What to consider when buying a computer power supply

Getting a new power supply for your computer is pretty important because if you make the mistake of choosing the right PSU or run out of money, you may regret it later. There are many features to look for when buying a power supply.

Can you imagine the disaster that will happen when the new power supply you have installed on your PC cannot supply enough current to your graphics card? To avoid this, this article will tell you what to look for and what features to consider when buying a new power supply for your system.

If your power supply is broken and you want to replace it with a new PSU, you can make your job easier by purchasing the same model. However, if you are looking for a power supply that is superior and efficient than the power supply you already have, it means that you need to delve into the detailed specifications. Therefore, we will give you a few tips for purchasing a PSU suitable for your system.

Power, voltage and current density

Normally, when choosing a new power supply for your PC, most users only look at the power declared by the manufacturer, but there are many other relative aspects to look at. If you choose a very large power supply (for example, 1200 W), you will have almost no problems, but by choosing a more suitable power, you can spend more money on other components.

We recommend choosing about 25 percent more than the maximum consumption calculated by your PC, in addition to the amount of power appropriate for your computer. Thus, it covers the sudden increase in consumption that will occur over time, especially due to wear, and your system will not be damaged.

Another factor to look at is the voltage and amperage or current strength of the PSU. In general, if you have a very powerful video card, you can get sources with a single voltage of +12V, because although the latter allows to balance the load, the former provides greater stability. You can see this in the power table, in the technical characteristics of the source. In the example we gave above from a 550W source, it has a single +12V output that can deliver up to 44A, for a total of 528W.

The brand of the power supply and the way of manufacture

We have mentioned many times the fact that the brand and the way the power supply is manufactured is a very important factor in its quality. It is now recommended to look not only for high efficiency (80 Plus Titanium, Platinum, Gold, etc.), but also for well-known brands, the quality of their components, and indeed the specific power supply category to get an idea.

If the manufacturer gives you a 10-year warranty on the power supply, it means that they are very, very confident in the build quality of the product. On the other hand, if it barely gives you the mandatory 2 years, you might think the resource isn’t very good.

Obviously, you’ll need to specify the electrical requirements your equipment needs in terms of power and wiring, as well as efficiency certification, shields, connectors and cable types, etc. You should look for a power supply that provides other useful features such as

Likewise, we always say that if the brain of a computer is its processor, its power source is its heart, because it is the one that supplies energy to all the components and therefore they all depend on it. Therefore, our advice is to buy a quality power supply from a reputable manufacturer, never skimp on the power supply, otherwise you will regret it in the medium or even short term.