Hello friends! When assembling a computer, the main parameter of a power supply is its power. Today I will give several ways how to calculate the power of a power supply for a computer, if you decide to assemble it yourself.
Power supply calculator
This is the easiest option since you don't have to look for a BOM for every part. There are both online calculators and specialized software. Personally, I do not recommend using this option, and here's why.
Each program or site is created by a programmer who enters these parameters manually. He may have erroneous data, and in the absence of information, take it from the ceiling, relying on his experience and intuition. Also, one should not exclude the possibility of a banal mistake.
Together, these factors lead to the fact that different calculators ultimately demonstrate different power consumption for computers with the same configuration. Do we need it? Of course not!
Option for the lazy
The easiest way to find the required power supply unit is to remember simple rules:
- For an office PC with a weak video card, 400 watts of energy is enough;
- A computer with an average graphics card needs a 500 Watt PSU;
- Powerful video cards require a power supply unit of 600 watts or more.
Another hint is to look at the manufacturer's website for the specification of the video card: usually the manufacturer indicates the recommended power supply of the power supply.
We count on our own
The most reliable way to calculate the required output energy is to do it yourself with the help of a calculator (or in your mind, if the "smart" works well). The principle is simple: you just need to calculate the amount of power consumed by all PC components.
The task is greatly simplified if you are going to buy all the components in the online store: the description of each item usually indicates the characteristic we are interested in.
To make it clearer, I will give an example of calculating electricity for a specific configuration:
- Intel Core i5-7400 3.0GHz / 8GT / s / 6MB (BX80677I57400) - 65 W;
- Motherboard Gigabyte GA-H110M-S2 - 20 W;
- RAM Goodram SODIMM DDR4-2133 4096MB PC4-17000 (GR2133S464L15S / 4G) (2 pcs) - 2x15 W;
- Western Digital Blue 1TB 7200rpm 64MB WD10EZEX hard drive - 7W;
- MSI PCI-Ex GeForce GTX 1060 Aero ITX (GTX 1060 AERO ITX 3G OC) - 120W
Having calculated the sum, we get 242 watts at the output. That is, a 400 Watt power supply is sufficient for the normal operation of such a system. The same required power is indicated by the manufacturer in the characteristics of the video card.
For a PC that will be used for mining, as well as for a farm, the principle is the same: after thinking over the configuration, you should calculate the amount of energy consumed and, based on this, choose power supplies.
Why are blocks plural? A well-designed farm is made of several clusters, where 3-4 video cards are hung on one motherboard. Each such cluster requires a separate power supply unit.
If you are an advanced user and decide to build a farm for mining cryptocurrencies, keep in mind that this method has lost its relevance a few years ago. Special devices - miners, sharpened for this task, show a higher hash rate, while the purchase is usually cheaper.
A few notes
In this simple way, you can calculate whether there is enough power from the power supply to power the system. What happens if there is not enough power? In general, it's okay: the computer either won't start at all, or it will shut down during peak loads.
When calculating, I recommend taking a power supply unit "with a margin" - even if you are assembling a gaming device capable of launching the latest innovations, it is not known what will happen in a few years and whether you would like to upgrade by installing a more powerful video card. In addition, power supplies typically show their best efficiency at 50% load.
Please also note that not all online stores indicate the power of devices in the characteristics. Perhaps, for some detail, you will have to look for the parameters of interest on the manufacturer's website - they certainly are there.
When going to a regular store, you should not rely on the fact that you will come across a competent consultant who remembers all the necessary parameters by heart and will be able to accurately determine the required power.
Practice shows that for one such specialist there are 10 dropouts, with whom it is better not to mess with - they are guaranteed to try to suck in a device with excessive characteristics, for which you will have to overpay.
The power supply is one of the most important parts of modern PC, especially gaming.
But many devote very little time to choosing it, believing that if it climbs into the box and starts the system, then it is suitable and everything is matched perfectly. Many people manage to look at only two things when choosing it.
1.
Low price.(Not more 1000 rub)
2.
The number of watts in the PSU.(Of course, the number on the sticker should be higher.) The Chinese love to throw such buns when in reality the power BP not even close to the number they wrote.
To help you not to waste your money, I will roughly write what you need to look at, so as not to make a mistake in your choice. After all, buying cheap Chinese BP can lead to breakdown of all components of an expensive computer.
http://i036.radikal.ru/1304/90/254cdb4e6c47.jpg
Clause 1.1
1.
