Power Supply Buying Guide: 4 Tips Before You Buy Power Supply

One of the often overlooked, yet highly essential PC components is the humble Power Supply . A computer runs on electricity, that is not di...

One of the often overlooked, yet highly essential PC components is the humble Power Supply. A computer runs on electricity, that is not directly provided from the socked in the wall to every element inside its case. Instead, the electricity routes from the AC (Alternating Current) into the DC (Direct Current) used by the computer’s component at a required voltage.

It is a beginner’s mistake to buy any kind of power supply without doing research. If a power supply doesn’t provide enough clean power, it can cause many problems with your equipment, including instability, random resets, and freezes.

This is exactly why you should give your power supply as much attention as other essential computer parts. Also, if you are a gamer, a power supply can be even more significant and can affect your performance (just like internet speed) so you should also check out sites like Amazon, that review power supplies for gaming.

4 Things to Know Before You Buy Power Supply for Computer

Picking the right power supply is a challenging task, and we would like to make it a little bit easier for you by listing the most important specifications. Without further ado, here is everything you need to know about the computer power supply.

1. Power Output

There are several different factors that you should consider when choosing a power supply, but perhaps the most important one is power output. Determining how much power supply your computer needs is actually not that difficult. Sure, you can read reviews and check out instructions and benchmarks to find out how much you need, but you can also use a calculating tool, like a power supply calculator. To be able to successfully use this tool, you need to select your components from the list, and it will calculate your requirements. Once you have this knowledge, you are already on a good path to buy the right power supply for your PC.

2. Upgrades Anticipation

When purchasing a power supply, it is essential to anticipate the upgrades that will be necessary for the future. As the technology is advancing, it is crucial to make sure your equipment will last you at least a couple of years. You can run possible scenarios to be sure that you can handle long-term needs. However, a more efficient way to predict your future requirements is to look down the road a little bit and think about what changes you might want to make later to your computer. Don’t plan to meet your needs today, that’s not enough for the current speed of the IT industry. When you make a decision, keep in mind that continuous power and peak power are two different things. The maximum power term typically refers to continuous power and maximum surge to peak power. When buying a power supply, make sure that the continuous wattage meets all your requirements.

3. Protection

Power supply producers sometimes will build in protection to protect your computer components from power-related issues. This protection can increase the price of a power supply, but it is worth its price, as it brings peace of mind. Also, in areas where the quality of electricity is unstable, such protection is a must if you don’t want to replace your computer in a matter of a few months or weeks.

The first protection you might want is ovoltage protection, which shuts down the power supply when the voltage exceeds a specific limit.

The second type of protection is called overload and overcurrent protection. It shuts down the power supply when the system detects excessive current or power load.

4. 80 PLUS Certification

If you are looking for a power supply, you might have already noticed that some units have an 80 PLUS Certification sign on their label. What does this mean? 80 Plus is a certification program that enables manufacturers to provide assurances that their product meets certain efficiency standards. 80 plus certification has a couple of levels. They are:

● Basic
● Bronze
● Silver
● Gold
● Platinum
● Titanium

When you are shopping for a power supply, be sure to buy one that has the best efficiency to price ratio. 80 PLUS certification should be your guide when deciding which product to choose.

The power supply is one of the most significant components of a quality PC, but it feels like it doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. Hopefully, after you read this article, you know what are the most important specifications and you are more than ready to go out and start looking for the perfect power supply. Give your computer enough power to be able to perform at the highest level possible.