At long last, the personal computer industry seems to have settled on the use of ATX power supplies as the choice ones. Advanced Technology eXtended (ATX) power supplies have become this popular because they fit the commonly used ATX motherboard and also the ATX case. The power supply you select for your computer, whether it is old or new, is important. You have to make an informed decision. The ATX ones are standardized in their forms as well as measurements to allow for the ability to interchange from one computer to the next. Here are some factors to consider when selecting one:
- In order to get this particular power supply you must ensure that the form factor you have is ATX. You can find this information in your manual or it may be stamped conspicuously on your power supply. You need to note that it reads ATX form factor because anything else will not be compatible. If it reads micro ATX then you will need to find a different power supply.
- You will also need to check out the physical dimensions of the case. The case you have should be big enough to hold the ATX power supplies depth, width and height as well. It is advisable to measure the power supply that you are replacing so that you can have the right dimensions. That way if you notice that the one you currently have is much smaller than the standard dimensions you can know that you are dealing with a micro ATX. If you think it may be a micro, you can compare with what is available in the market so that you can also make an informed choice on the same.
- Now that you have the dimensions down it is time to look at the connectors that your power supply uses. The ones you select should be compatible to what you have. Note that you may buy a power supply and find that you don’t have to use all the connectors and that is okay too.
- Be sure to also have an understanding of how much power you need so that you can buy a power supply that is adequate for your needs. If it is inadequate you will find that your computer will be rebooting often all by itself which can be quite disgruntling. It is better that you buy a power supply that gives more than you need instead of less.
Resource Box: Finding the right ATX power supplies is very important and you have to select based on several factors outlined here. They include size, how much power you need and more.
