Power supply
Abbreviated as PS or P/S,
a power supply or PSU
(power supply unit) is a
hardware component of a
computer that supplies all
other components with
power. The power supply
converts a 110-115 or 220-
230 volt AC (alternating
current) into a steady low-
voltage DC (direct current)
usable by the computer
and rated by the number of
watts it generates. The
image shows an Antec True
330, a 330 Watt power supply.
A power supply is an electronic device that supplies electric
energy to an electrical load. The primary function of a power
supply is to convert one form of electrical energy to
another and, as a result, power supplies are sometimes referred
to as electric power converters. Some power supplies are
discrete, stand-alone devices, whereas others are built into larger
devices along with their loads. Examples of the latter include
power supplies found in desktop computers and consumer
electronics devices
Caution
Never open the casing of a power supply. It contains capacitors
capable of holding a strong electrical charge, even if the
computer is off and unplugged for an extended period.
Tip
You can protect your power supply and your computer from
surges and voltage drops by investing in a UPS (uninterruptible
power supply). If you cannot afford a UPS, make sure the
computer is at least plugged into a surge protector.
Where is the power supply located
in a computer?
The power supply is located at the back of the computer, usually
at the top. However, many more recent tower computer cases
house the power supply at the bottom back of the case. In a
desktop computer case (all-in-one), the power supply is located at
the back left or back right.
Parts found outside of a power
supply
Below is a list of parts you may find on the back of the power
supply.
● A connection for the power cord to the computer.
Alternatively known as a power cable, mains cable or
flex, a power cord is the primary cable that provides power
to the computer, printer, monitor, and components within a
computer. The image is an example of the power cord that is
commonly used with computers, monitors, printers, and
other peripherals. With a desktop computer the power cord
connects to the power supply.
Tip
When dealing with a laptop, the power
cord is more properly referred to as an AC
adapter.
● A fan opening to heat out of the power supply.
● A red switch to change the power supply voltage.
● A rocker switch to turn the power supply on and off.
A rocker switch is any switch
turns off or on by "rocking" the
switch from the 0 (Off) to the 1
(On) position. The rocker switch
symbols represent the 0 and 1
used in binary, the language of
computers. The picture shows
an example of a typical rocker
switch found on a computer
power supply. A rocker switch
may also be on external hard drives, computer monitors,
surge protectors, and other computer peripherals.
On the front of the power supply, which is not visible unless
the computer is opened, you find several cables. These
cables connect to the computer motherboard and other
internal components. A power supply connects to the
motherboard using an ATX style connector and may have
one or more of the following cables to connect power to
other devices.
● Auxiliary connector
The auxiliary connector is a
four or six wire power supply
connector that connects to the motherboard. This connector
provides additional power to the computer processor and
other power hungry devices like a video. The picture shows
an example of an auxiliary cable. As you can see, the cable
has two black wires that provide the ground, two orange
wires that provide +3.3VDC, and a red wire that provides
+5VDC.
● Berg connector
Sometimes labeled on the cable
as P7, the Berg connector is a
power connection developed by
Berg Electronics. It is used with
computer power supplies that
connect to floppy disk drives,
front panel lights, and reset or
turbo buttons. The picture is an
example of the 4-pin Berg connector used to power floppy
disk drives in computers.
● Molex connector
Molex is the name of the company who
develops computer and other related
connectors and products. Also known as
a Molex power connector (pictured), it
connects your computer power supply to
drives and devices inside the computer.
● P4 connector
The P4 connector is a 12V
power supply cable used with
motherboards that have an Intel
Pentium 4 or later processor.
Today, the connector is a
standard power connector and is used with both Intel and
AMD motherboards. As seen in the picture, the P4 cable has
two black wires that serve as a ground, and two yellow ones
that are +12VDC. All of these wires attach to a four pin
connection on the motherboard.
Note
If you purchase a new power supply with an 8-pin connector and
your motherboard only needs a P4 connector, you can separate
the 8-pin into two 4-pin sections.