Don't skimp on the Power Supply.
2.
Choose a manufacturer that has proven itself in the market and in this segment.
For instance: Seasonic, Chieftec, HighPower, FSP, CoolerMaster, Zalman
3.
Calculate the power consumption of all computer components. (You can find components on the manufacturer's website, where all the characteristics are usually indicated. Or simply by entering into a search engine.) However, there are many options, the main desire is to find.
4.
After the calculation, add a power reserve to the resulting amount, so that for sure (suddenly, errors, etc.). 3 point in general can be left if there is an intention to buy a watt right away 800-900
++.
1. Modular type.
With modular units, cables can be added and removed as desired. How convenient it is, I understood after buying such a power supply unit: you can easily remove unused wires until they are useful. And no need to rack your brains where to screw, wind these wires so as not to interfere. Although this type has a higher price.
2. Standard type.
Cheaper, all wires are soldered directly into the block and cannot be removed.
In principle, if the budget allows, it is better to buy the modular version because of its convenience, although you can also choose the standard version. To your taste. :-)
Clause 1.3
There are also differences in Power Factor Correction - Power-Factor Correction (PFC): active, passive.
1. Passive PFC
In passive PFC a conventional choke is used to smooth out the voltage ripple. The efficiency of this option is low, it is often used in blocks of a low price segment.
2. Active PFC
In active PFC an additional board is used, representing another switching power supply, and increasing the voltage. This helps to achieve close to ideal power factor, also helps in voltage stabilization.
Used in delusional blocks.
Clause 1.4
Standard ATX. The standard indicates the presence of the wires required for connection. Better to take at least ATX 2.3 since they install additional connectors for video cards 6 + 6 pin - 6 + 8 pin, motherboard 24+4+4
Clause 1.5
1.
You should always pay attention to the indicated block data.
Extremely important! Pay attention to the rated power BP rather than peak.
The rated power is the power that is provided constantly. Whereas the peak is issued for a short time.
2.
Power BP the channel should be + 12V.
The more the better. There are also several channels: + 12V1, + 12V2, + 12V3, + 12V4, + 12V5.
Example:
1. Power supply from ZALMAN.
It has one + 12V line, total 18A and only 216-W.
An active PFC is used, which is a big plus.
There are already 2 lines + 12V (15A and 16A)... Although the manufacturer indicated on the sticker 500 watts, in "par" only 460 Watt.
Quite a high-quality block of the budget segment.
3. Another one from ZALMAN.
The power supply is a very important part of the computer. After all, it is he who supplies all the components with energy. Therefore, its power plays a fundamentally important role, since the overall performance of the devices depends on it. But to understand how much power is needed to power your computer, you need to have a good understanding of computer technology. However, there is a way to calculate the required power without going into the technical details.
To avoid performance problems in the future, it is better to immediately take care of buying a sufficiently powerful power supply unit when you assemble your computer. Of course, experienced users can just look at the rest of the components and intuitively (or by exact calculations) determine which power supply to take.
But what about those who are not so well versed in computer technology? For such people, there are special online services on which peculiar calculators of the required power are installed.
Take, for example, the well-known site casemods.ru. The site has its own service where the user can enter the parameters of his computer and get two results: average power and peak power.
For this you need:
As a result, a fully filled table looks like this.
The calculation results are displayed below. It is not necessary to buy a power supply that exactly matches the indicator that the service gave you. You can take a power supply unit that is close in power value. Or buy a device with excess power.
How to find out the PC parameters
How to find your computer settings using Everest
There are many programs that allow you to find out the settings of your computer. The most popular of these are AIDA 64 and Everest. Let's consider them on the example of the latter.
First you need to download the program. This can be done on any site that specializes in software. For example, Softportal.
- Go to the site, find the Everest program on it and download it.
- Run the downloaded file. A window will open in which you need to click on the "Install" button.
- In order not to clutter up the computer, uncheck all the boxes and click "Next".
- The "Installation Wizard" opens. Click "Next".
- We accept the terms of the license agreement. And then we press “Next” all the time.
- We open the program. We are interested in the "Motherboard" branch. We reveal it.
- We go to the "CPU" menu. There we will find out the parameters of the processor.
- In the "SPD" we find out the number and volume of RAM slots.
