Does European power supply with american cord work?

[uApple]

Hello everyone.

I have moved from Europe to Canada recently and i took my PC with me. One day when i was playing the computer shut off, and the problem was the power supply. I thought that mine was dead, and i thought so because i used a cheap adapter from European plug to American one, so i bought a new power supply and everything is fine now.

However, my friend recently took a look at the inside of the power supply and he said that nothing seems to be defective and the power supply might actually work. So here is my question - If i buy a power cable with american plug, assuming that the power supply isn't dead, will it work? The power supply input current is rated at 230Vac, and i assume that lower input current of 110 in Canada will be no problem?

 

An example of american power cord - https://www.amazon.com/C2G-03134-Universal-Power-Cord/dp/B00005113L?ref_=Oct_DotdC_i78c_0_11572a9b&pf_rd_p=d33831d1-957a-5043-9c10-6db8567a8615&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-4&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=597260&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=TA3ZSBC01EM0T8CPRVVM&pf_rd_r=TA3ZSBC01EM0T8CPRVVM&pf_rd_p=d33831d1-957a-5043-9c10-6db8567a8615

Power supply itself and its specifications - https://www.coolermaster.com/catalog/legacy-products/power/thunder-500w/#Specifications

[minibois]

Check the label on the power supply if it can take 110v input too. The website doesn't seem to list a voltage input as low as 110v.

[Grabhanem]

4 minutes ago, uApple said:

Hello everyone.

I have moved from Europe to Canada recently and i took my PC with me. One day when i was playing the computer shut off, and the problem was the power supply. I thought that mine was dead, and i thought so because i used a cheap adapter from European plug to American one, so i bought a new power supply and everything is fine now.

However, my friend recently took a look at the inside of the power supply and he said that nothing seems to be defective and the power supply might actually work. So here is my question - If i buy a power cable with american plug, assuming that the power supply isn't dead, will it work? The power supply input current is rated at 230Vac, and i assume that lower input current of 110 in Canada will be no problem?

 

An example of american power cord - https://www.amazon.com/C2G-03134-Universal-Power-Cord/dp/B00005113L?ref_=Oct_DotdC_i78c_0_11572a9b&pf_rd_p=d33831d1-957a-5043-9c10-6db8567a8615&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-4&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=597260&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=TA3ZSBC01EM0T8CPRVVM&pf_rd_r=TA3ZSBC01EM0T8CPRVVM&pf_rd_p=d33831d1-957a-5043-9c10-6db8567a8615

Power supply itself and its specifications - https://www.coolermaster.com/catalog/legacy-products/power/thunder-500w/#Specifications

Switching from 230V to 110V will probably not work. Voltage is different from current- current is just a function of the load on the system, while voltage is a more fundamental part of the design of the power supply. As minibois mentioned, some power supplies can automatically switch voltage modes, but this doesn't seem to be one.

[Glenwing]

7 minutes ago, uApple said:

Hello everyone.

I have moved from Europe to Canada recently and i took my PC with me. One day when i was playing the computer shut off, and the problem was the power supply. I thought that mine was dead, and i thought so because i used a cheap adapter from European plug to American one, so i bought a new power supply and everything is fine now.

However, my friend recently took a look at the inside of the power supply and he said that nothing seems to be defective and the power supply might actually work. So here is my question - If i buy a power cable with american plug, assuming that the power supply isn't dead, will it work? The power supply input current is rated at 230Vac, and i assume that lower input current of 110 in Canada will be no problem?

 

An example of american power cord - https://www.amazon.com/C2G-03134-Universal-Power-Cord/dp/B00005113L?ref_=Oct_DotdC_i78c_0_11572a9b&pf_rd_p=d33831d1-957a-5043-9c10-6db8567a8615&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-4&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=597260&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=TA3ZSBC01EM0T8CPRVVM&pf_rd_r=TA3ZSBC01EM0T8CPRVVM&pf_rd_p=d33831d1-957a-5043-9c10-6db8567a8615

Power supply itself and its specifications - https://www.coolermaster.com/catalog/legacy-products/power/thunder-500w/#Specifications

 

Quote

INPUT RANGE:  180-264Vac

120 V AC used in the US is outside the operating range listed on the specifications page.

[seon123]

7 minutes ago, uApple said:

my friend recently took a look at the inside of the power supply

Yeah..... I wouldn't trust that friend with anything PC related. 

7 minutes ago, uApple said:

The power supply input current is rated at 230Vac, and i assume that lower input current of 110 in Canada will be no problem?

It is a problem. Power is a function of the voltage and the current. So half the voltage means twice the current, and the components on the PSU aren't rated for that. 

On lower end and budget PSUs you'll sometimes find that they support 230V only, as it helps reduce cost. 

Edited February 29, 2020 by seon123
Something something

[SkyHound0202]

Canada uses 110V AC, which is below the rated input range (180-264V AC) of your PSU, thus it would not work.

 

Get a voltage converter (cheap, but not recommended) or a new PSU.

[uApple]

4 minutes ago, SkyHound0202 said:

Canada uses 110V AC, which is below the rated input range (180-264V AC) of your PSU, thus it would not work.

 

Get a voltage converter (cheap, but not recommended) or a new PSU.

 

4 minutes ago, seon123 said:

Yeah..... I wouldn't trust that friend with anything PC related. 

It is a problem. Power is a function of the voltage and the current. So half the voltage means twice the current, and the components on the PSU aren't rated for that. 

On lower end and budget PSUs you'll sometimes find that they support 230V only, as it helps reduce cost. 

 

5 minutes ago, Glenwing said:

 

120 V AC used in the US is outside the operating range listed on the specifications page.

 

5 minutes ago, Grabhanem said:

Switching from 230V to 110V will probably not work. Voltage is different from current- current is just a function of the load on the system, while voltage is a more fundamental part of the design of the power supply. As minibois mentioned, some power supplies can automatically switch voltage modes, but this doesn't seem to be one.

 

 

Thanks a lot guys! This one will go to the parts then.