To find out how powerful a PC power supply really is, you should know in Power supply specs, it can be identified by the sticker on the device. These stickers are found on all PC power supplies.
One of the most important value is the “Total Output”, which gives information about the highest overall performance. It’s important, how much power can be provided for each individual lines. The capability of each individual lines are not always listed in the sticker. We can easily calculate with this formula : volts x amps.
12 volt line is needed for components that require much power. For example the processor and graphics card. Each core requires 12-volt power and 20 amps or 240 watts. There are also high end graphics cards that consume much power. Generally requires two x 12 volt lines, in order to supply up to 200 watts.
DVD drives, hard drives and motherboards require 5 volt lines. USB connector on the mainboard also requires a 5 Volt voltage.
The mainboard will also receive a line voltage of 3.3 volt. For example, the memory RAM.
If you aren’t sure how much power requires for your computer, you can consult with a specialist in retail stores. There is also the option of searching for power supply technical specs on the internet. You can also find information about the Power supply review to find out the overall performance of the power supply of each manufacturers.
