PC Power Supplies

Equipment for a Computer Source

• Detachable cables - Some computer sources have a modular plug-in, allowing you to connect only the ones you really need. The result is better cable organisation, resulting in a cleaner look and better airflow.
• Passive cooling - passively cooled sources do not contain a fan, they are cooled only by natural air flow, which can be potentially unhealthy for the system. Such sources, however, generally have limited performance. Some of the more powerful sources are able to passively cool down at low load, when higher they then activate a fan.
• Active PFC - PFCs, or power factor correction power supplies smooth out current consumption and adjust the amount of power from the power supply. The aim is to prevent overload and voltage fluctuations. Active PFC for compensation uses a dedicated circuit and is a more expensive but better solution.
• Passive PFCs - passive PFCs have the same task in a computer source as the active PFC, but they use a more common capacitive filter that reduces the cost but also the quality of the compensation. Passive PFCs can only be found in the cheapest sources.
• Thermal speed control - thermal speed control is available in the vast majority of computer power sources. Its aim is to adjust the temperature rpm. The more heat that is generated, the faster the fan goes in order to maintain safe temperatures, while keeping the silent running.
• The network switch - the power switch is familiar to everyone. It is a small two-state switch on the back of the power supply that can interrupt the power supply to a computer source.

Effectiveness of PC Power Sources

Efficiency is a parameter that indicates the percentage of electrical energy from a network that is used and divided between the components. The remaining percentages represent the amount of energy that is lost, which is given off as heat.

Although you can select a source directly based on the value of efficiency, it is better to use a standardised distribution using 80 PLUS certifications.

*The values are calculated at 50% capacity at which the efficiency is highest.

Power Source Connectors

Each source has output connectors that must match their counterpart on the motherboard. When purchasing a power source, first look at what connectors your board requires, and then you can filter out which ones you don't want.

The motherboard's main power supply runs through a 20-pin or 24-pin connector, while the additional processor power is provided by the ATX 4-pin connector or 8-pin EPS connector.

The power-intensive graphics card connection in the PCIe slot takes care of the same marked 6-pole or 8-pin power connector.

The 15-pin SATA connector serves to power all the relatively modern disks communicating through the SATA III interface. 4-pole Molex connectors, on the other hand, mount older HDDs, their reduced versions then FDD. Molex is the most commonly used connector on your computer, and a number of plug-and-play connectors for it can be used to connect any of the above-standard internal computer equipment.

Fan Size

The size of the fan of the computer source is mainly a consideration for the noise it generates. A larger fan can rotate slower to ensure the same air flow, reducing noise and increasing lifespan.