| Your PC Power Supply Unit | | Print | |
the most crucial component of the entire machine! Without a properly functioning
power supply, a personal computer (or its cousins, the laptop, notebook, etc.) is
nothing but a receptacle of wires, cables, resistors, and plastic. On a personal
computer, the power supply is clearly visible on the back of the machine.
central processing unit’s power cable back to the source, and you will have located it.
Right next to it you will be able to see a fan, which serves to ensure that the power
supply does not overheat the computer, thus causing irreparable damage to the
machine.
Generally speaking, in the United States computers run on 120-volt AC power
oscillating at 60 Hertz. Unfortunately, even in these modern times continuous
voltage delivery cannot be guaranteed, and at times the power delivery to the power
supply may be interrupted or disturbed. For example, if the voltage suddenly
increases beyond expectation, also known as a voltage spike, or if it decreases even
momentarily, which is referred to as the voltage sag, the sensitive power supply of
the personal computer will most likely shut it self off. The same is true if the
oscillation rate of the power is not the specified 60 Hertz. Last but not least, a power
failure, such as may be brought on by a blown fuse, a power grid emergency, or
simply a naturally occurring event, such as a lightning storm, will interrupt the
workings of a personal computer’s power supply.
While the average computer user, who may just use the PC as a “toy” in order to
play a variety of computer games or as a communication tool to interact with others
in chatrooms or via e-mail, see a power interruption as an annoying occurrence, the
professional computer uses views power interruptions with akin to dread. A computer
failure for a medical professional or public servant may quite possibly have serious
repercussions for the public good!
For this reason, personal computers may now also be powered by alternate power
supplies referred to as “uninterruptible power supplies.” Uninterruptible power
supplies (also referred to as UPS) come in two important variations: the standby UPS
and the continuous UPS. A standby UPS will enable a personal computer to run by
using electricity from the normal grid until is detects a problem. At that point the
standby function will alert a power inverter and allow the personal computer to be
powered from an internal battery -- which may at some point lose its charge. A
continuous UPS, on the other hand, is a self-contained, self-sufficient unit which
operates under the same principle as the standby UPS, except that it will recharge
itself continuously.
Power supplies are obviously prone to failure. The main weakness in the system is
the cooling mechanism which relies on adequate air flow to perform its functions. In
an age of DSL allowing users to be continuously on-line, computers are not shut off
as often as they used to be in the heyday of dial-up services. Adding to this many
users’ aesthetical requirements of moving unsightly computer components as far to
the wall as possible, and quite frequently hiding them behind curtains, table cloths,
etc., it is no wonder that cooling is becoming a number one problem. In addition to
the foregoing, extreme temperatures within a home may add to a potentially
disastrous outcome.
Please remember to place your central processing unit, which contains the power
supply, in a room that does not suffer from extreme heat. Do not cover up the back
of the CPU with a heavy cloth, and allow some room behind your unit for air to flow
in and out unobstructed. If you smell as slightly burned smell, immediately shut off
your system and unplug it from the wall. If you use your computer for business or
anything other than recreational activities, consider purchasing a continuous power
supply that will keep you up and running even if the power supply from the public
grid is interrupted.
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