Plug it in!
 
The Power Supply Unit (PSU) does just what it sounds like it does! It receives power from the wall outlet, converts it to power that the components can use, and supplies the power to them. It looks like those pictured above.
First things first, some good news! You might already have one of these! Go check the case you picked out and see if it has a power supply included. Many cases come with one so you might already be done with this part, but it can't hurt to read it anyway.
So, if you have to buy one, or want to upgrade the one that's in your case, you'll need to find out how many watts you need to power your computer. Find out what wattage you need by viewing the table below:
Power Supply Selection Table
Processor size |
# of hard drives |
# of cdroms |
Suggested Wattage |
< 1.0 Ghz |
1 |
2 |
300 |
1.0 - 1.5 Ghz |
2 |
2 |
350 |
1.5 - 2.0 Ghz |
1 |
2 |
400 |
> 2.0 Ghz |
2 |
2 |
430 |
> 2.0 Ghz |
> 2 |
> 2 |
530+ |
|
From ATXPowerSupplies.com
So, once you have decided on what wattage you need, you need only buy one! If your case came with a PSU and it has sufficient wattage then you are set to move on. Just make sure that your case and your PSU use the same Standard. ATX is the one we will be using in this tutorial. The pieces are easy to find and easy to put together.
If you've read the previous section, you should know how to pick an ATX Case and an ATX PSU. We just have a few more things (ok, just 1 more thing) to add to the case before we are ready to start adding the additional components. The next thing to add are cooling fans!
Summary: Choosing a PSU is mostly dependant on the Wattage you need to power your devices. Check the physical dimensions to make sure it fits in your case, though ATX cases and power supplies are compatable.
To learn more about PSUs, you can read this article from ATX Power Supplies.
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Tutorial: