DIYer upcycles an old PC PSU into a flexible bench power supply — 20-year-old relic rescued from dusty neglect

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DIYer upcycles an old PC PSU into a flexible bench power supply — 20-year-old relic rescued from dusty neglect

(Image credit: Handmax Workshop ) (Image credit: Handmax Workshop ) (Image credit: Handmax Workshop ) (Image credit: Handmax Workshop ) As there was extra space on the panel, the DIYer decided to add a USB port on the front panel, complete with a fast charging circuit. We see in the finished build that it was a Type-A port chosen. This port can run from any input between 10 and 30V, so it was simply connected to the 12V line.

I noticed in this project that there are potential polarity hurdles to navigate when doing your wiring. It is a nice brief video, but due to this and the lack of accompanying written instructions, etc., it doesn’t look like a foolproof plan for a novice. Also, this is mainly a fun e-waste saving project as a new bench power supply isn't prohibitively expensive, with many available for around the $50 mark .

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Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason. ","collapsible":{"enabled":true,"maxHeight":250,"readMoreText":"Read more","readLessText":"Read less"}}), "https://slice.vanilla.futurecdn.net/13-4-19/js/authorBio.js"); } else { console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); } Mark Tyson Social Links Navigation News Editor Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.

bit_user Nice idea! There out to be a simple kit for doing this, IMO. There should be no need to open the PSU or snip any wires (unless you want to make it more compact). It just needs headers that you plug a couple of the PSU's standard cables into. Of course, that will mean some extra lengths of cables you need to deal with, but the enclosure could be made big enough to coil them up, inside. Reply

rooted Buys boost/buck device specifically intended to be used this way and prints a case, I don't see much value in this article. Especially when you can purchase a better 30v/10A bench power supply for $40 Reply

kssp2000 I’m not sure about those $40 ones — the noise can be pretty hit or miss. That said, for something that’s just meant to supply power, it’s not a bad use for it. And from a safety standpoint, I’d still feel more comfortable sticking with consumer electronics than going with a random cheap option. Reply

rooted kssp2000 said: I’m not sure about those $40 ones — the noise can be pretty hit or miss. That said, for something that’s just meant to supply power, it’s not a bad use for it. And from a safety standpoint, I’d still feel more comfortable sticking with consumer electronics than going with a random cheap option. I have such a supply and it's certainly no more noisy than the buck/boost circuit used in this article. Tested it on a oscilloscope and it's within spec, it's certainly no linear supply but for a low price switching supply it's pretty good. The most sensitive thing I've used it for is to power boards with 5G modems and so far I've not lost one and they function as intended. Reply

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  1. DIYer upcycles an old PC PSU into a flexible bench power supply — 20-year-old relic rescued from dusty neglect
  2. DIYer upcycles an old PC PSU into a flexible bench power supply — 20-year-old relic rescued from dusty neglect
  3. DIYer upcycles an old PC PSU into a flexible bench power supply — 20-year-old relic rescued from dusty neglect
  4. DIYer upcycles an old PC PSU into a flexible bench power supply — 20-year-old relic rescued from dusty neglect

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