**Converting an Old Computer Power Supply into a Bench Power Supply**

A bench power supply is necessary when working with electronics nowadays. I'm currently using this variable bench power supply, but those can be quite expensive. Fortunately, there's a cheap and efficient solution: you can convert a regular ATX power supply of any computer into a bench power supply with just a few components and soldering.

I've actually used one of these converted supplies before getting my current variable one, and it even delivers more current than the variable one but mine is kind of beat up because I like to play with wires. Someone named John Manders asked me to make a video about it, so here we are.

**What You Need**

To convert your ATX power supply into a bench power supply, you'll need:

* Six binding posts for our five voltage rails and one ground rail

* One little switch for turning it on and off

* One 3mm green LED and one 3mm red LED with current limiting resistors (around 200 and 20 ohms each should be fine)

* Some shrinking tube to protect the connections

As you can see, I've already done the first step on my power supply by drilling all the necessary holes for The Binding post and the switch. Those two holes for the LEDs were already in place, and the big hole was also already there – I call it the suicide hole.

**Working with High Voltage**

It's time to open the supply, but be warned: we're working with high voltage that can kill you, so don't act stupid and always be careful on the inside. You can see that I've already cut my wires to a shorter length; you have to do that with your wires as well.

**Mounting The Binding Posts**

Firstly, mount The Binding post, switch, and LEDs inside the case. Then, solder the resistor to the anode of the LEDs and use shrinking tube to protect the connections. The colors of the wires tell us what they represent: orange is 3.3 volts, red is 5 volts, yellow is 12 V, white is 5 V, blue is -2 V, and black is ground.

**Soldering Wires**

Strip the isolation of all those wires and solder them to The Binding post; you can choose the order by yourself, but remember to use shrinking tube as often as possible. Don't solder four black round wires and one red 5V wire to The Binding post.

**Finding the Most Powerful Rail**

Now we need to find out whether the power supply has most of its power on the 5 volts and 3.3 volt rail or the 12V rail; in my case, it's the 5VT and 3.3v rail, so I'll save one more red 5VT wire for later. If your supply has most of the power on the 12V rail, then save one yellow wire for later.

**The Binding Posts are Done**

The Binding posts are done; now we need to connect the purple 5V standby wire to the resistor of the red LED and ground to the negative side of the led. The one extra red wire connects to the resistor of the green LED and ground as well to the negative side of the led. The green power on wire connects to one side of the switch and the ground wire to the other.

**Adding a Dummy Load**

Remember, we need to put some dummy load on the supply to keep it stable when we only need small amounts of current; if you use the 5VT rail then use a 5-ohm resistor with 12V or recommend a 24-ohm and also 5-watt resistor. I use two 10-ohm resistors in parallel, connect the 5 or 12VT wire to one side and ground to the other.

**Testing the Binding Posts**

Here I'm testing whether all binding posts deliver the correct voltage; everything seems correct. The real nice thing about those binding posts is that you can also just put a be wire in this little hole and screw it tight.

