Power supply for a gaming computer. How to choose a power supply for a computer

Greetings, dear readers! In this article, you can find out which is the right power supply for your computer, and what they are. Many people, when selecting a block, think that it is just a box that supplies energy. And you can take any, the main thing is to be more powerful, but cheaper.

But this approach is rather unsuccessful. And you will be very lucky if it starts up at all and does not drag the rest of the computer component to the trash in 2-3 months.

Therefore, you need to approach the choice with high quality and in good faith, the rating of blocks of which weighs at decent levels. A nice PSU should work as quickly as possible, with low heat leakage. And it would be nice if its fans were not noisy.


Power

The power supply unit must cope with any power and of course, it is useful to have reserves and then (+ 20% minimum), it will serve quietly and fruitfully. For an ordinary home computer, a PSU with an impressive 450 watts is enough. Well, if you are a fan of various games, then you will need power from 500 to 700 watts. Did you know that any power supply generates heat, which in single models with an inert cooling system is removed only by a radiator, which desires true design and the best environmental conditions. Well, for super powerful configurations with multiple video cards, it is better to take a SeaSonic power supply for 750-1200 W with a certificate of 80 Plus Gold or Platinum, which are considered the best, provide minimal drawdowns and no voltage ripple under high loads.

Didn't know this? Now you are in the know.

Cooling

And today, all power supplies are equipped with 120 mm fans. These are the ones I recommend taking, because. fans of 80 mm or less than 130 mm are very noisy and their cooling is much worse. In many cases, the fan does not know how to correct the speed of the wheel by itself.

Here, such a factor as trust in a popular brand comes into play, which took care of the buyer and took measurements of the wheel cycling frequency and air flow on the 5-volt line by gravity. True, there are not so many such brands on the market, plus the prices for their products are quite high. But this option can be safely interpreted, because it will please users in terms of silent operation and cost-effective cooling.

Efficiency

Any power supply has a specific level of beneficial action, which determines how correctly it processes energy. In current PSUs, this rating is at the level of 80-90%, and in more expensive solutions, 95-100%. This standard is so important only for companies that employ a large number of computers, because the savings in this case will be much noticeable.

Other models of such power supplies can be independently powered from a network of 110-240 volts, which would be commendable for rural areas where there are problems with voltage drops. The modern market is very common for a variety of different types of power supplies for computers. The level of manufacturers is not always the same. The advantage of this is not only in the high marketing policy. Of course, the main factor is the quality of products and its affordability for different populations.

Energy efficiency rating for power supplies

It is determined by the unified international standard 80 PLUS. It is divided into several classifications:

Bronze – 81-85%.

Silver – 85-89%.

Gold – 88-92.

Platinum – 91-94%.

Titanium – 94-96%.

In general, a block with official 80 PLUS Bronze certification will be enough for basic computer configurations with hardware levels up to the middle price segment. For more powerful and, accordingly, demanding components, Silver-Gold would be the best option. Owners of top configurations are advised to look towards Platinum or Titanium if there is an urgent need for maximum system energy efficiency.

Comfort in use

Favorably, when wires, cords and connectors do not interfere. Easy installation can recommend modular types of blocks. These are the ones from which you can unfasten unnecessary elements. It is recommended to choose those samples that are equipped with a 120 cooler. But there are bigger options that will give the cooling system an auxiliary efficiency.

And at the same time it will make it difficult to find out on the manufacturer's website which type of bearing is used. It is recommended to abandon planing bearings, they are not so reliable. The best sound verdict will be the presence of, so to speak, intellectual adjustment. It will allow not turning on at all until a certain temperature limit is reached.

What about quality?

Inexpensive power supplies for computers, the level of which captures the leading positions, are nothing more than a fantasy or a simple marketing ploy. The products of the German manufacturer take huge popularity in the market. Any number of their blocks has all types of protections and the ratings declared by them on different reviews.

In the category of power supplies, for the tenth year in a row, PC Games Hardware received the title of “Manufacturer of the Year”.

