Should I be concerned about this voltage reading (via SpeedFan)?

Question

Been having computer issues. (My computer has been freezing the past couple of days, but in a rather odd manner: once it starts, each program freezes after a couple of seconds of being used. Note that the computer is not suddenly hanging. Each program freezes independently, a few seconds after receiving focus.) While checking all my bases, I came across this voltage reading, where I'm getting -7.75v instead of -12v.

Is this likely just an incorrect reading, or should I be worried about this reading?

Edit: I am aware of the unusually high readings for Temp2 and Temp3. These seem to be extraneous. I've always gotten those readings in SpeedFan (including with different power supplies and hard drives). All indications are that the readings are not accurate. This is why I'm thinking that the reading for -12v is incorrect.

Also, if the thermal protection were being tripped, I would expect the system to either hang or shut down, not become unstable.

Answer 1

Yes, you definitely should. If it would be 11.5 or maybe even 11 V it would be fine. But 7.75V is really low. Maybe you could try using a replacement power supply and test it again with it. If the freezing don´t come back. Voila ;-)

But there is something else that gives me nightmares in this reading. Temp2 and Temp3 are way to high. 127°C is to much for every part of your computer. I guess that´s more the cause of the freezes.

Answer 2

Although it doesn't actually answer your question, the reason for the freezing is the temperature. The computer will lock up to try and cool down, to prevent damage being done to more fragile components.

With those kinds of temperatures, it's almost surprising that the whole computer doesn't shut down, and it may actually be the case that the PSU has become faulty due to the heat.

Answer 3

The fact that your system is reading those High Temps and that low voltage is a red flag for something. Use HWMonitor and see if you get the same results. If so, it's likely that your processor is overheating or that there is a sensor that is bad, and possibly motherboard failure. If things are under warranty, see if you can start replacing them. The fact that it's freezing shows that you may have be ignorant of the high heat sign. Don't ignore this until it gets to the point that it's completely shot. Check your thermal paste, CPU fan, and consider replacing those. You may even need to be replacing your motherboard and or CPU.