Which power supply to buy for the PC?
Have doubts about choosing a font for your computer? Check out our shopping guide to know Which power supply to buy!
The power supply is one of the most important parts when assembling a PC, after all, it is through it that all the components of your machine will receive energy. It is very important to know how to choose the ideal model with the right amount of watts, avoid wastage of money, or even that other parts spoil due to power supply problems.
NUpgrade prepared this very complete guide to help you choose the right font for your PC. We will teach you how to choose the ideal amount of watts, how to identify a power supply with good efficiency, the difference in ratings, and even show you what changes between the non-modular and modular models. See our tips below.
Watts: how to know the ideal amount in the source?
Manufacturers inform the energy expenditure of their parts, but there are websites that calculate according to the configuration informed by the user. Just put what your computer components are and they will give you the approximate amount of watts that will be needed to power the whole set.
Two well-recommended sites for this are OuterVision and Newegg. These watt calculators are very useful because, in addition to knowing which source you will need for your computer, it is also possible to simulate different configurations even before buying the parts for the PC.
The tip that we give is to always choose a power supply with a power capacity a little higher than the sites recommend, so you avoid problems of having a model that cannot meet the PC’s energy expenditure, or even anticipate the upgrade of components in the future, which will be able to spend more energy. As Intel’s own tip, “it’s better to err for more than for less”.
How to know if the source is efficient?
With the right source for your setup, you need to look at its efficiency. The moment it generates power and transmits it to your computer, a part of what was generated is lost to heat, which is why the sources have a rating of. If you find an “80 Plus” model, for example, it means that the unit can deliver at least 80% of the energy generated, losing the other 20% to heat.
Let’s assume that the source mentioned above is 400W and your PC needs that 400W to work. Doing the math, it could deliver 320W to the PC (80% of 400W), right? But, to be able to feed it, it would consume about 480W of the electrical energy in the house, as it would need an additional 80W to reach 400W, which is what the computer needs.
A less efficient power supply will consume more power to deliver the number of watts you need to the PC. Not only will this be a problem for your energy bill, but it will also dissipate less heat. This triggers other problems, as the computer will be hotter, and noisier (power supply fans running at full throttle) and the power supply will have a shorter lifespan, as it is constantly exposed to this situation.
80 Plus Ratings
Nowadays practically all fonts have at least an 80 Plus rating, which is the recommended minimum. Several tests are carried out by different companies, which use a 115-volt system to verify that the sources meet the requirements. However, among the 80 Plus models, there are still different options, which are classified by metals.
According to the quality of the metal, the efficiency changes. An 80 Plus Platinum model, for example, is more efficient than the 80 Plus Bronze. See below the ranking of the exact efficiency of each model, with tests carried out by Intel simulating the use of 100% of the power of a computer.
Check if the power supply has power surge protection
Components that work exclusively with power management need to offer the user some protection against unusual situations that can happen, and computer sources are no different. It is important to assess whether the chosen source offers these protections, which will likely be informed in the form of acronyms.
Some of the most common are Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Power Protection (OVP), and Overheat Protection (OTP). Also make sure the model you choose offers short circuit protection, preventing it from ruining your computer if that happens.
Modular font vs. non-modular: what changes?
Non-modular power supply models are those whose cables will be connected to the PC and soldered to the power supply circuit. That way, any cables that are not used will have to be managed inside the CPU somehow, as they cannot simply be disconnected from the source. This ends up making the PC assembly more laborious, and can even hinder the airflow inside the case.
Modular models do not have cables connected, so the user will only have what he wants to use inside the CPU. This makes it easier to manage in the case without harming future upgrades because if you add any parts, you just plug the respective cable into the power supply.
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