Power supply for computer. How to make the right choice?

The power supply unit is exactly that part of the computer,which directly depends on the reliability of the computer, and, above all, the reliability of the HDD - a hard disk that stores all the information. In fact, without a power supply unit, even the best computer hardware can not work at all - it is this part that is responsible for supplying computer parts with energy and converting the voltage coming to the computer from the network to the necessary for individual computer nodes.

It is important to remember that in addition to its main taskthe power supply for the computer serves as a voltage stabilizer and a kind of shield against small interference of incoming voltage, and also participates in cooling the system unit.

Nowadays in almost all modern PCsPower supplies such as ATX are used. Compared to the obsolete AT-type units, the ATX has a higher minimum current. This is due to the fact that the details of modern computers consume much more electricity and require more powerful currents for optimal performance.

The most important thing, what you need to pay attention to,choosing the power supply for the computer, this is its power and basic technical characteristics. The required power for each computer is different and primarily depends on the configuration of the computer itself, as well as the degree of complexity of the system. For example, gaming machines or high-performance workstations require higher power than embedded platforms of small form factors.

Another important characteristic thatEach power supply unit for the computer has this total power received from the PSU at the output. At the same time, some manufacturers produce power supplies with one line, and some power units include two or four lines, which carry current, and the number of lines sometimes almost does not affect the operation of the power supply itself.

Before buying a power supply unit it is very importantCalculate how much energy will be consumed by a personal computer on which this power supply unit will be installed. And the final factor in choosing this part should be considered its main characteristics (power and total current), and not additional functionality. For example, if you decide to choose a less powerful but quiet power supply for your computer, you may regret this choice over time - after installing an additional memory card or another hard drive you will have to purchase a more powerful power supply. For a computer that the user plans to use for several years, you can buy a PSU with a small margin of power just in case if in time the computer will be purchased additional details.

Additional functions that should be reversedattention when choosing a power supply, it is, first of all, Cable Management and Power Factor Correction. Cable Management is the ability to unfasten unused cables, allowing you to use the purchased power supply more efficiently. Power Factor Correction (literally can be translated as "Correction of the power factor") can be of two types - active and passive. The passive PFC simply smoothes the current pulses, stretching them a bit in time. Active PFC is also capable of providing a power factor that is close to ideal. As a result, the power supply for the computer will use its potential to the maximum.

But how does one choose the best power supplyfor computer? To do this, you need to study the tasks that you put in front of your computer, approximately calculate the power and power consumption of all PC parts and simply select the model corresponding to the received figures. Among all manufacturers of power supplies, it should be noted such players in the computer market as FSP, Zalman, Asus, Chieftec and @LUX. Depending on the manufacturer and the capabilities of the selected model, the cost of the power supply can vary from twenty to two hundred US dollars.