Power Supply Unit (PSU)A quality power supply is essential to a PC, especially for those who overclock or have numerous components, extensive cooling systems, and multiple hard drives installed. A power supply is the small, metal box usually located at the back of the PC that converts the AC current from your home to the DC current needed by the PC. The power supply is plugged into an eletrical outlet and then steps down the 110 volts (or 220) into the appropriate voltage and supplies it to the components in a PC. ATX-based power supplies are the standard now used in the PC industry. For help with power supply upgrades, see our Upgrading Power Supply Guide. ElectricityThere are four units of measure for electricity:
Dell Power Supply FactsDell has, in the past, been known to use non-standard pinouts for a number of their power supplies. For systems with these power supplies a standard ATX PSU will not work. You will need to either purchase the correct PSU from Dell, or a Dell specific PSU from PC Power & Cooling. However, their are a few models of Dell PCs that use a standard ATX power supply. They are listed below. Note: Even if your Dell uses a standard ATX PSU, the dimensions of your case may not allow for a ATX size PSU (specifically, the on/off switch if the PSU has one) without modifications to the case. Keep this in mind when searching for a Dell power supply replacement. Dell Models Known to Use Standard ATX Power Supplies
EMI (Electromagentic Interference)EMI can cause problems with PCs as well as radio and television reception. Power supplies are shielded to prevent any problems with EMI. EMI is caused by the magnetic field created from the flow of electricity.
Warning: You should never open the casing of a power supply. Capacitors in a PSU can hold a deadly charge for long periods of time after they have been removed from a PC. If for some reason you need to have a power supply serviced, it should only be performed by a qualified and experienced electrical technician.
Related Articles
|
Best Gaming Desk
IPS Monitor List
PC Cooling Guide
SSD Optimization
LCD Panel Types
Cable Management
Upgrade PSU
LCD Backlight Bleed
Hardware Glossary
![]() Nvidia's latest and greatest GPU series has finally arrived! The RTX 3080 provides more performance than the 2080 ti for hundreds less.
CPU RAM Case Monitor Video Card Hard Drive Motherboard Power Supply PCHardwareHelp.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
|