Well, a direct rival to the German brand in terms of excellent product quality is a publication originally from Taiwan. It has many branches in the USA, Europe, Japan and other locations. SeaSonic products are divided into masses of series, any of which can definitely provide different sets of features for any budget.

Of course, you are also interested in Chinese brands, because. they are cheaper in price. To be honest, China is not always a vile quality. An example is the DeepCool edition, which provides readily available power supplies at a good price for the buyer.

In most domestic budget PCs, a Zalman power supply is installed; it is one of the obvious winners among the masses. Over the 17 years of its existence, the South Korean brand has managed to grow into an international class corporation, covering many IT areas. Gaming keyboards, mice, silent cases, quiet cooling systems, and this is still an incomplete list of what the company is known for around the world. For all the years of its activity, any Zalman power supply is one of the first candidates for installation in a budget gaming system.

We can say with confidence that South Korean products have received such a nominal status, clearly not because of the advertising campaign alone. Well, Thermaltake also performed well. Power supplies, reviews of which generally form a positive impression, are at least worth a detailed look.

Using the power of other companies in its own developments, Thermaltake has proven its competitiveness in the market with numerous awards.

The main share of all products of this company belongs to the expensive Hi-End class. But this does not mean that it does not offer interesting options at a more modest cost.

I currently have a corsair power supply (corsair power supply 1200) for two video cards from Msi 1080 gaming X 8Gb

Each power supply must include cables and connectors that are required to supply power to various devices in the computer.

  1. The main connector that connects to the motherboard. Now in new blocks it has 24 contacts. He is alone in the power supply. It is needed to regulate the power supply from the side motherboard. And for legacy boards, a 20-pin connector is required. This must be taken into account when choosing a PSU. You can choose the optimal version - this is a universal PSU, its connector is made in the form of 20 + 4 pin.
  2. CPU power connector. In numerous cases, it is single, 4-pin, and plugs into a separate socket on the motherboard.
  3. The PCI_E power connector is usually a six-pin connector designed to power the video card. The PSU has 1 or 2 of these connectors. For some powerful video cards, the introduction of power through an 8-pin connector is necessary. This requires a specific power supply. Ordinary or modular wires. In a standard power supply, all wires are attached to it firmly. Let any particular part not apply, it is impossible to disconnect it from the PSU.

There are also power supplies with modular cords. This is when only wires with main connectors are fitted to the blocks, and other cords can be disconnected in order to interfere.

Well, let's now find out about the motives for damaging power supplies 🙂

Many owners of computer equipment are faced with such a difficulty as a malfunction of the power supply. The culprits of the damage are the defect of the rectifier, the deviation of the forming parts of the filter, the failure of the microcircuits.

Every repair starts with a diagnosis. Initially, you need to examine the health of the main fuse.

It “sticks out” in front of the surge protector, so to speak, and if it is damaged, then it must be replaced with a fresh one, so to speak, of the same type.

Then it is appropriate to continue the diagnosis. It is necessary to inspect the power supply board for any problems. Look at the integrity of the leads and rations. And then check for a high-voltage switch, filter and rectifier. Here you will need an ohmmeter. And of course, find out for sure if there are any complaints about the capacitors.

The correct calculation of the power supply for the computer. calculate the watts of the power supply on the calculator. What are the power supplies and which one to choose? How many watts should a power supply have? What is the voltage in the computer's power supply?

  1. The top configurations of course Platinum and Titanium, this is the price segment that has exceeded all the norms, let's say, gaming and the most energy-demanding systems. More powerful than the average price segment but lower than the top, the Silver-Gold option will be. For computers with configurations up to the middle price segment, the 80 PLUS Bronze block will be enough, for example, as office ones for PC managers.
  2. Calculate the power supply capacity for your computer configuration (power supply calculator)

  3. You can calculate the power of the power supply on a calculator and confirm or double-check on several. Below I present to your attention our calculator, on which you need to select the components of your computer and see the total at the very bottom, if your components are not in the list of the calculator, then just select the brand.

