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The ability of your computer system to function owes its roots in a host of support systems and one of such support systems is your power supply unit.
Your power supply unit is responsible for the smooth distribution of power to all components in your computer. In this article we will find out the various types of power supply units and what makes them unique.
Contents
Why A Right Power Supply Unit is Important ?
Just before we hit the nail, it is important to know that power supply units are specified in watts, a standard power supply unit will deliver around 350 watts.
The more computing components you have in your computer, ranging from your hard drive, tape drives, fans, and others, the more power your computer will require to function.
When it comes to getting a power supply unit, you must get the unit that supplies more power than what you require. This way your computer equipment will function at full capacity and you are in a run to enjoy prolonged life from your computer. Similarly, you will also enjoy reduced heat damage, and this is important for long time usage.
When replacing your power supply units, it is equally important that you get a unit that is equivalent to the previous one or superior to it. Anything less will expose your computer to frailties that will slow it down and eventually break it down.
Furthermore, it is risky to open your computer power units, this should only be done by a professional and it contains dangerous voltages.
Here Are The Three Basic Types Of Power Supply Units
- AT power supply
- ATX power supply
- ATX-2 power supply
Every computer unit has one of the 3 as its power supply unit, and perhaps an upgrade of a previous module. Let’s run through the types and find out just what makes each one great.
1. AT Power Supply
It used to be the most important power supply unit, not until ATX and ATX-2 came into the pictures. It is commonly found now in old computing systems, regardless still, the ATX power supply has been effective and remains a big player in its space. Here are some advantages why AT power supply is the choice of many.
While the AT stands for advanced technology power, the power supply comes with a switch-mode that makes it easy to use and is preferred by many for the simplicity it offers. It works with AT motherboards and perhaps this is the reason it is almost going extinct as ATX motherboards are the kings of the market now and reign supreme in this category.
The AT power supply unit comes with 2 main power supply connectors, that get things done just when you want them to. The connector comes with 6-pins per connector and the pins are arranged in one row and this gets things pretty coordinated. When it comes to the power supply, AT power units produce 250 watts of power or less. It is commonly produced by IBM and it first entered the market in 1984.
2. ATX power supply
Known as advanced technology, ATX power supplies are the big players in the power supply world. ATX redefined the entire power supply niche and set the ground running for ATX-2. It is a complete overhaul of what AT offers and it gives you adequate options to try on the go. Here are some features of the ATX power supply that makes it great.
It comes with a 20-pin connector, against the 6-pin that is available on the AT power supply. Just like AT power supply, the ATX power supply works with the ATX motherboard and this offers advanced features that double the performance of the AT motherboard. It has just one power connector and offers 20-24pins.
On the voltage, it offers over 300 watts, 50 watts above what you get on the AT power supply. There are SATA cables here that make things even easier to enjoy an efficient power supply from the power supply units. It was first produced in 1995 by intel.
3. ATX-2 Power Supply
The first noticeable difference you will find from the ATX-2 power supply unit is the number of pins on the connection plug, there are 24-pins to go along. It is the new definition of power supply units and it came into existence in 2013. It works on the ATX motherboards, while it offers superior performance on advanced motherboards.
You enjoy extra power on this power supply unit as it offers 12V rails of power, you are guaranteed smooth connections on your computers when you opt for the ATX-2 power supply units. Looking at the power efficiency ratings, which is the measure of the amount of power that is pulled from your wall, ATX-2 takes home a rating of over 80% against ATX 70%.
Don’t Forget About The Motherboard
There is so much to choose from when it comes to making a fine choice for your power supply unit, while a large chunk of this decision is made by the type of motherboard your computer comes with.
The rest is up to you, top of this list is the ATX-2 power supply unit which stands tall as one of the finest deployments of technology in the power supply industry.
