Is there a software utility or meter than I can connect to desktop pc to measure or monitor the power flow? The PC can power up and run for a few days then the next day when turned on it displays the win xp boot choices: Safe Mode, Last Known good config, etc BUT none of these choices will operate. It merely returns with the same display of choices in an endless loop. I have reloaded win xp twice and each time after a few days it is back to this boot loop. Test of the hard drive and memory indicate that these components are good. The original power supply is 250 watts. I am thinking of replacing it with an ANTEC SmartPower 2.0 350 w or ANTEC NeoHE 380 w. But I would like to be able to monitor the flow because maybe some peripheral is causing the problem. Appreciate any advice. Gateway 700s win xp new in August 2002 Pentium 4, 2.26 GHz 533 MHz FSB memory 1,256 MB RDRAM PC 800 2 sticks of 500 mb each plus 2 sticks of 128 MB each NIVIDIA 128 MB GeForce4 Ti4200G w DVI graphics accelerator SoundBlaster Audigy Audio w FireWire port hard drive: 1st 80 GB, 2nd 120 GB DVD drive and CD-RW drive 6 USB ports, parallel printer port Ethernet port always connected video capture card rarely used

I know of no such utility. I don't think it's possible to monitor the current/amperage/power in any case because the mboard would have to have the wiring and sensors built in to be able to sense the amount of current drawn - the only thing the mboard and Windows can do that for that I know of is the USB ports. Bad power supplies are very common. You can get a power supply tester module that will tell you via led's whether you are getting the proper voltages from the PS for as little as $20 or so, but it can't tell you if something else is wrong, which can also often be the case - personally I think that's a waste of money because you can find out if it's bad other ways. How do you tell if the PS is malfunctioning or dead? The best way is to borrow a known good PS with enough capacity and try it, or try your PS in a working computer. Make sure all the wire colors and numbers of wires on the main connector from the PS are the same - if they are not one PS is not compatible with the other! If you can't do that.... take it to a computer repair place and have them try another PS, or....... If the computer will not fully boot or PS will not start, or the computer re-boots or shuts down for no apparent reason...... Sniff the PS fan outlet area with the power off - a strong burnt wiring / burnt plasticy smell indicates the PS has been overheating or has been malfunctioning, regardless of whether the PS fan is spinning properly. Try turning the PS fan from the back of the case with a pencil or something slim - it should move in jumps, but be easy to turn - if it is hard to turn, the fan has stopped, the PS has overheated and fried itself, and the PS has died. If the PS or computer starts up .... Look in your bios Setup at the current voltages (if you have the monitoring chipset for that) - +3.3, +5, and +12 volts should be within 10% of nominal values - your Vcc (cpu core voltage(s)) should be within 5% of nominal value(s). Voltages that are too high can do a lot of damage in a short time. If you don't have that in your bios Setup, measure the 12 and 5 volts at the power connectors to a drive - red is +5 volts d.c., yellow is +12 volts d.c., black is negative, probably doesn't matter which one. The PS fan should be spinning at the speed it is supposed to be - some spin according to how warm the PS is, slower when cooler, but it may not have that feature and in that case would spin quite fast. If it spins too slow or has stopped, the PS will overheat and fry itself, malfunction for a while, and eventually die. .....

http://www.seasonicusa.com/power_angel.htm

Hi, Input power can be measured with an AMPROBE or equivalent and a split AC power adaptor. Not worth the trouble. If the montitor lights up there is probably nothing wrong with the AC input. Video signals can be observed with an Oscilloscope from inside the monitor. Also not worth the trouble. Good Luck, Jim