- We open the "Data storage" branch and find out the number of drives.
- In the "Display" branch, select "GPU" and find out the data about the video card.
Now you have enough information to calculate how much power supply is needed to keep your computer running smoothly. Of course, if you use a special service.
Read the detailed steps in our new article on our portal.
Video - How to calculate the power of the power supply
How to determine the power on a working power supply
Everything is clear with the required power, but how do you find out information about the current device installed on your computer? Unfortunately, no software designed to analyze the characteristics of a computer is able to find out the characteristics of a power supply.
Again, there are three ways to find out the information we need.
What You Should Know About Power Supply Manufacturers
The first thing to focus on when you are going to buy a power supply is the manufacturer. The fact is that most manufacturers deliberately overestimate the power indicated on the sticker. If large and reputable companies lie by 10-20%, which does not have a very noticeable effect on the operation of the device, then smaller companies can overestimate the power by 30%, or even 50%, which may already be critical for the operation of a computer.
And also, it is better to buy power supplies in the official stores of manufacturers, since now it is very easy to stumble upon a fake. As you know, counterfeit devices not only can be less efficient in terms of power, but are also famous for rather poor quality.
The choice of a power supply unit should be treated responsibly, because it is an important part of a computer.
Video - How to check your computer's power supply? Power supply check and diagnostics
Most computers are bought for multimedia and games, and this, in turn, requires high system performance. And if a few years ago in the characteristics of a PC before buying a power supply was provided along with the case, now the power supply is calculated, and the buyer only has to choose a brand. This article will assist the consumer in making the correct calculations of the power supply for the fully functional computer.
The bigger, the better?
Insufficient power supply in the first place leads to unstable system operation. This is expressed by banal freezes and reboots. If the overload occurs during the game - a "blue window of death" Windows BSOD appears. Naturally, the user will scold the developers of the operating system, games, drivers, but never think about the power supply. The owner of the PC will find out about the insufficient power of the power supply at the service center when he tries to repair the burned-out motherboard and video adapter under warranty. It is clear that the majority of users, in order not to calculate the power of the power supply, will prefer to purchase a device with the highest possible characteristics. Why not, if the funds allow. You just need to take into account that the power consumption of the computer can be much less than that which will load the household electrical network, forcing the counter to rotate very quickly. Everything should be calculated within reason.
Easy way
What is the power of the computer's power supply, a calculator specially designed for these purposes will tell you. At the moment, almost all manufacturers of computer components have such a tool in their arsenal. Programs from the famous brands Asus and Cooler Master are very popular. The calculator can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website or use the online service. The user is asked to fill in all the fields in the program, specifying the processor, motherboard, video adapter and other components. The program will calculate and give out the recommended power at which the power supply unit can work with 100% load. Some manufacturers of software calculators throw in several tens of watts in reserve, but the user is not notified of this.
Difficulties with power calculators
Calculating the power supply with a calculator is subjective. After all, it takes into account only the basic devices, and does not pay any attention to the issue of the periphery. The calculation does not include the cooling system, connected multimedia devices and office equipment, keyboard, mouse, external drive. All these devices are powered by the computer's power supply and, in their totality, consume a lot of current. On the periphery, experts recommend to reserve about 100 watts of calculated power, which must be added to the maximum calculated in the calculator. For those who like to increase system performance by overclocking the processor and video card, the calculator is not an assistant at all. This requires manual calculation using knowledge from the school physics course.
Simple math
A typical power supply calculation can be done mathematically by adding the power consumption of all components together. The method is not easy, but it is the only objective one. If you look closely at the inscriptions on computer components, any user will pay attention to the sticker indicating the operating voltage and current consumption. By multiplying this data, you can calculate the required power consumed by this device. A bit more complicated with processors. Information on their capacity can be found on the official website of the company. Fans of overclocking the central processor need to know one more calculation formula. Increasing the processor frequency increases the power consumption by 25% for every 10% overclocking. Such math is also suitable for calculating the increase in the performance of video cards.
Power supply effective power
Having calculated the required power, it is too early to go to the store to buy a new power supply. Calculations of the effective power of the device are ahead. After all, the transformer built into the power supply unit tends to heat up, and the cooling system tries to reduce the temperature of the device. And the higher the temperature of the transformer, the worse it works. All this is combined by the seller into one indicator, which is called the "power factor of the power supply". On average, it is 80-85%. That is, if it is written on the device that the rated power is 500 watts, in fact it will be 20% less - 400 watts. Naturally, there are devices on the market with an efficiency of about 90-95%, but their price is much higher than competitors - these are power supplies from FSP, Seasonic, Enermax, Hipro, HEC.
