Choosing the proper power supply is something that people often tend to overlook while building a computer. However, this is an area that requires considerable attention. Though spending a high amount on a quality power supply won’t improve the performance of your computer, it would be a wise area to invest in, as a power supply failure can have an adverse impact on your system as a whole. Moreover, a decent unit won’t have to be replaced when you install new parts in your PC. Here are some steps using which you can find the right power.
Spend Some Time in Research
The quality of power supply tends to vary from one manufacturer to another, even among units produced by the same company. Find out the company who produced the unit, rather than the one who marketed it, and ensure that you are buying from a reliable company. For instance, Corsair units are normally made from either Channel Well or Seasonic, both of which are made from decent units. You can collect these details by checking the UL certification number, but sometimes research can be essential.
Another plan you can follow to find out the power supply quality is by opening the unit. Quality units come with a green PCB, instead of a beige yellow. The former come with quality capacitors that are rated for high temperatures, and are meant for protection circuitry. Though the normal computer isn’t likely to cancel the warranty. But keep one thing in mind. A fan grilles is the best indication of quality. A fan grille that has been made from metal is a perfect indication, as it is the most affordable type of fan grille.
Stay Away from Power Supplies with Numerous 12v Rails
These rails are normally separate over-current protection units that operate from the same 12 v source. Though they don’t always decrease a power supply’s efficiency, they do make it tough to access the 12v current. Though most multiple rail power supplies come with two or three rails, it can still be a cause of a problem, especially if one peripheral(such as graphics card) draws more power as compared to remaining system.
Go through the Label
Verify the wattage of the power supply isn’t always enough. Ensure that most of the current is available from 12 v output. Modern systems use most of the power from the 12v line. Since this isn’t always the case, quite a few older designs offer most of the power on 5v or 3.3 v lines, which isn’t suitable for their modern counterparts.