Desktop Power Supply Requirements
- A power supply unit is the heart of your desktop.power supply image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com
The power supply is the heart of your computer. It gives energy to the other components so that they can function. Without one, your computer won't even boot up. With an improper one, your computer will be unstable and perform poorly. Although power supply units lack the selling appeal of big name processors and large amounts of RAM, they are an essential component with specifications which need to be carefully aligned with your desktop. - You might have noticed that desktop cases come in many varied dimensions. These dimensions are known as form factors and they limit the kind of components that will neatly fit inside. Typically, the main concern is about the motherboard fitting a case's form factor, but the same is true of power supply units. Be certain to get a power supply that matches the form factor of your case or else it might not fit. As of 2010, the most common form factor is the ATX12V.
- For most users, the chief concern will be the power supply unit's wattage. This statistic limits how many components your computer can stably operate. If your computer consumes more wattage than the power supply unit can provide, it will lead to crashes and could very easily damage your hardware in the process. Your unit's "Maximum Power Supply" typically refers to the largest continuous amount of wattage that it can provide stably. Many units also come with a "Peak Power" statistic which is notably higher. This number refers to how much wattage the unit can supply during peak performance, though peak performance only lasts a matter of seconds. If you have components that consume more than the "Maximum Power Supply," your computer will become unstable. You can determine how much wattage your system needs by tallying the wattage demands of each components yourself, or by using Outervision's unique Power Supply Calculator (see Resources).
- For users who plan to use a high-end graphics card, another important requirement of the power supply unit is the presence of PCIe power connector. Typically, these are 6-pinned, though they also come in an 8-pinned format. While power supplies have a number of generic 4-pin connectors to power hard-drives, DVD-ROMS, and other peripherals, the 6- and 8-pin connectors are unique to only specialized models. That being said, many low and mid-range video cards do not require special connectors. Instead, they're powered by the motherboard itself. When purchasing your power supply unit, first determine which video card you plan to use. Find out if it needs a special power connector, and if so, limit your power supply choices to those models that provide the necessary 6- or 8-pinned connector.