The power supply is designed to supply electrical current to all computer components. It must be powerful enough and have a small margin for the computer to work stably. In addition, the power supply must be of high quality, since the life of all computer components greatly depends on it. Saving $10-20 on the purchase of a high-quality power supply, you risk losing system unit worth $200-1000.

The power of the power supply is selected based on the power of the computer, which mainly depends on the power consumption of the processor and video card. You also need the power supply to be at least 80 Plus Standard certified. Optimal in terms of price / quality ratio are Chieftec, Zalman and Thermaltake power supplies.

For office computer(documents, Internet) a 400 W power supply is enough, take the most inexpensive Chieftec or Zalman, you can't go wrong.
Zalman LE II-ZM400 power supply

For multimedia computer (movies, simple games) and gaming computer the entry-level class (Core i3 or Ryzen 3 + GTX 1050 Ti) will fit the most inexpensive 500-550 W power supply from the same Chieftec or Zalman, it will have a margin in case a more powerful video card is installed.
Chieftec GPE-500S power supply

For a mid-range gaming PC (Core i5 or Ryzen 5 + GTX 1060/1070 or RTX 2060), a 600-650 W power supply from Chieftec is suitable, if there is an 80 Plus Bronze certificate, then good.
Chieftec GPE-600S power supply

For a powerful gaming or professional computer (Core i7 or Ryzen 7 + GTX 1080 or RTX 2070/2080), it is better to take a 650-700 W PSU from Chieftec or Thermaltake with 80 Plus Bronze or Gold certification.
Chieftec CPS-650S power supply

2. Power supply or case with power supply?

If you are building a professional or powerful gaming computer, then it is recommended to choose a power supply separately. If we are talking about office or ordinary home computer, then you can save money and buy a good case complete with a power supply, which will be discussed.

3. What is the difference between a good power supply and a bad one

The cheapest power supplies ($20-30) by definition cannot be good, since manufacturers in this case save on everything they can. Such power supplies have bad heatsinks and a lot of unsoldered elements and jumpers on the board.

In these places there should be capacitors and chokes designed to smooth out voltage ripples. It is because of these pulsations that the premature failure of the motherboard, video card, hard drive and other computer components. In addition, such power supplies often have small heatsinks, which cause overheating and failure of the power supply itself.

A high-quality power supply has a minimum of unsoldered elements and larger radiators, which can be seen from the mounting density.

4. Manufacturers of power supplies

Some of the best power supplies are made by SeaSonic, but they are also the most expensive.

Not so long ago, the well-known brands for enthusiasts Corsair and Zalman expanded the range of power supplies. But their most budgetary models have a rather weak filling.

AeroCool power supplies are one of the best in terms of price / quality ratio. A well-established manufacturer of coolers DeepCool is getting close to them. If you don’t want to overpay for an expensive brand, but still get a quality power supply, pay attention to these brands.

FSP manufactures power supplies under various brands. But I would not recommend cheap PSUs under their own brand, they often have short wires and few connectors. Top FSP power supplies are not bad, but at the same time they are no longer cheaper than famous brands.

Of those brands that are known in narrower circles, one can note very high-quality and expensive be quiet!, powerful and reliable Enermax, Fractal Design, slightly cheaper, but high-quality Cougar and good, but inexpensive HIPER as a budget option.

5.Power supply

Power is the main characteristic of the power supply. The power of the power supply is calculated as the sum of the power of all computer components + 30% (for peak loads).

For an office computer, a minimum power supply of 400 watts is enough. For a multimedia computer (movies, simple games), it is better to take a 500-550 watt power supply, in case you later want to install a video card. For a gaming computer with one video card, it is desirable to install a power supply with a capacity of 600-650 watts. A powerful gaming PC with multiple graphics cards may require a power supply of 750 watts or more.

5.1. Power supply power calculation

  • Processor 25-220 Watts (check on the website of the seller or manufacturer)
  • Video card 50-300 watts (check the website of the seller or manufacturer)
  • 50W entry-level motherboard, 75W mid-range, 100W high-end motherboard
  • Hard drive 12 watt
  • 5W SSD
  • DVD drive 35 watts
  • Memory module 3 Watt
  • Fan 6 Watt

Do not forget to add 30% to the sum of the capacities of all components, this will protect you from unpleasant situations.

