GoKawiilIf you have a spare, old, unwanted PC power supply unit (PSU) just gathering dust, perhaps it could enjoy a new life as a bench power supply. This is probably the exact thought that fired across man-cave hobby channel Handmax Workshop’s neurons, which recently published a 5-minute video entitled ‘Don’t throw away your old PC PSU – do this instead!’
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The video starts with a brief explanation of why a bench power supply is a useful piece of equipment for DIYers and tinkerers who sometimes have to or wish to work with electronics.
Probably the most useful feature of such a device is to deliver an accurate, stable DC voltage for testing things if you have run out of batteries or you suspect the device is broken due to a battery compartment issue (e.g., corrosion). Of particular attraction is the outputs that deliver a voltage you dial in, typically by turning a knob on the unit.
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Handmax Workshop shows the ‘donor’ PC PSU is a very old one from the Pentium 4 era, which is rated at 350W. Its fan was also extremely dusty, but that was remedied, and we guess it was previously tested to be fully functioning.
Next up, the DIYer strips down the PSU, snipping the wires (wire length requirements will be much reduced in this project). With this era of PSU cables being color-coded, which is no longer a trend, the TechTuber flashes up a handy colorized guide to an ATX PSU’s main connector pinout (roughly 1 minute into the video).
The new bench power supply will need a chassis with a panel to mount the usual outputs, dials, and so on. So, Handmax Workshop turns to their Bambu Labs A1 to 3D print a nice two-art two-tone frame and panel. The design incorporates enough room beneath the front panel for the new wiring routes, etc. Handmax Workshop kindly makes the 3D printer files available via a link in the video description.
In addition to the old PC PSU and the 3D printer output, it is necessary to add some key components to make a working and useful bench power supply. The most important additions are as follows, and they aren’t very expensive:
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