Different sized power supplys?

AAARRRGGGHHH! computers are so confusing Are there different sizes for power supplys and how they connect to motherboards and so on so forth? and if so how to i determain which type i need?

Go read ceewi1's PSU guide. Here's the link:



ceewi1's PSU Guide



In short, you probly need an ATX PSU. Assuming your computer was made in the last..what? 10, 15 years or so? Beyond that, in order to figure out how much power you need your PSU to deliver, it's generally helpful to know what components you plan on running.



First build?

awesom! thanks for the help. nuh, not quite at first build stage yet, just trying to upgrade video cards but not enough power!

Ah. An OEM rig. Those frequently have massively-underpowered PSUs. Ceewi1 also has recommendations for PSU by video card that are pretty good, as well as PSU's by performance point point (i.e.-his picks for the best 650W, for example).

had a bit of a read. mines only a 350 watt at the moment, is it basically the bigger the better or can i overload my system?

Bigger the better as long as it's a quality unit. Don't buy those 500 watt Powmax PSU's as they're absolute junk. And no a PSU cannot overload your system.

Size? you mean physically size? I knew there are ATX and mATX

That's a superb guide, but not one I can take credit for - you can thank Praetor for that one!

There are two issues at play here. One is the physical size of the PSU, whether it will fit in your case. There are a few form factors, e.g. ATX, Micro-ATX and others. In some cases Dell will even sell systems that don't use a standard sized PSU. In general, though, you'll probably need an ATX PSU, unless you have a small form factor case.

The other issue is the amount of power that can be put out, and in that respect there's no limit - you can't overload your system. As has already been mentioned, make sure you look for a quality unit, and one with sufficient amperage on the +12V rail(s), not just wattage.

OEM PCs (at least those from major manufacturers) will generally come with a PSU that is sufficient for the system, but without much upgrade room. If you're planning on upgrading, or need a new PSU for some other reason, please post your budget for the new PSU, your system specs and the model of your PC, if it's from a major vendor.

If you're looking for more general information, there's a lot of it at Useful PSU & Case Guides

awesom! thanks for all the help