Power Supplies
Computer Power supplies are sold in terms of their total power output, in terms of wattage. Choosing a power supply with enough power shouldn’t be much of a problem, as having more power than you need is never a bad thing.
It just indicates the total power available to the various lines inside the computer. In addition to checking out the total wattage of a power supply, looking for strong amperage ratings on the 3.3V, 5V, and 12V lines is also recommended, as power supplies with identical total power ratings may distribute the power to the various lines in different quantities.
A typical ATX power supply, such as this Coolmax 700W unit, measures 3.35" Height x 5.51" Width x 5.91" Depth and features two cooling fans to not only cool the power supply, but to also help draw hot air out of the computer. A typical mATX power supply, such as this TR2 Series 430W unit, measures 2.5” x 5” x 4” and due to the smaller size features just one cooling fan. mATX cases are generally much smaller than ATX cases, and therefore have smaller power supplies, with generally lower power ratings, and fewer connectors.
The connectors on a power supply also deserve consideration. Up until recently power supplies had a fixed number of connections, and if you needed more, you needed to use splitters to distribute the power to all the components.
Many manufacturers now offer computer power supplies that consume less energy thanks to high quality internal components, advanced designs, and active power factor correction. These units are now able to provide the same power to the components in a computer, but due to increased efficiency, draw less power from the electrical outlet.
Surge Protectors
Surge protectors come in all shapes and styles. The Fellowes Surge Protector protects up to 10 devices from surges, as well as offering line conditioning and ports to protect your phone line.
Uninterruptible Power Supplies
Many people familiar with Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) know that they can keep a computer up and running during a total power failure, but don’t know what else they do. A continuous UPS always has the devices connected to it running off of battery power, while the batteries are recharged by the normal electrical connection.
A computer system is only as strong as its weakest feature, and many times that distinction falls on the power supply and related components. By choosing a quality power supply, surge protector, and perhaps a UPS, one can make sure that they have adequately strong and stable power to keep their system running now, as well as down the road when upgrades may increase the demand on their system.
Available on Amazon Computer Power Supplies - Uninterruptible Power Supplies
