ATX power supplies are related to how computers obtain and use power efficiently to power all the various component parts that we need on our PC systems. When replacing or upgrading your PC power supply, this will be a common power supply that you will now come across. But, as with all technological components, you need be confident you have purchased the right piece of equipment for the job; purchasing the wrong thing could result in damage or ineffective working of your PC.
What does ‘ATX’ stand for?
ATX stands for ‘Advanced Technology extended’. Effectively, what does this mean to you in real terms? ATX is a way of standardising measurements that makes it easier to interchange power supplies from one computer to another.
There are some variations but you need to check that your current computer power supply is compatible as the selection process for purchasing a new power supply is then far easier. You will find this information stamped somewhere on your PC or its peripheral equipment. When checking the ATX ‘form factor’ you may come across a ‘micro ATX’. If you do, you will need to note this as it does have an impact on your choice of power supply.
Selecting a new ATX power supply
Practicalities – this is the most common method of selecting a new power supply system. If the new unit will not fit in the tower, then you have a slight problem! Accurately measuring the dimensions – height, width and depth – will help you. Most ATX power supply units have set dimensions; if you find that your power supply measures quite a lot smaller than the standard units, this indicates you have a micro ATX power supply.
Connectors – now that you have the dimensions of ATX power supply unit that will fit, you need to ensure you get the right connector. As you would expect, different power supplies have different connectors; choosing the wrong one will be of little value to you, as well as frustrating! However, you may find the ATX power supply has connectors that you will not use. This isn’t a problem, you simply leave them unconnected.
There are a whole variety of different connectors:
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20 or 24 pin ATX connector – count the pins carefully! Some motherboards operate on 20 pin, whilst other need 24.
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P4 connector – these types of connectors are usually needed by mother boards with the ‘Intel Pentium processor 4’. Many ATX power supplies come with P4 connectors but your motherboard may not require it.
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8 pin connector – similar to the P4 connector, some motherboard have an 8 pin attachment
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‘Molex’ connector – this connector supplies power to hard drives and CD Roms. Most ATX power supplies come with this connector included but you can purchase more if necessary.
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‘Floppy’ connector – if you still have floppy drives connected or in use on your PC, then you will need an ATX power supply with this connector attached. Card readers also use this type of connector. Most ATX power supplies have this attached as standard.
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AUX connector – if you find a slot on your mother board that has one of these then the likelihood is you will need it.
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SATA connector – these types of connectors are used on various devices although they are not common or standard on many PCs.
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PCI Express connector – some component parts of the PC are powered by their own power supply, rather than through the motherboard. Video cards are one example of this and it is thought that in the future this type of connector will become more common.
Getting the right level of power
As part of purchasing ATX power supplies for computers, many customers tend to buy larger power supply that is needed. This isn’t a problem, although your power supply will ‘step down’, in other words if the power supply is less than the power supply can deliver, it simply runs at that level.
However, on the other hand, if you buy ATX power supplies with deficient power supply capabilities you will soon be catapulted in to the realms of frustration. Undersized power delivery to your PC will see you soon re-booting for no apparent reason on a regular basis.
And so, as you can see buying ATX power supplies for your PC and peripheral equipment is simple and straightforward, as long as you bear in mind some important factors – making sure you get the right connectors, that the power supply is adequate and that it fits.