About voltage channels
In most cases, buying an inexpensive Chinese device with a high power rating can still cause the system to malfunction. The fact is that the maximum power of the power supply is not an indicator for the device itself. Any user will notice that a large number of different cables are leaving the power supply unit, the task of which is to connect the power of the devices. The system can be connected to components that consume 3.3, 5 and 12 volts. Accordingly, the cables for them are specialized. The power supply system distributes the load between these three voltage channels, giving off a large 12 volt.
Sometimes this power is not enough. Therefore, the buyer's task is, first of all, to determine the power consumption of devices along the 12 volt line, and this is a processor, a video card, hard drives and a cooling system.
Performance analysis of installed equipment
It is worth noting that there is an instruction on how to find out the power of the power supply on the computer. To do this, you need to remove the cover of the system unit and look at the sticker of the power supply. Its obligatory attribute will be information on the distributed power of the PSU between channels 3.3, 5 and 12 volts. The indicator in the "max output" field under all columns is the maximum theoretical power of the PSU. This is without taking into account the efficiency ratio. It remains to understand how to determine the actual power of the power supply. To do this, subtract 20% from the specified value. Naturally, all voltage lines are subject to power calculations, primarily with a preference for the 12 volt line. In addition, it is recommended to calculate the required power of all devices operating on the 12 volt line, and then compare the resulting amount with the data indicated on the sticker of the power supply with a difference of 20%. There are also special testers that can measure the actual voltage and current supplied by the power supply, but they have many questions regarding the calculation of the peak power.
Boost power supply performance
The actual problem for users is the question of how to increase the power of the power supply, because in fact, any components of a personal computer lend themselves to improvement. Professionals recommend owners of inexpensive Chinese devices not to waste time on increasing the power, but to buy the best device. But the owners of decent power supplies from a well-known brand can help themselves, which consists in reducing the power consumption of devices using a 12 volt channel. First of all, the entire cooling system needs this alteration, which can be converted to 7 volts without loss of quality.
- All coolers have a three-pin connector. Black - ground, red - 12 volts, yellow - RPM sensor.
- Taking a 12 volt cable from the power supply, you need to insert the black wire from the cooler into the red connector, and the red cable of the cooler into the yellow connector. As a result, a voltage of 7 volts will be supplied to the fan.
Power supply check
When wondering how to check the power of the power supply, many users do not suspect how dangerous a gamble lies in wait for them. It is not for nothing that software developers warn of the likelihood of failure of low-quality power supplies before conducting stress tests on computer equipment. Indeed, even a theoretically correctly calculated power supply unit does not guarantee the voltage surges that will be required to operate the basic devices at the limit of their capabilities. The stress test is designed to check the stability of operation, but it is only suitable for owners of branded power supplies. The result will be information on all power lines with the output of voltage dip graphs, if any. The test will ensure that the power supply is stable when the load changes. There are situations when the power of the proprietary power supply unit is not enough to complete the test. In such cases, the check is interrupted by the Windows BSOD "window of death". There is nothing wrong with that. The result is one - the power supply unit is not enough for the system to work.
Portable Devices and Laptops
In unforeseen situations, when the power supply unit of a laptop or tablet has failed, there is a need to purchase a new device. The choice on the market is great, as is the price difference. However, the power supply of a laptop or tablet will have to be calculated. To do this, just turn the device upside down and examine the sticker, which indicates the recommended voltage and current for the device to operate. Simple manipulations of the multiplication of values will give the minimum power that the power supply should have. Naturally, the power factor must also be considered. However, most experts in the field of computer technology recommend not doing math, but trusting the specifications of the devices, which can be found on the manufacturer's website. There is also a list and marking of all power supplies that are suitable for the operation of a mobile device.
Finally
So, we figured out, on a computer, calculate the required voltage consumption by the components of the system unit and increase the performance of the power supply unit. It remains to add that any actions requiring physical intervention in the operation of the power supply can lead not only to serious damage to the device. In most cases, the combustion of a power supply unit is accompanied by a failure of the motherboard, video adapter and RAM. And if it is enough to re-solder the capacitors on the motherboard to restore operability, then the rest of the components cannot be returned.