5.2. Program for calculating the power of the power supply

For a more convenient calculation of the power of the power supply, there is an excellent program "Power Supply Calculator". It also allows you to calculate the required capacity of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS or UPS).

The program works for everyone Windows versions with "Microsoft .NET Framework" version 3.5 or higher installed, which is usually already installed by most users. Download the program "Power Supply Calculator" and if you need "Microsoft .NET Framework" you can at the end of the article in the "" section.

6.ATX standard

Modern power supplies have the ATX12V standard. This standard may have several versions. Modern power supplies are manufactured according to the ATX12V 2.3, 2.31, 2.4 standards, which are recommended for purchase.

7. Power correction

Modern power supplies have a power correction function (PFC), which allows them to consume less energy and heat up less. There is a passive (PPFC) and an active (APFC) power correction scheme. The efficiency of power supplies with passive power correction reaches 70-75%, with active - 80-95%. I recommend purchasing power supplies with active power correction (APFC).

8. Certificate 80 PLUS

A quality power supply must be 80 PLUS certified. These certificates come in different levels.

  • Certified, Standard - entry-level power supplies
  • Bronze, Silver - middle class power supplies
  • Gold - high-end power supplies
  • Platinum, Titanium - top power supplies

The higher the level of the certificate, the higher the quality of voltage stabilization and other parameters of the power supply. For a mid-range office, multimedia or gaming computer, a regular certificate is sufficient. For a powerful gaming or professional computer, it is advisable to take a power supply with a bronze or silver certificate. For a computer with several powerful video cards - gold or platinum.

9. Fan size

Some power supplies still come with an 80mm fan.

A modern PSU should have a 120mm or 140mm fan.

10. Power supply connectors

ATX (24-pin) - motherboard power connector. All power supplies have 1 such connector.
CPU (4-pin) - processor power connector. All power supplies have 1 or 2 of these connectors. Some motherboards have 2 processor power connectors, but can work from one.
SATA (15-pin) - power connector hard drives And optical drives. It is desirable that the power supply has several separate cables with such connectors, since one cable connects HDD and the optical drive will be problematic. Since there can be 2-3 connectors on one cable, the power supply must have 4-6 such connectors.
PCI-E (6 + 2-pin) - video card power connector. Powerful graphics cards require 2 of these connectors. To install two video cards, you need 4 of these connectors.
Molex (4-pin) - power connector for obsolete hard drives, optical drives and some other devices. In principle, it is not required if you do not have such devices, but it is still present in many power supplies. Sometimes this connector can supply voltage to the backlight of the case, fans, expansion cards.

Floppy (4-pin) - drive power connector. Very outdated, but it can still be found in power supplies. Sometimes some controllers (adapters) are powered by it.

Specify the configuration of power supply connectors on the website of the seller or manufacturer.

11. Modular power supplies

In modular power supplies, extra cables can be unfastened and they will not interfere in the case. This is convenient, but such power supplies are somewhat more expensive.

12. Setting filters in the online store

  1. Go to the "Power supplies" section on the seller's website.
  2. Select recommended manufacturers.
  3. Choose the required power.
  4. Set other important parameters for you: standards, certificates, connectors.
  5. Browse positions sequentially, starting with the cheapest ones.
  6. If necessary, specify the connector configuration and other missing parameters on the manufacturer's website or another online store.
  7. Buy the first model that fits all parameters.

Thus, you will get the best value for money power supply that meets your requirements at the lowest possible cost.

13. Links

Power Supply Corsair CX650M 650W
Thermaltake power supply SmartPro RGB Bronze 650W
Zalman ZM600-GVM 600W power supply

For computers, switching power supplies are used. Unlike transformer ones, they are smaller in size, but due to the complexity of the circuit, they are more prone to breakdowns. Therefore, the choice of a PSU is an important stage in the assembly of a PC.

