The PSU Factor
(The Forgotten Component)

Lately, more focus on a performing computer system has been on one component which has been overlooked for several years: the Power Supply Unit. The PSU has been discussed to some extent in the past, however with new graphics cards, processors, and memory which require a much more stable power current flowing through them, the PSU is now becoming more of a central factor into the creation of computer systems.

The PSU Factor

In the professional business sector, having a stable and reliable power supply system was mandatory because if your power was somehow corrupt or inefficient, your business could be crippled for days, which meant serious loss of profits, and at the worst, permanent loss of business clients.

The PSU Factor, for some reason, wasn't necessarily discussed as much in the years before when creating computer systems for consumers. After all, consumers did not need such a reliable power system for their machines--or so it was thought. The question of why power current was not an issue several years ago, is still not answered. It could have been attributed to a basic lack of awareness, or possibly computer manufacturers didn't make it a priority in creating products for the consumer. What is potentially more revealing, is that many hard drive errors and operating system errors in the past could be attributed to a lack of a stable power supply and a lack of a more powerful power supply unit. Of course, we just simply won't know since there isn't much documentation and hasn't been much investigation into past computer issues. However, we do know many computer users are not having as many previous power supply problems when they are using more stable PSUs (notice I didn't say MORE POWERFUL).

Today, more computer users are focusing on stable and capable power supplies. It is probably due to increased awareness on internet forums relating to computer malfunctions. Only 5 years ago, there was not such a widespread availability of information about power supply issues and possible remedies for computer system errors. Another reason for increased awareness is the more demanding our components have become. When you start mentioning high-speed DVD drives, Quad SLi graphics cards, and Sli motherboards with two CPUs, the inevitability of a more powerful and stable PSU becomes a serious factor for an overall reliable and performing computer system.

Computer Errors? Check Your PSU

More than likely you have a power supply which is a few years old, and you never even looked at the specs of the PSU when you purchased it. And at worse, you purchased a computer system online so the power supply information is not readily available (unless you open your case and find the sticker). If you've had your computer system for around two years, it's time to get a new power supply and/or begin tests on it to determine if it's putting out the same power as it was when it was new.

If you are getting more computer errors relating to memory and hard drive errors, chances are it's a power current issue. Over a relatively short period of time, the inexpensive power supplies just burn out because they generate too much heat (the more heat a PSU generates is one indication of how reliable it is). A burned-out PSU is rather common if you purchase one which is amazingly inexpensive for the amount of wattage it claims to provide. You can find these $30-$50 WattBusters at just about any computer store. Now, for some applications, these may work just fine. If you only require one hard drive, integrated graphics on your motherboard, run minimum memory requirements, don't play games, and only have one CD/DVD drive, then an inexpensive PSU could be a valid solution. However, since the PSU is very inexpensive, you have to wonder what types of Quality Control (QC) it has undergone. So you have to ask yourself is the PSU really worth the smaller expense if it goes out just because the manufacturer didn't worry about QC and was only concerned with how pretty the PSU case was.

Higher Wattage PSU = Higher Electric Bill?

This is not necessarily true. This really depends on something called Efficiency. Efficiency is a percentage of the watts produced by a PSU when converted from AC to DC currents. So for example, if you have a 500W PSU, and its efficiency rating is 70%, and your PC is consuming 375W, this means the PSU is actually pumping out only 263W (262.5W), while 112W are being transferred as heat. Not good.

The other factor is how much your computer is drawing from the power supply. If you buy a 800W PSU, and your computer system only needs 400W, then you won't be using the entire 800W capacity of the PSU.

When you combine the actual power draw of the PSU and the efficiency rating, you will get an idea if your electric bill will increase. And depending on your former power supply, you may actually see a decrease in your electric bill. If your PSU's efficiency was terrible before and the new PSU is around 80%, then your bills could be decreasing.

Efficiency Chain Reaction

The Efficiency Chain Reaction, or as I call it, the ECR, is when the efficiency of a PSU is transferred to other components of a computer system. For example, if you have a PSU which gets hot and has a low efficiency rating (around 70%), then that heat must be driven out of your computer case in addition to the other heat generated by the other components. In turn, your computer will be hotter on the inside. More heat means less life of a component.

If your PSU has a high efficiency rating (80% or higher), then your PSU will be cooler when under power demands. Less heat generated from the PSU means less heat in your computer case, which means your computer fans will be more efficient in cooling down the entire system as they don't need to push/pull more air out of the case if the case was hotter.

Overall, a cooler PSU means a cooler computer system, which means a longer-lasting computer system.

Efficiency Caveat

While efficiency is a good tool in understanding the performance of a PSU, there are manufacturers who test their power supplies at unrealistic low temperatures to get a higher efficiency rating. Be sure to find out what temperature the efficiency rating was obtained from before you decide on that particular PSU.

Conclusion

When you're experiencing computer problems, please consider the PSU Factor. Your computer components may be operating just fine except for the PSU. That hard drive you think is corrupt or is thought to have bad sectors could be traced to an unreliable PSU. Your memory which sometimes gives you errors might actually be the PSU delivering varying power currents to it. That extra hard drive you added to your computer system because of a great rebate deal, and your computer system hasn't been stable since, could be because you finally tipped the scales on just how much power your PSU can take. It can also mean the PSU you purchased previously gave misinformation about how much power it could actually handle.

Inevitably, most of us are going to need to upgrade to a better PSU. The more efficient PSUs are expensive, but considering the alternatives of having your hard drive information being corrupted, memory modules being destroyed, and your motherboard being fried, spending a few extra bucks might not be such a bad investment after all.