Content
Today we will consider the issue of calculating the power of the power supply for a computer and its choice, we will find out which components consume the most.
The first aspect that must be evaluated when calculating the power of a PC power supply relates to the load with which the power supply will be efficiently used. For example, when using a 500 watt power supply as a reference, if the consumption of the internal components of this PC is only 500 watts, then the load will be 100%; Likewise, if the consumption of the internal components of this PC is 250W, then the load in this case will be 50%.
Efficiency expressed as a percentage is a very important factor to consider when choosing a good power supply, because the higher the efficiency of the power supply, the lower the required consumption and heat produced. However, given that efficiency, unfortunately, tends to decrease depending on the amount of energy that is required from time to time. The PSU is at its best at about 70% load, that is, at about 60% and 80% load. Thus, if you are purchasing an oversized power supply, the efficiency may not be perfect.
For ideal efficiency, select the power supply capacity according to the maximum system consumption. Therefore, in order to select the correct power supply, you need to find a power supply that, according to the consumption of internal components, will achieve maximum efficiency.
WHAT POWER SUPPLY TO CHOOSE FOR A COMPUTER?
Let's assume that there is no magic formula that allows you to understand exactly what is the ideal power source for a particular PC. However, there are several calculator tools on the Internet that allow you to calculate the wattage of a power supply by selecting the components you choose to install one at a time. But these tools are not 100% accurate, so they are just good starting points to get an idea of the maximum power consumption of a PC. How do you calculate the power supply of your PC? The best way is to first use these tools, but then do the calculation yourself to understand what the consumption of individual components is.
Photo: KSA Power Supply Calculator WHICH COMPONENTS CONSUME THE MOST?
Usually, the main sources of power consumption for any computer are only two: a processor and a video card (there are cases when one video card consumes as much as the sum of all other system components). Then comes the motherboard, hard drive, SSD, RAM, optical drive, and fans, which only consume a few watts each.
Here is a sample consumption list:
- for RAM modules, a consumption of about 3 W per module can be taken into account;
- for an SSD, a consumption of about 3W can be considered;
- for a traditional hard drive, it can be considered a consumption of about 8/10 W;
- for an optical drive such as a DVD recorder, a consumption of about 25W can be taken into account;
- for fans, a consumption of about 3/4 W per fan can be taken into account;
- for the motherboard, it starts at 70/80 W for the entry-level model, but you can also get around 120/130 W for a high-quality motherboard;
- for a processor, we can consider consumption less than 50 W if it is a low-performance processor, from 80 to 100 W for a mid-range processor and from 160 to 180 W for a high-performance processor;
- Finally, for a video card, you can consider the consumption from 100 W to 300 W, depending on the model used.
This is the maximum consumption of each component, i.e. consumption when the computer is under heavy load. For example, especially complex software or very heavy games. In fact, during normal PC use, the total consumption of individual components is much lower. To get a more accurate estimate, it is best to rely on those sites or those experts who give reviews of the products you are interested in.
To calculate the wattage of a PC's power supply, simply compare the maximum consumption of the processor and graphics card first, and then the maximum consumption of all other PC components. Remember that the power supply must be able to support the PC while it is at its highest load and therefore only takes the maximum power consumption as a reference level for the individual components. Once you've done this calculation, adding another 20% will finally find the correct wattage for your power supply. However, if you intend to overclock your PC, then in order to find the correct power supply capacity, in this case, in addition to consuming various components, you will need to add another 30% of the power consumption.
In the video: Choosing a power supply unit by power.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLE
Suppose, for example, a computer assembled with the following components:
- Processor: Intel Core i5-8600;
- video card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070;
- motherboard: ASUS PRIME Z370-A;
- hard drive: any;
- SSD: any;
- optical drive: any;
- RAM: any two DDR4 modules;
On average, the processor consumes 75/80 W, graphics card 180/200 W, motherboard 110/120 W, 7-watt hard drive, 3-watt SSD, 25-watt optical drive, two 5-watt DDR4 memory modules and three other 10 -watt fan. Thus, we consume approximately 420-450 watts of consumption. We added another 20% of the consumption and so we get a 550W PSU, which is more than enough for this configuration, reaching 600W (i.e. 30% more) if you wanted to overclock.