● SATA power connector
The SATA
power
connector
has 15 pins
and
supplies
+3.3V DC, +5V DC and +12V
DC. SATA power cables are
often paired with a 4-pin Molex LP4 connector, which connects to
a computer's power supply.1
Note
SATA (also referred to as Serial ATA) stands for Serial Advanced
Technology Attachment
Parts found inside a power supply
Below is a list of parts inside a power supply.
● A rectifier that converts AC (alternating current) into DC.
1 [Link]
Short for alternating current, AC is an
electrical current that reverses or alternates
its direction of flow. On May 1, 1888, Nikola
Tesla patented the rotating field motor, an
invention that generates and transmits AC
power, still in use today. Tesla later sold the
rights to George Westinghouse.
AC power's main advantage over DC is that its voltage can
be changed using a device called a transformer. A standard
wall outlet in the United States is 110 volts transmitting
currents at 60 hertz per second. European power systems
use 220 volts alternating current at 50 Hz.
When plugged into an AC power outlet, your computer's
power supply changes this "dirty power," converting it into
direct current. It also drops the voltage to keep the sensitive
components in your computer protected.
● A filter that smooths out the DC (direct current) coming
from a rectifier.
Short for direct current, DC is an
electrical current that flows
unidirectionally. The electrical flows in
DC are from the negative terminal to the
positive terminal. The direct current is
what your computer uses to power the
electronic components in your computer.
The term filter also refers to a device inside a power supply
that smooths out pulsing DC (direct current).
● A transformer that controls the incoming voltage by stepping
it up or down.
Set of coils wound around a core,
usually made of iron generating
a magnetic field, that creates
energy between the coils.
Transformers step electrical
currents up or down, and is the
heart of computer power
supplies. The illustration shows
an example of the inside of a
transformer. As you can see, the
circuits are not connected, but
are still able to transmit power over the electromagnetic
field.
A transformer could step down incoming power by having
more turns in the incoming or primary coil than in the
secondary coil. For example, if there were double the
amount of coil turns, it would reduce the power in half.
● A voltage regulator that controls the DC output, allowing
the correct amount of power, volts or watts, to be supplied
to the computer hardware.
An integrated circuit that takes an
unregulated power source and
adjusts its voltage to a fixed level.
For example, you could have 12V
power source and using a voltage
regulator, decrease that it to 5V.
The picture shows an example of a
voltage regulator on a computer
motherboard.
The derived unit of electromotive force, the volt, is the
electric potential difference between two distinct points on
a wire capable of carrying a charge. More specifically, a
potential difference transmits one unit (joule) of energy to
each charge (coulomb) that passes through it. More plainly,
the voltage can be thought of as the amount of "electric
pressure" pushing on electrons.
Note
When dealing with a computer power supply, the voltage a
computer uses can vary. For example, in the United States and
Canada, a computer uses 120 volts. In other locations like the
United Kingdom and Australia, a higher voltage of 230 or 240
volts is used.
Abbreviated as W, a watt is a unit of electrical power equaling
the product of amperage and voltage. It represents the amount of
power a device requires to operate. Common measurements are
kilowatt (1,000 watts), megawatt (1 million watts), microwatt
(.000001 watt), and milliwatt (.001 watt).
The order that these internal power supply components function
is as follows.
● Transformer
● Rectifier
● Filter
● Voltage Regulator
What items are powered by the
computer PSU?
Everything contained in the computer chassis is powered by the
power supply. For example, the motherboard, RAM, CPU, hard
drive, disc drives, and most video cards (if the computer has one)
are all drawing power from the power supply. Any other external
devices and peripherals, such as the computer monitor and
printer, have a power source or draw power over the data cable
like some USB devices.
Note
If the computer is a laptop or an All-in-One computer, the display
is powered by the computer power supply.
Does the fan always run on a power
supply?
While the computer is on, the fan(s) inside a power supply should
always be running. If the fan is not running (spinning), either the
computer is not working or the fan has failed and the power
supply should be replaced.
Note
Some power supplies have variable controls that may increase or
decrease the speed of the fan depending on its temperature.
However, it should always be spinning.
Reference
[Link]