The PSU Problem

More often than not you come upon a computer problem that you can't seem to figure out. A rebooting computer that isn't overheating; a hard drive that seems to be performing below standard without any clear reason.

One of the most common causes of computer problems is a low quality power supply. I took my own experience, and that of others across the net to bring you a general guide to what power supplies to buy.

A Power Supply Units (or PSU for short) is probably one of the most important parts of a computer. Having too low a wattage can cause problems with devices that will not receive enough power. Bad quality PSUs can cause shorts or surges in the system, which can lead to damage on sensitive components such as motherboards. Thus, choosing the right power supply is a must for any computer technician to ensure that a PC runs smoothly and safely. 

General Info on how PSU's work

The Power Supply Unit's purpose is converting AC (Alternating Current) from your house electricity to DC (Direct Current), which is used by the computer. A PSU also converts or 'switches' the DC current to lower voltages for the various components inside the computer (3.3 volts, 5 volts, 12 volts, etc). Newer ATX PSUs (which are the standard now) have a special standby power circuit for the power switch in order to allow the motherboard to detect the power switch being turned on.

Choosing a size

One of the first considerations when buying a PSU is its purpose. Are you planning on putting it into a low-end office computer, or a high-end gaming setup?

Standard computers are those used for light gaming, office usage, browsing, etc. These computers usually lack a graphics card, and run on a pentium 4 or an equivalent CPU. A quality 400 to 550 watt PSU is sufficient to run the computer smoothly.

A more game-related computer with upgrades and a low- to medium-range graphics card falls into the second category. With a dual core or quad core processor this usually requires at least a 550 watt up to a 750 watt PSU depending on the power necessities, especially of the graphics card.

With the serious gamer comes a serious gaming computer, and that requires a PSU with more power. A computer with a quad core or higher CPU, a high-end graphics card (possibly SLI or Crossfire), overclocking and high-end applications or games usually requires a PSU of 750 to 850 watts of very high quality.

There are even stronger PSU's of 950W+, but they are more for high-end graphic setups (such as SLI or Crossfire) or large capacity servers. 

Calculating a size

Power Supply Calculators are useful tools for the end user to work out what PSU is the best for the system intended. Although there are many of them on the internet, there are a few that are recommended by professionals :

- eXtreme Power Supply Calculator

- ASUSTeK Computer PSU Wattage Calculator

- MSI Global - PSU Calculator

Choosing a brand

Although there are many brands on the market, many of them are cheap manufacturers that cut corners mass producing low-quality power supplies that are bad for computers and their users.

Although there are thousands of well-known brands and reccomendations on the internet, there are a few that stand out. In general, brands such as SeaSonic, Thermaltake, Corsair, Coolermaster and XFX are good makes to look at. Here on TSF we generally recommend Seasonic and XFX, but for an extensive list of several brands and their usage, check out the forum article here. Choosing a high quality, brand-name PSU is always a better choice than going for the cheaper makes. You might pay more, but it'll save you money in damages in the future.

Afterword

Often underappreciated and considered, Power Supply Units are probably the most important part of a computer and buying cheap means affecting your own computer's livelyhood and quality. So make the right choice when it comes to your PSU.

Technology of 2012 Past

2012 is soon ending -and with the apocalypse it might have been with a bang- which as always makes us think back on everything that has happened in the technology market over the past year. It was a big year, especially for Microsoft who has brought out numerous products and made a step into the mobile market with renewed force. In between the Apple Maps debacle and the Facebook IPO fiasco, Samsung and Apple had a war and Samsung had to bite the bullet in the end. Many new devices have surfaced, especially mobile ones, changing the way people think about technology in a surefire way. Let’s take a look at what the tech-world has experienced in the year 2012.


One of the largest pieces of news was, of course, Microsoft’s new and improved operating system, Windows 8. Packed with a new interface, mobile and cross-platform compatibility, more security and social linking, Microsoft claims it to be a high point in the Windows chain. The OS has made quite a lot of news, especially comments on its new interface, with a lot of negative criticism surrounding it. Microsoft also released the Surface, it’s own tablet to contend with Apple’s iPad and the Galaxy Tab series. It runs Windows RT (a mobile version of Windows 8), and features an attachable keyboard to convert it into a semi-notebook.

For more info on Windows 8 and other products, click here.

Another well-known and much talked about topic was the rather public court case between Apple and Samsung. With various suing and counter-suing about copyright infringements this bad publicity was eventually ended with Samsung having to apologize publicly to Apple for their allegations that the iPhone is a copy of the Galaxy phone series and various other claims.

For more info on the court case between Apple and Samsung, click here.

Talking about Apple, the recent release of the iPhone 5 has had many a hand in a fist in frustration at the poorly redesigned map application, Apple Maps, found on the iPhone devices. With various errors and missing information it has become a rather embarrassing situation for the computer giant and is sure to be remembered on internet memes for years to come.

For more info on the iPhone 5, check out their site here.

Tablets and mobile devices are flooding the market, and it really came to pass in 2012 with dozens of releases of tablet computers for the everyday user. The Galaxy Tab/Note series, iPads and even the Surface has really changed the face of mobile computing. The lack of weight and the easy access to the internet has made them prime choices for the businessman or woman abroad, and even the everyday consumer is able to afford the cheaper models. This move into the mobile market has changed computing and software design where developers are focusing more and more on ‘Apps’, small applications for download on the various devices’ online stores, and integrating the mobile and desktop environments for a total computing experience. And it seems the consumers agree with developers, the beginning of the year marking a large increase in smartphone sales ( even outselling PCs last year). Although the PC is nowhere dead, its a global shift of computer perspective, and everyone is waiting to see if it lasts.

Facebook’s step into Initial Public Offering (IPO), trading on the stock market, ended in an atrocious failure after all the hype about it. Their stock values dropped almost to half of its value, leaving the social networking company in an embarrassing situation. Luckily their stock has slowly started to stabilize.

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A lot of devices and gadgets were released this year. Here are some of the more well-known ones;

- With the release of the iPhone 5 we should not forget about the stylish Galaxy S3 that released recently. Contending well with Apples new phone this fully decked out mobile device is a well-rounded and effective solution for those who prefer to stay away from getting lost on an iPhone 5.

- Apple also release the iPad 3 and iPad mini this year, with various new features and new designs, staying true to the original iPad feel.

- Nintendo brought out the Wii-U, a full year before any of the other rival consoles’ planned release dates and it impressed many with its touch screen controller, HD graphics (finally) and online store.

- Lytro came forward with a new camera called the Lytro Light-field which uses a special technology that captures traveling light, allowing you to adjust the focus and lighting after you’ve taken the picture, making for an interesting alternative to normal cameras. Check out their site for more information about the camera by clicking here.

- Amazon released the Kindle Fire this year and it was met with much acclaim. Even more useful than its useful release, the Kindle Fire is proving to be a excellent e-reader and with its automatic connection to Amazon, there’s really no reason not to get it.

Well there you have it. Should have gone up in 2012 still, but hey, rather late then never, right? Let's hope this year has even more awesome stuff for us technology-obessessed.