In: Root » Computers and technology » PC components » Feeding power to your computer
Your new computer will be hungry for power, and the power supply takes care of that need by reducing the voltage from your wall socket to something more easily handled by your computer. The power supply then pumps the juice to the computer’s components through a number of individual power cables. These cables end in a special connector that you can insert in only one direction, so it’s well-nigh impossible to make a mistake and damage a hard drive or DVD drive because of an electrical short caused by a reversed connection. An ATX motherboard has only one power connector, and older AT motherboards require two power connectors. Most cases are now sold with the power supply already installed (yea!); a preinstalled power supply not only eliminates a step in building your PC but also ensures that you get a power supply of the proper rating. In addition, you can be sure that all the holes for the switches and cables match up. The more powerful the CPU, the more power it generally draws and the more powerful the case fan and the processor fan must be to cool it. Also, power users tend to stuff their computers full of all sorts of neat hardware toys, each of which draws its own power. For these reasons, I strongly suggest that you invest in a case that includes at least a 400-watt power supply, especially if you’re going to add a slew of internal extras, such as a DVD recorder and a tape backup drive. (In fact, AMD recommends at least a 400-watt power supply for the Athlon 64.) If you buy a used case, make sure that it comes with a power supply and a working fan. You should also make sure that the power supply is UL listed just check that it has a UL listed sticker. A used power supply by itself isn’t worth much, especially if it was built to fit a nonstandard case. Never open up a power supply to try to fix it or massage it to work in a particular case. A Mark’s Maxim to commit to memory: Live household voltage is not a welcome visitor within the human body. Leave a malfunctioning or broken computer monitor alone for the same reason. Keeping your computer cool Because all the various devices and components in your computer produce lots of heat, your computer can actually shut down, lock up, or return errors if it gets too hot. Extended overheating reduces the operational life of your parts especially your CPU and leads to early failure. How does your computer keep its cool through this heat wave? The answer is nothing elaborate or high-tech. In fact, it’s just a fan! Your computer’s power supply uses a fan to continually circulate air through the inside of the case. Pizza-box cases and standard-size desktop cases are small enough to require only one fan. However, if you’re thinking of buying a tower case and your computer will use the latest Intel or AMD processor, I highly recommend that you buy a case with at least dual fans. Multiple fans I’ve seen uber-PCs with four fans onboard are a definite requirement if this type of computer is going to stay on for many hours at a time or if it’s jammed full of parts and devices. Ball-bearing fans are preferred because they last longer. CPU chips now run so hot that they come equipped with their own dedicated fan, which sits on top of or beside the processor. This fan is connected to one of the power cables leading to the power supply. If a CPU overheats, it generally locks up your computer or returns some strange results in your programs and it will more than likely be permanently damaged. A computer needs at least one internal fan to keep its sensitive electronics cool. This circulating air has a drawback: All the internal parts within your new computer get dusty over time. Hint: Open your computer’s case every year or so to blow the dust off your motherboard, power supply, and all the various devices that you’ve installed. Accumulated dust can act like an insulating blanket and cause chips and electrical parts to overheat. Consider it an anniversary of sorts. (Boy, I need to step away from the keyboard for a day or two.) Before you open your case to upgrade or clear off the dust, head to your local computer store or photography shop and grab some canned air one of those spray cans that shoots a compressed stream of air for dusting off cameras and computer parts. Techno-types swear by ’em. Take particular care when dusting off your motherboard and the fan intake on your power supply (which is likely to be filthy). Canned air is also handy for cleaning keyboards and adapter cards. Help out your planet by making sure that you choose a brand that doesn’t deplete the ozone layer, and don’t make the mistake of buying one of those air horns that the football types use at the game. (Take my word for it: They don’t work, and they annoy the neighbors.) |
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