Gateway Parts

Selecting a computer Power Supply?

I'm selecting parts for my custom gaming computer, and I've read a few guides but nothing made any mention about power supply specifics beyond the wattage. Are there any plugs or ports I need to match up?

Public Comments

1. Most current Power supplies will have all the plugs you really need. Get a little bit bigger voltage then you need and make sure it has enough plugs for your video cards if you are doing SLI or some such would be your only concern there. Something you might want to look at is if the Power supply is modular or not. A modular power supply can make for a cleaner internal appearance since you only have the connections you need.
2. Most serious power supplies (i.e. 500+W) will have all the appropriate cables and plugs you'll need for a typical installation. If you're doing something bizarre (like an 8 drive RAID array), then you do need to make sure there are sufficient connectors of the exact type you need (SATA in the RAID example). Sometimes bargain brand PSUs can be an issue. If you're running a high wattage video card (GTX 295 for instance), then you'll need both a 6-pin and an 8-pin PCIe plug to power that video card, in addition to the motherboard, cpu and drive power connections.
3. With the items you have selected, note the specifications for power usage , type of cabling and plug requirements. Example would be a hard drive or DVD/CD unit usually are powered by a 4 pin molex plug.Some are SATA. The quantity of power plugs and type will be 1 factor in your choice of a PSU. Mother board plug 20 or 24 and so on. Wattage is a factor. It is better to have a larger unit, and expansion room than too small or just enough. They run cooler this way and don't heat up the rest of the hardware inside. You will need extra fans, take into consideration for these as we just talked about. Power supply units also have single or multiple rails for power distribution. On multiple systems, none should be less than 20amps (12 volt rails). Warranty's, look closely , there are 3,5,&7 year out there. 12 months doesn't cut the mustard.Ultra, OCZ, Rosewill, & Corsair are brands that I looked at for a replacement not long ago. I bought a Corsair. And I am happy with it. Here are some links to look and 1 for information.Oh most people that sell these have specs and diagrams of plugs and power right on line.