Computer Power Supply - Developments You Need To Know

Not so long ago, when you wanted a new power supply, you went to your local electronics store and picked up a standard 300 watt unit. It didn’t matter which one you bought, because they were all virtually the same. They had the same connectors, the same fan in the back, a generic unit for all PC’s. Times have changed.

The most obvious difference is all the wattages available. You can still get that 300 watt model, but it has cousins now in the 400 to 500 watt range that are almost as cheap. Gamers routinely purchase 700 watt PSU’s, and get them for under $100. For the truly power mad, a 1000 watt can be found for $400.

That standard 300 watt unit came with nine Molex 4 pin connectors whether you needed them or not. Now, leading brands like Ultra and Thermaltake have gone to a modular design for their high end units, meaning you only have to plug in the wires you need, and leave the rest out of your PC entirely. So, if you only need five, you plug five into the PSU, connect them to your hard drive, CD/DVD, and so forth. It improves airflow greatly.

Speaking of connectors, many units are sold SATA ready, meaning they have at least two 7 pin SATA connectors, and most likely more. I’ve seen some with six. This means no fiddling around with those 4 pin to 7 converters.

The old style ATX motherboard required a 20 pin power connector, but the ATX 2.0 standard calls for a 24 pin. You can get PSU’s with either setup, and convert one to the other with an adapter, if necessary. The adapters sell for $5.

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Michael Quarles is the author of "Building a PC for Beginners". His website is www.monkeyseemonkeydobooks.com/computer-power-supply.html

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