CaseBuy LCD EZ III

When I first began repairing computers, power supply units caused me the most problems. When a PSU begins to fail, or is faulty out of the box, it is sometimes difficult to determine because the symptoms are similar to other faulty hardware components. One of the best investments I ever made was the PSU tester; until now. CaseBuy now offers a digital LCD display on the EZ Power Supply Tester III. Benchmark Reviews shows you just how important this tool is, and why every technician, overclocker, enthusiast, and even gamers could benefit.

The power supply industry is filled with misdirection and illusion. Do you really need a kilowatt of power, which is enough to power an entire household full of appliances, or do you just need to replace your suspect power supply unit? Sometimes the answers can be confusing, because marketing hype has done a great job of convincing you that bigger is always better. This is why I use tools to assess the condition of all the equipment I test.

CaseBuy has been in the business of offering simple Power Supply Testers for quite a long time now. They began with their original EZ Power Supply Tester i (1), which was designed for 20-pin ATX power supplies. Shortly thereafter the 24-pin version was released, and the EZ Power Supply Tester ii (2) was born. These two testers are great, because they are super-simple and give me immediate feedback on the power supply unit. But now CaseBuy has done one better, and released the LCD EZ Power Supply Tester iii (3).

The EZ Power Supply Tester line of products offered by CaseBuy is based on the Top & Tech Enterprises line of products. The EZ Power Supply Tester ii (2) is manufacturer part number PS-124 and SKU 14907. The LCD EZ Power Supply Tester iii (3) is manufacturer part number PS-224 and SKU 14909. Top & Tech Enterprises is an production/engineering company and licenses these products to only a few select distributors, such as CaseBuy and CoolMax.

About the Company: CaseBuy Tech Corporation

CaseBuy has been in the industry for several years now, but you might not have realized it since they are based in Asia. With two locations, CaseBuy offers power supply and computer case products to partners.

- TAIWAN -
2F,No.3,Lane 78,ZhongYi ST.,SHILIN DIST,TAIPEI,TAIWAN,R.O.C,
Tel.+886-2-2831-5700
Fax.+886-2-2836-9359

- CHINA -
ROOM B,9/F BLOCK 5, KANGYI GARDEN, QINGXI TOWN, DONGGUAN CITY, GUANGDONG PROVINCE, CHINA
Tel: +86-769-87295833,+86-769-87803566
Fax: +86-769-87295318

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 values alarm
• ATX output connectors check
• Over voltage alarm
• No Voltage alarm
• Low Voltage alarm

Specifications:

• Case Material: Aluminum
• Thickness: 1.0mm
• Dimensions: 126x63.7x17.5mm
• Characteristic: LCD Monitor and Pocket size
• Color: Black
• NW: 13.5KG, GW: 14.5KG, Cu/ft: 1.4

Each Voltage Normal Range:

+5V, +3.3V, +5VSB is ±5%
+12V1, +12V2, -12V is ±10%

The Past: EZ PSU Tester 2

One of my favorite technician tools is the EZ Power Supply Tester 2. While designed by using the master product part number 311181-2, it has been the mose economical and useful tool I have ever purchased for my business. For both troubleshooting, as well as PSU reviews, I have used the EZ Power Supply Tester to assist me in isolating the power supply unit so that other more critical components are protected.

The original EZ Power Supply Tester 1 and 2 offered simple lighted LED windows to display a PASS/FAIL status. While I found this approach to be very simple, it was still quite basic. In some certain cases I found that the power supply was not registering power to a certain lead, which indicated a PSU wiring malfunction. Surely these same tests would have taken much longer to conduct with a multimeter, but the EZ Power Supply Testers would always be at the start of the process.

The Present: EZ PSU Tester 3

One of the biggest problems with the earlier EZ Power Supply Tester ii (2) was that it could show a passing signal in the small LED bubble windows, but you would never really have any idea what kind of current was actually being generated without attaching a multimeter to each lead. This caused problems, because the PSU would need to be attached to a motherboard in order for it to power up (unless you shorted the main connection points), and this opened up the possibility for component damage.

This is where the LCD EZ Power Supply Tester iii (3) comes to save the day. While not a true replacement for precision digital multimeter tests, the LCD EZ Power Supply Tester iii offers the user a very informative readout of the power supply being tested while keeping more critical hardware components isolated from the power supply units possible malfunctions.

