Questions tagged [power-supply]
A power supply is an electronic device that supplies electric power to another device, such as a computer, monitor or printer. This is achieved by converting wall power (or mains power) to a lower voltage, and in most cases also from AC to DC. Most power supplies also provide protection from overload, power surges and other potentially problematic or hazardous conditions.
2,845
questions
7
votes
2
answers
85k
views
How many watts do case fans generally use?
I'm deciding between a 500 watt PSU and a 600 watt PSU.
I currently have a 460 watt PSU that powers everything but my dvd drive, spare hard drive, and 2 fans.
I've determined 40 watts is enough to ...
- 639
7
votes
3
answers
251
views
Is there a way to automatically disconnect a notebook from the eletrical power-supply?
I know this looks like weird and useless, but let me explain...
I'm running Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) to make some tests on Windows 8 Preview. One of it's assessment is the "...
- 30.5k
7
votes
1
answer
1k
views
External "power brick" style PSUs - are they reliable enough?
Keen to build a quiet, power-efficient always-on HTPC/media server, I've been looking at mini ITX boards that have their own external power-brick style power supply. These appeal because they are ...
- 1,967
7
votes
2
answers
1k
views
New build not powering up at all after connecting psu cables to hard drive
I recently decided to build myself a new, cheap(ish) rig mainly for HTPC use and I have now run into a BIG problem.
The system simply refuses to show any signs of life.
Problem:
When I press the ...
- 75
7
votes
4
answers
8k
views
Will a 500W SMPS consume more electricity than a 250W SMPS if they are powering computers with same specifications?
Will a 500W SMPS consume more electricity than a 250W SMPS if they are powering computer with same specifications ?
Or is the SMPS designed in such a way that it only draws the required power form ...
- 507
7
votes
3
answers
61k
views
My laptop has a three prong grounded plug. Does it need the ground pin?
I recently bought a minivan that has 110V power outlets. I'd like to use my laptop in the van sometimes (not as the driver, of course), but my laptop has a three prong grounded plug, and the outlet is ...
- 1,223
7
votes
1
answer
303
views
PC is randomly shutting off
I have a PC which is randomly shutting off (the hard way, like someone pulled the plug). It's no heat problem, because this can happen after 2 minutes of operation or after 4 hours and I checked the ...
- 8,984
7
votes
3
answers
23k
views
Is my UPS battery dead or is my UPS broken?
When the lights went out today I noticed my UPS battery didn't work.
I checked the monitor and this is what I see:
As you can see it says the battery has 90% but when I pull the plug, it doesn't work....
- 5,533
7
votes
1
answer
7k
views
Internal UPS for desktop computers? [closed]
I was wondering, are there internal UPS'es available for desktop computers?
Every laptop has something like a UPS in it: The battery pack. Desktop computers don't consume that much power, it should ...
- 2,881
7
votes
4
answers
759
views
Computer turns off unexpectedly
My computer turns itself off unexpectedly after some time of use.
It appears that this might be temperature related, but not for sure.
I installed 2 tools that monitor temperature: SpeedFan and CPU ...
- 203
7
votes
3
answers
48k
views
No POST screen, No beeps and No display
I have very old motherboard , CPU , power supply.
Motherboard : Gigabyte G31M-ES2C
CPU : Intel Pentium Dual Core E2160 @ 1.8GHz
Ram : Transcend 2GB ddr2 800MHz.
Power supply : Tech-Com 450Watt....
- 544
6
votes
3
answers
9k
views
What is the bigger cylindrical part found at the end of USB cables but also some laptop PSU cables? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is that cylinder on cables?
What's this part?
- 2,596
6
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Does powerful Core i7 PC with a 800W PSU consume more power than a weaker one on a same task?
If I I mostly (not always of course, otherwise it'd be illogical to buy such) use a PC for simple internet surfing, coding and office tasks, will my electricity expenses be higher if I buy a powerful ...
- 7,643
6
votes
4
answers
56k
views
Does a UPS charge it's battery even if my computer is turned on?
I bought a new UPS and the manual says something like
The UPS must charge for 24 hours before it can work properly...
My question is, does it charge even if my computer is turned-on or should I ...
- 5,533
6
votes
5
answers
8k
views
Graphics card and PSU requirement
Note: This is intended to become a canonical post.
I got a dedicated graphics card of type XXX and it claims I need at least a YYY Watt PSU.
How big does my PSU really need to be?
- 65.3k