What are Power Supplies?
Power supplies are computer components that provide electricity to the system by converting AC (alternating current) from a wall outlet to DC (direct current) for the computer. Power supplies are located at the rear of the computer case and usually contain one or more cooling fans. The back plate features a power cord receptacle and off/on switch. Most power supplies also have a rear voltage switch that can be changed for operating in different countries. Some power supplies come with LED lights, popular with modders. Various components in the computer have different voltage requirements. Power supplies typically provide 3.3v and 5v rails for digital circuitry, and a 12v rail for running drives and fans. Since more components today, including processors, are feeding off the 12v rail, many power supplies now provide multiple 12v rails. Power supplies are rated for power by wattage. As computers become laden with more components, such as RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks), the n
Power supplies are the devices that power computers and servers. They convert AC power from electric utilities into DC power used in most electronics. What is the 80 PLUS specification? The 80 PLUS performance specification requires power supplies in computers and servers to be 80% or greater energy efficient at 20%, 50% and 100% of rated load with a true power factor of 0.9 or greater. This makes an 80 PLUS certified power supply substantially more efficient than typical power supplies and creates a unique market differentiation opportunity for power supply and computer manufacturers.
