PC power supplies include a power supply, an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), and a voltage stabilizer. The first device is the most important, its parameters affect the operation of all computer systems. What should be guided by when choosing it?
It is necessary
access to the Internet
Instructions
Step 1
The main parameter of the power supply is power. Calculate its value based on the power consumption of individual computer components: processor, cooling fans, hard and optical disks, motherboard, video card, etc. Use one of the online calculators available on some sites.
Step 2
Unfortunately, calculators do not provide information on all components. The power consumption of a computer is highly dependent on the nature of the operations performed on it. Manufacturers, as a rule, do not indicate this characteristic in the documentation for their products. Use the following information for a rough power calculation.
Step 3
The processor consumes from 50 to 90 W - the more, the higher its frequency. When determining the power of the processor, it is necessary to take into account the possibility of its overclocking by multiplying the nominal power value by a factor of 1, 1-1, 20.
Step 4
Motherboard consumes 25-30 W, RAM modules 5-10 W, hard disk - 10-30 W, CD and DVD drives - 10-25 W, floppy drives - 6-7 W, sound card - 6-10 W, I / O ports - about 10 watts. Video cards are a highly power-hungry component. Depending on the model, their power consumption can vary from 50 to 200 watts or more.
Step 5
Sum up the power values of all components and multiply the result by a factor of 1, 2-1, 3 - in order to create a power reserve. The resulting value will be the required power of the power supply.
Step 6
If you are purchasing a power supply for an already working computer - in order to replace the old one - you can use a simple but reliable way to determine the power consumed by the computer. Disconnect all electrical appliances in the house so that only one computer remains on. Record the readings of the electricity meter and play a game for an hour on the computer. After that, take new meter readings and determine the consumed power by the difference. The method, of course, is not very accurate, but it allows you to determine the approximate power consumption of a computer.
Step 7
Buy an ATX 2.x PSU. Information about this should be available on the block itself or in the documents for it.
Step 8
A definite guarantee of quality is that the power supply unit belongs to well-known manufacturers. Such, for example, as Cooler Master, FSP, Enermax, OCZ, Zalman, Hiper, Corsair, Chieftec, Antec, Enhance, etc. Here, of course, fakes cannot be completely ruled out. Analyze the prices in different stores, if somewhere the price of a well-known brand will be significantly lower than in other stores - this should be cause for doubt. But in any case, do not buy noname products - without a brand.
Step 9
It is advisable to purchase a power supply with a PFC module. This module corrects the so-called power factor, which ensures that the load on the supply line is uniform. PFC can be active or passive, the former being more advanced.