Power supply power

How much power is needed for a computer power supply? PSU manufacturers indicate an effective operating range of 50 - 80% of that indicated on the label. So this criterion cannot be discounted. There are many online calculators on the Internet. Let's pay attention to the website of the well-known company be quiet! (https://www.bequiet.com/en/psucalculator). Here you enter the model of the CPU and video card, the number of S-ATA, P-ATA devices and RAM sticks, as well as the number of air fans and liquid cooling systems.

As a result, we get the maximum power consumption.

Further, it is proposed to select a specific model based on the user's priorities: silence, efficiency, price. In our example, the optimal solution would be a 500-watt power supply for a computer, the maximum load of which would be at 63%.

Don't feel like fiddling with a calculator? Here are some general tips:

  • Often, the specifications for video cards indicate overestimated conditions for the power of the entire system. Learn to calculate it yourself.
  • Suppose the choice fell on the Geforce GTX 1060 video card. According to tests, such a configuration with a central Intel processor consumes about 280 watts. Therefore, we recommend a 400-watt power supply. For AM3+ CPU, we recommend 500 watt models.
  • The AMD RX 480 video adapter needs more watts (maximum 345 W), and a PC with a Geforce GTX 1070 is loaded up to 330 W, but 400 watts is enough in both cases.
  • If the Geforce GTX 1080 is responsible for the graphics, then we find a 500-watt PSU.
  • For an overclocked Geforce GTX 1080TI video card in conjunction with any CPU, a 600 watt device is suitable.
  • More powerful PSU models are used in SLI systems (for a gaming computer) and in mining. In this case, we add the power consumption of each video card according to the specification.

Selection of a power supply for a computer by parameters

Power calculated. Let's move on to the following priority properties of power supplies:

  1. Size;
  2. Manufacturer;
  3. The degree of silence;
  4. Distribution of currents along the lines;
  5. Availability of necessary protections;
  6. Modularity;
  7. Variety of power connectors.

Form factor

PSU is installed in the case personal computer. There are two main standards depending on the dimensions - ATX And SFX. The first is used in conventional system units, it is more common. If you have a compact desktop system, then only the Small Form Factor will do. The instructions for the PC frame indicate the type of supported power supplies.

Format ATX implies the installation of a cooler with a diameter of up to 14 cm in the PSU. Previously, the type SFX had an 80mm fan. Now a compact power supply for a computer is equipped with a 12 cm cooler, which has a positive effect on the noise level.

Manufacturers of power supplies for computers

Each company can release both a successful series and a non-brilliant one. PSUs from different manufacturers are presented on the market, but according to the filling of the same company.

Of the fully branded power supplies, only the company remained Super Flower, prices for which are biting. Their quality is over the top. Such power supplies are useful in hot server systems with round-the-clock load or mining.

At seasonic began to meet noisy specimens and with a squeak, although it takes a proud second place.

Enermax began to give the production of new brands to the company TWT which made them of lesser quality.

At be quiet! cooling systems are better, and the real PSU manufacturer is HEC, which does not reach the “middle peasants”.

Better not to buy models Chieftec, the quality factor of which has fallen recently, while the cost has remained at the same level.

BP Aerocool the VX series are noisy at maximum power and mediocre in quality, and KCAS- quiet, and flaws can be detected immediately and returned to the store.

Firm Corsair is notable for its fickleness - the CX series is the most unfortunate, and the RM is the best, albeit expensive.

XFX- worthy power supplies in terms of price / quality ratio, since they are quiet, and are responsible for the filling seasonic. Such PSUs are cheaper, where they are not assembled at the main plant of a famous brand.

efficiency

Power supplies differ in the quality of energy transfer from the outlet to the computer, that is, in terms of the degree of loss. To formalize these parameters, an 80 PLUS certificate was issued, which is issued by a PSU with an energy efficiency of at least 80% and a power factor of at least 0.9.

