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Power a Robust Desktop Computer with an ATX Power Supply
ATX PC power supplies accept power from the wall and deliver it to the computer components that need it. These components include motherboards, graphics adapters, hard drives, and more. At eBay, you’ll find a broad range of new and pre-owned products that are affordable and meet your needs.
How do you determine the necessary wattage?Every PSU is rated to deliver a certain wattage. A 600W ATX PSU supports up to 600 watts at peak load. To determine the minimum wattage you need, sum the peak load requirements of the components that your PC comprises. So, if you have a CPU that requires 150 watts and a GPU that requires 150 watts, you need a 300W PSU at a minimum. Experts tend to recommended purchasing overhead so that the PSU isn’t running at load and you have room to expand.
What’s the difference between top and bottom mounting?Most ATX power supplies can be either top or bottom mounted. PC cases will support either top or bottom positioning and both in some cases. If you have an option, it’s a matter of preference. Bottom mounting will make a case more bottom heavy and more stable, but when you top mount, the overall weight of the unit may be a concern.
What does 80 PLUS mean?80 PLUS is a certification program for power supplies. A PSU that has been 80 PLUS-certified delivers more than 80% efficiency at 20%, 50%, and 100% load. In other words, an 80 PLUS-certified will use less electricity than a PSU that is not as efficient.
What is an ATX power supply and modular power supply?An ATX power supply is a computer power supply designed specifically for desktop computers. ATX stands for "Advanced Technology eXtended," which is a motherboard specification. The ATX designation means that the unit is designed to fit into an ATX case, which is designed to hold an ATX mainboard.
Every power supply or PSU will have a certain number of power cables that connect to the motherboard, hard drives, and other components. With a traditional ATX PSU, these cables are fixed, and even unused cables must be managed. With a modular ATX PSU, all or most cables are detachable. This lets you eliminate any cables that you won’t use, which makes cable management much easier. Should you ever need a cable in the future, you can simply reattach it to the PSU.