How to Choose Power Supply for PC

The Power Supply Unit is an essential component of all servers and is responsible for the functioning of PCs and IT infrastructure, on the whole. Today, almost every laptop comes with an in-built PSU during purchase. For desktop, if the same needs to be changed, you should know how to choose a power supply for PC. This article will discuss what is power supply unit, its use, and how to choose one when needed. Continue reading!

How to Choose Power Supply for PC

What is Power Supply Unit?

• Despite the name Power Supply Unit, PSU does not supply its own power to the device. Instead, these units convert one form of electrical current i.e. Alternating Current or AC to another form i.e. Direct Current or DC.
• In addition, they help regulate the DC output voltage according to the power requirements of the internal components. Hence, most Power Supply Units can operate in different locations where input power supply might vary. For instance, the voltage is 240V 50Hz in London, 120V 60 Hz in the USA, and 230V 50 Hz in Australia.
• PSUs are available from 200 to 1800W, as need be.

Click here to read Power Supply Guide and brands available according to PC requirements.

Switched Mode Power Supply (SMPS) is the most used due to its broad scope of advantages, as you can feed multiple voltage inputs at a time.

Why is PSU Necessary?

If the PC does not obtain an adequate power supply or the PSU fails, you might face several problems like:

• The device may become unstable.
• Your computer might not boot from the start menu.
• When the demand for excess energy does not meet, your computer may shut down inappropriately.
• Hence, all expensive components could be damaged due to system instability.

There is an alternative for the Power Supply Unit called Power over Ethernet (PoE). Here, the electrical energy can be carried out through network cables that are not being tethered into the electrical outlet. If you want your computer to be more flexible, you may try PoE. In addition, PoE may render many possibilities for wireless access points connected with a network perusing higher convenience and lesser wiring space.

Also Read: Fix PC Turns On But No Display

How to Choose Power Supply for PC?

Whenever you choose a Power Supply Unit, you have to keep the following in mind:

• Make sure that it is flexible with the form factor of the motherboard & case of the server. This is carried out to fit the Power Supply Unit firmly with the server.
• The second thing to consider is the wattage. If the wattage rating is high, the PSU can deliver high power to the unit. For example, if the internal PC components require 600W, you will need to buy a Power Supply Unit capable of delivering 1200W. This willsatisfy the power requirements of other internal components in the unit.
• When you undergo the replacement or upgrading process, always consider brands like Corsair, EVGA, Antec, and Seasonic. Maintain a priority list of brands according to the type of usage, whether gaming, small/large business, or personal use, and its compatibility with the computer.

This would make it easier to choose a Power Supply suitable for your PC.

What is the Efficiency of Power Supply Unit?

• The efficiency range of 80 Plus power supply is 80%.
• If you scale towards 80 Plus Platinum and Titanium, the efficiency will increase up to 94% (when you have 50 % load). All these new 80 Plus Power Supply Units require high wattage and are suitable for huge data centers.
• However, for computers and desktops, you should prefer buying an 80 Plus silver Power Supply and below, having an efficiency of 88%.

Note: The difference between 90% and 94 % efficiency can make a wide impact in terms of energy utilized by large-scale data centers.

Also Read: How to Check Intel Processor Generation of Laptop

How Many PSUs are Sufficient for a PC?

In general, you will need two power supplies for a server. Its operation depends on the redundancy required by the computer.

• It is a clever way to have a fully redundant Power Supply system with one PSU switched off all the time, and used only in case of downtime.
• Or, some users use both power supplies employed in a shared manner that split the workload.

Why Test Power Supply Unit?

Testing Power Supply Unit is essential in the process of elimination & troubleshooting. Although this is not an exciting task, users are recommended to test their Power Supply Units to analyze various PC Power Supply problems and solutions. Read our article here on How to Test Power Supply for more information regarding the same.

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We hope that you learned what is Power Supply Unit and how to choose power supply for PC. Let us know how this article helped you. Also, if you have any queries/suggestions regarding this article, then feel free to drop them in the comments section below.