This parameter directly affects how much money you spend on electricity. The noise level from the PSU will be less with a more advanced certification as the fan dissipates little heat. The higher the efficiency of the power supply, the more expensive it is. Therefore, we choose the “golden mean” - 80 PLUS GOLD. In this case, with a network voltage of 230 volts, power losses at 50% load will be only 8%, while 92% will go to the needs of the PC.

Power Factor Correction

Quality power supplies always have power factor correction (PFC). This coefficient reduces the reactive power consumed by the PSU, which consists of inductive and capacitive components. Such power does not carry a payload, so they fight it by adding special elements to the circuit.

There are two types of PFCs:

  1. Active;
  2. Passive.

APFC copes with short-term voltage dips in the mains (work continues due to the accumulated energy in the capacitors), so the voltage range at the input of such a PSU reaches 100-240 V. The resulting power factor rises to 0.95 at full load.

The passive PFC circuit is a high inductance choke that smooths out low frequency noise. But the power factor does not rise above 0.75.

Power supplies with active PFC look preferable, which improves their performance.

Noise

PSUs for a computer also differ in the type of cooling:

  1. Active;
  2. Passive;
  3. Semi-passive.

The first type has become widespread. In such devices, the fan constantly rotates, removing warm air. Its speed can be controlled by the temperature inside the power supply case. The noise level depends on the size of the cooler (the larger the diameter, the lower the noise) and the type of its bearings (the quietest is the hydrodynamic bearing, the loudest is the sliding bearing when worn).

Passive cooling system implies the presence of a massive radiator. The absence of a fan in the PSU does not mean complete silence during operation. Some elements of the block board may emit a quiet, but noticeable buzz. In terms of acoustic comfort, such models are often inferior to power supplies with active cooling.

The best choice for this criterion is power supplies with a semi-passive mode, especially if there is a button to control it.

The cooler turns on only when the load on the system is small (from 10 to 30% depending on the model). It then turns off when the temperature inside the PSU falls below the threshold.

The advantage of the semi-passive type of cooling is not only low noise level, but also increased fan life due to reduced fan speed, as well as optimized heat dissipation at any time during the operation of the power supply.

A high-quality power supply creates independent +3.3 V circuits; +5 V and +12 V. In budget PSUs, with a sharp increase in current consumption by a processor or video card along the +12 V circuit, drawdowns are observed on other lines. This may cause the system to freeze. Therefore, before buying, you need to find reviews on the Internet for models of interest and give preference to a device whose voltage fluctuations do not exceed 3%.

The main load in the system unit falls on the CPU and video adapter, which receive energy through the +12 V line. Therefore, it is important that the power supply unit is able to deliver the maximum possible power through it, preferably close to the total. This information is displayed on the PSU label.

Protection technologies

The next stage is the presence of a variety of protections from the power supply against:

  • overload (OPP);
  • overcurrent (OCP);
  • overvoltage (OVP);
  • undervoltage (UVP);
  • overheating (OTP);
  • short circuit (SCP).

Modularity

There are three types of PSU according to the method of connecting power cables:

  1. non-modular;
  2. Fully modular;
  3. With partially detachable cables.

The first type is the cheapest. Such a power supply requires careful laying of wires in a personal computer case so as not to interfere with the free movement of air. A system unit with good cable management will do.

The PSU is easier to install if only the right cables are connected to it. In this case, such strict requirements are not imposed on the body.

Power cables for the motherboard and CPU are required regardless of the number of connected devices, so you can choose the least expensive PSU with partially detachable connectors.

Computer power supply connectors

The PSU supplies power to the components of the personal computer through cables with connectors. For hard drives and optical drives, SATA types and the outdated Molex are used. But the second option is used for the operation of case fans if their rotation speed is not regulated. Solid State Drives are powered either via SATA or directly via the PCI and M.2 interfaces of the motherboard. The floppy drive needs a floppy connector.


The main power cables are fed to the motherboard (24/20 pin) and CPU (8/4 pin). The 20-pin connector was used with early motherboards, now it is 24-pin, in which 4 pins are usually detachable. Undemanding “stones” have enough 4-pin power, but it is better to connect all 8 wires.