The instructions are very simple:

1. Plug-in your ATX power 24 pin and plug-in (P4/P6/P8) into the tester.
2. Turn on your ATX power supply (If it is ATX 2.01 it will turn itself on)
3. LCD shows each voltage and P.G. value on the screen automatic and you can hear 2 beep sounds.
4. Attach ATX power output connector checking one at a time.
5. If power output is working, the LED will light on.
6. If power output failed, the LED will not light on.
7. Plug-in (HDD/Floppy) connector and check LED light (+12V1/+5V)
8. Plug-in SATA connector and check LED light (+12V1/+5V+3.3V)
9. Remove the connector after your checking
10. Do not plug-in 2 connectors into the tester at the same time (Not include 24 pin connector) because abnormal voltage detected will not display on the screen.
11. No voltage detect, “LL” will display on the screen.
    When detected Voltage is lower than Min. Value, “LL” will display on the screen.
    When detected Voltage is higher than Max. Value, “HH” will display on the screen.
    When detected voltage is lower than table value (A), will alarm.
    When detected voltage is higher than table value (B), will alarm.
    P.G. value detected lower 100ms or higher 900ms, P.G. value is abnormal and alarm.
    When abnormal happens, it will alarm and relative digit blink on the screen.

By plugging in a 20 or 24-pin ATX main cable group into the LCD EZ Power Supply Tester iii, the indigo blue LCD lights up and begins the relative readout. At this point, you can (and should) individually test each and every connector on the power supply unit.

The basic connection points are all available for testing: Floppy, 4-Pin Molex, SATA, 4-Pin P4 ATX, 6-pin VGA PCI-E, 8-Pin EPS/XEON, and 20-pin or 24-pin ATX mains.

Final Thoughts

For less than almost any other computer tool, you can own the LCD EZ Power Supply Tester iii. While it makes obvious since why a computer technician should own one, it may not seem necessary for gamers and enthusiasts. Well, that would be a mistaken assumption. The LCD EZ Power Supply Tester iii offers gamers and computer hardware enthusiasts with immediate feedback of their equipment, especially components which use SATA or PCI-Express power connections. Since the newer video cards consume massive amounts of power, then it makes perfect since to add this to the toolbox.

Conclusion

During my testing of the Casebuy LCD EZ Power Supply Tester 3, I found that the voltage measured on teh LCD was not precisely correct. Certainly, I wasn't expecting precision, since the Casebuy LCD EZ Power Supply Tester 3 only measures to the nearest tenth, but it was still worthy of noting. In testing, the true voltage was 12.03V and the LCD EZ Power Supply Tester 3 displayed 12.1V. While measuring a true reading of 5.13V the LCD EZ Power Supply Tester 3 displayed 5.2. Certainly this isn't a big difference, or even a big deal, which is why the tester is such a great quick-diagnose tool.

As mentioned in this review, the LCD EZ Power Supply Tester 3 is not a digital multimeter replacement, and CaseBuy doesn't market it as one, but it really does offer great results in a matter of seconds. Compared to the setup and testing time it takes with a digital multimeter, the Casebuy LCD EZ Power Supply Tester 3 is invaluable.

In conclusion, if you are a computer technician who diagnoses hardware problems, then the Casebuy LCD EZ Power Supply Tester 3 is not an option; it's a requirement. Nobody likes to charge the customer for wasted time, and this little tool is sure to impress onlookers at a service call. Additionally, computer enthusiasts and hardcore gamers will both save themselves a future headache with this inexpensive tool.

Pros:

+ Extremely useful tool
+ Excellent value
+ Convenient and portable
+ High-quality construction
+ Durable Aluminum case
+ Attractive LCD feature

Cons:

- Readings are not precisely accurate

Ratings:

• Presentation: 8.25
• Appearance: 9.5
• Construction: 9.75
• Functionality: 8.25
• Value: 9.25

Final Score: 9.0 out of 10.

Award: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.

Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.

Related Articles:

• Logitech G15 2007 Programmable LCD Gaming Keyboard
• Samsung 22" Widescreen LCD Monitor 2220WM-HAS
• CoolMax CUQ-1200B Modular 1200W Power Supply Unit
• Sharp AQUOS LC-52D62U 52" LCD 1080P HDTV
• MSI Wind-Top AE2220 1080p All-In-One PC
• Planar PX2611W 26-Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor
• SOYO 24-Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor DYLM24D6
• Using Dual-Monitors to Optimize Productivity
• Choosing the Best LCD Panel Technology
• SOYO 47-Inch LCD 1080p HDTV MT-SYXRT4791AB