I hope you like this video! If so, don't forget to like, share, subscribe, and be sure to leave suggestions for next projects in the comment section, and I will see you next time.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: ena bench power supply is necessary when working with electronics nowadays I'm using this variable bench power supply but those can be expensive and if you only need the common 3.3 volts 5 volts or 12 volts there is a cheap and efficient solution you can convert a regular ATX power supply of any computer in a bench power supply with only a few components and solder I actually used one of those before I got my variable one and it even can deliver more current than the varable one but mine is kind of beat up because I like to play with FN wire and even somebody named John Manders asked me to make a video about it so I guess I got to do it now first things first what do we need firstly six binding post for our five voltage rails and one ground rail I'm going to connect positive 3.3 5 and 12 volts and 5 and 12 volts if you don't need the negative voltage rail you can just ignore that part one little switch for turning it on and off obviously one 3mm green LED and one 3 mm red LED with current limiting resistors of course around 200 and 20 ohms each should be fine and in addition some shrinking tube to protect the connections as you can see I already did the first step on my power supply I already drilled all the necessary holes for The Binding post and the switch those two holes for the LEDs were already in place and the big hole was also already there I call it the suicide hole it's time to open the supply but I warn you that we are working with high voltage that can kill you so don't act stupid and always be careful on the inside you can see that I already cut my wires to a shorter length you have to do that with your wires as well firstly I mounted The Binding post the switch and the LEDs inside the case I solded the resistor to the anode of the LEDs and used shrinking tube to protect the connections the colors of the wires tells us what it represents and normally you can find a chart on the supply which explains it as well orange is 3.3 vol Vol red 5 Vols yellow 12 V white 5 V blue -2 Vol and black ground now I strip the isolation of all those wires and solder them to The Binding post you can choose the order by yourself and remember to use shrinking tube as often as possible but don't solder four black round wires and one red 5vt wire to The Binding post now we have to find out whether the power supply has most of its power on the 5 volts and 3.3 volt rail or the 12vt rail in my case because this is an old one it's the 5vt and 3.3v rail so I'm going to save one more red 5vt wire for later if your supply has most of the power on the 12vt rail then save one yellow wire for later okay The Binding posts are done now we connect the purple 5V standby wire to the resistor of the red LED and ground to the negative side of the led the one extra red wire connects to the resistor of the green LED and ground as well to the negative side of the led the green power on wire connects to one side of the switch and the ground wire to the other side okay almost done remember the extra wire we saved depending on where the most power is we need to put some dummy load on the supply to keep it stable when we only need small amounts of current if you use the 5vt rail then use a 5 ohms at least 5 wats resistor with 12 volts I recommend a 24 ohms and also 5 wat resistor I use two 10 ohm resistors in parallel connect the 5 or 12vt wire to one side and ground to the other try to keep it safe with shrinking tube or tape and that's it here I'm testing whether all binding Post deliver the correct voltage and everything seems correct the real nice thing about those binding post is that you can also just put a be wire in this little hole and screw it tight I hope you like the video If so don't forget to like share subscribe and be sure to leave suggestions for next project in the comment section and I will see you next timea bench power supply is necessary when working with electronics nowadays I'm using this variable bench power supply but those can be expensive and if you only need the common 3.3 volts 5 volts or 12 volts there is a cheap and efficient solution you can convert a regular ATX power supply of any computer in a bench power supply with only a few components and solder I actually used one of those before I got my variable one and it even can deliver more current than the varable one but mine is kind of beat up because I like to play with FN wire and even somebody named John Manders asked me to make a video about it so I guess I got to do it now first things first what do we need firstly six binding post for our five voltage rails and one ground rail I'm going to connect positive 3.3 5 and 12 volts and 5 and 12 volts if you don't need the negative voltage rail you can just ignore that part one little switch for turning it on and off obviously one 3mm green LED and one 3 mm red LED with current limiting resistors of course around 200 and 20 ohms each should be fine and in addition some shrinking tube to protect the connections as you can see I already did the first step on my power supply I already drilled all the necessary holes for The Binding post and the switch those two holes for the LEDs were already in place and the big hole was also already there I call it the suicide hole it's time to open the supply but I warn you that we are working with high voltage that can kill you so don't act stupid and always be careful on the inside you can see that I already cut my wires to a shorter length you have to do that with your wires as well firstly I mounted The Binding post the switch and the LEDs inside the case I solded the resistor to the anode of the LEDs and used shrinking tube to protect the connections the colors of the wires tells us what it represents and normally you can find a chart on the supply which explains it as well orange is 3.3 vol Vol red 5 Vols yellow 12 V white 5 V blue -2 Vol and black ground now I strip the isolation of all those wires and solder them to The Binding post you can choose the order by yourself and remember to use shrinking tube as often as possible but don't solder four black round wires and one red 5vt wire to The Binding post now we have to find out whether the power supply has most of its power on the 5 volts and 3.3 volt rail or the 12vt rail in my case because this is an old one it's the 5vt and 3.3v rail so I'm going to save one more red 5vt wire for later if your supply has most of the power on the 12vt rail then save one yellow wire for later okay The Binding posts are done now we connect the purple 5V standby wire to the resistor of the red LED and ground to the negative side of the led the one extra red wire connects to the resistor of the green LED and ground as well to the negative side of the led the green power on wire connects to one side of the switch and the ground wire to the other side okay almost done remember the extra wire we saved depending on where the most power is we need to put some dummy load on the supply to keep it stable when we only need small amounts of current if you use the 5vt rail then use a 5 ohms at least 5 wats resistor with 12 volts I recommend a 24 ohms and also 5 wat resistor I use two 10 ohm resistors in parallel connect the 5 or 12vt wire to one side and ground to the other try to keep it safe with shrinking tube or tape and that's it here I'm testing whether all binding Post deliver the correct voltage and everything seems correct the real nice thing about those binding post is that you can also just put a be wire in this little hole and screw it tight I hope you like the video If so don't forget to like share subscribe and be sure to leave suggestions for next project in the comment section and I will see you next time