If the external video adapter does not have enough power PCI bus, then additional pads with power are connected. Computer power supply connectors for a video card can be 6 or 8-pin, and for powerful devices - two connectors of 8 wires.

The length of the cables to be connected is also important. Before buying, we go to the website of the power supply manufacturer and study the parameters of interest.

Without competent research of the PC power supply market, it is impossible to build an efficient and stable system. The durability of components directly depends on the properties of the PSU. What is the best power supply for a computer? An ideal acquisition is considered to be a well-known brand device that operates at a level of 50 - 80% of its capabilities (affects the strength of its elements and the degree of noise) with all existing protections.

Here is another informative article, this time on the topic of iron. Or rather, about choosing the right power supply for your system. Most likely you will think that there is nothing complicated here, just look at the power and choose a manufacturer. But no, this is the most banal mistake of all novice users, since when you come home and start connecting a brand new power supply, you may be unpleasantly surprised when you realize that something is not suitable. And to avoid such mistakes, I strongly recommend that you read this article.

Let's start with the simplest, what is a power supply? The computer power supply is a voltage converter for supplying all computer components with direct current and the voltage necessary for each element. A modern power supply should provide voltages of 3.3V, 5V and 12V.

Power. One of the most important points when choosing a power supply, of course, is the correct selection of power. If you install a power supply with a weaker power than your system needs at peak load, this threatens the instability of the system and with a high degree of probability of failure of any components. If you install a power supply unit of unreasonably higher power, this will affect its efficiency and increase power consumption. There are quite a few calculators on the network for calculating the power of power supplies, but I recommend using the Asus power calculator, as it is updated regularly, and there are always new video cards and processors in its list. You can add 50W to the received power for a reserve, I also recommend looking at a PSU not lower than the 80+ Bronze standard (for more information about the 80 plus standard, see wikipedia.org).

Firm. This is a bit more complicated and it is necessary to seriously study each model, because, as elsewhere, some models are successful, some are not. Still, I strongly advise you not to contact noname PSU, but look towards such manufacturers as Thermaltake, Chieftec, Corsair. Personally, I have been buying components in the OGO.ru store for a long time, but first read the article.

Wires and connectors. Let's move on to the most interesting part. It is because of your inattention to this topic that the purchased power supply may not be suitable. If you pay attention to the specifications of motherboards, you may notice that there are always two important points in the specifications:
1) Main power connector;
2) CPU power connector.

It is because of inattention to these two points that beginners have problems.

In modern motherboards, the 24-pin main power connector is most often found, but the processor power connector is divided into two types: 8-pin ...

On server motherboards, there is also a 20-pin for the main power supply.

A universal option would be to purchase a power supply with a connector for the motherboard 20 + 4pin, and for the processor 4 + 4pin. This will allow you to connect this power supply to any motherboard. But for purely home use, you can often just take 24pin power for the motherboard.

Do not forget about video cards, because if you have a powerful video card installed, then most likely it requires an additional 6-pin power supply, sometimes even 6 + 6 pin. That is, two connectors of 6pin each. The number of hard drives and optical drives is also important, since all modern hard drives and drives are powered by a Sata connector. Although if you have old computer, then you should pay attention to the IDE and Floppy connectors.

So, when choosing a power supply, the second most important is the selection of connectors suitable for your system unit assembly:

Summarizing, we can say that you should carefully read the specifications of the motherboard and video card, look at the dimensions of the case and the location of the PSU in it, so that the length of the wires is enough for all the elements. Plus, you can choose a PSU with detachable cables, this will free up some space in the case by disconnecting unnecessary wires.

PFC(power factor Correction). Translated as "reactive power compensation". I recommend choosing a power supply with Active PFC. This will reduce interference in the network, it also stabilizes the incoming voltage and the PSU will be much less sensitive to voltage drops. This essentially allows you to use the power supply in the universal voltage range of 110-230V.

PSU cooling. It is desirable that the fan be at least 120mm in diameter, but this condition is observed in almost all power supplies.

That's all. You can safely go to the catalog of the online store OGO.ru and choose the power supply that suits you.

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