Tech-Burrow

One of the main components of your computer is your PSU (Power Supply Unit). Obviously, it connects from your wall socket via a cable, and then it transform the current from the wall into different voltages and amps for your components. the following is a brief overview of the important things to know about your PSU:

PSUs output ranges from as low as 100W to 2,000W+, and varies in how much amps it delivers on the 12v rails. These values are very important when you think of your PSU, the maximum output of your PSU will directly determine what sort of hardware you are able to fit inside your computer. The amps on the other hand, will directly affect what kind of graphic card you are able to fit as more powerful cards require more power, both in watts and in amps.

However, you have to be aware that though your PSU is rated, for example, at 600W, that doesn’t necessarily mean it actually draws 600W from your wall socket. The power conversion from volts to watts is not a 1:1 ratio, it’s entirely dependent on the manufacturer and the efficiency of the PSU. Most likely your PSU will have roughly a 60-75% efficiency rating at converting volts to watts. This is not a set value, it fluctuates depending on the load being put on the PSU, the more you approach the PSUs maximum output, the more the efficiency drops, so the more it draws, in effect this means that the PSU is always drawing more power then it’s output. There is an easy way to avoid this though, as there’s a new certification for PSUs, which certifies them as “80 plus” which means they are certified to have an 80% or higher efficiency rating at all times and thus helps save conserve power.

While on the topic of power, the amount you need to run a computer is generally a lot less then you may think, generally speaking, a 300-450W PSU will do just fine for a decent system (dual core processor, 2Gbs of ram, mid-range graphic card, a few hard drives,..).

Your PSU is also a piece of hardware you do not wish to go cheap on, as cheap, and therefore low-quality, parts have a tendency to fail or go out with a bang, and that generally means a nice power surge throughout your power cables inside the case, which can very easily short any component connected to the PSU.

Tags: Amps, PSU, Voltage, Watts