 5v lines for example all together? If I wanted to have multiple 5v lines could I have used an individual cable?

Hi again. I made my first one last year. It is from 1999 and shaped like a panini. Only 65 watts but it works without the load resistor. Also , it turned on without having to use a jump wire. I`m ready to graduate on th project so I want to Make a second one from a 300w psu. I see you are putting the load resister between 2 yellow 12 v wires. Why not use the 5v wires? I dug up a lot of ceramic rectangular 5 and 10 w load resistors from old small TV's. Which one should I use and why? Can you explain the function of the resistor again? Anyone may reply, just means more knowledge transference!

Took me 4 hours to do but it was worth it

I know this is an older video, but on the Green wire. I’m needing to build 2 power supplies 12v dc only. I’ve seen videos that say to connect the Green to Gray. However I’ve seen more that say Green to any Black wire. Is this just a preference, or should it be one or the other for specific reasons?

Love the Minions at 8:30

Great video, I think I can tackle this project! Just one question, is the load/dummy resister needed ? Power supply used in PC was fine without it ? Why do we use in this project ? Thks.

Hi I don’t have a dummy load so I have tried to use 2 auto bulbs but power supply only turns on for half a second then cuts off ? Should this work or do I need the 10ohm load ?

O.K., love this accept, were did you solder resistors too? There was nothing regarding the LED install. Green one installed between load of switch and ground I suppose. Red one????

When you switch the green to the black wire (ground) wouldn't you be feeding 5V to the ground panel?

I did everything you said but I'm getting no current through any of the lines. I do have ONE gray wire and ONE blue wire that I don't know what to do with. Would doing something with them to make things work?

If you attach the dummy resistor, does it have to be connected to main line and ground or two main line wires?