Are all PSU's same voltage,etc. wise?

[Jakers038]

Since I have a weak generic Chinese PSU that has a 1x6 pin and is really loud, I'm thinking of buying a new one, that would give me a bigger choice of GPU's to choose from. Unfortunately I have no idea about anything PSU related other than Watts and PCI-E pins and I don't want to screw something up, so is there different voltage psu's and things like that or am I fine with any one I choose? (as long as it's powerful enough and has enough connectors)

[Lurick]

Most PSUs are able to handle switching between 120V and 240V but generally if you buy in your local region then you're fine. You won't have a PSU from brand A that puts 15V on the PCIe cable or anything for example, output is the same, just need to double check the model and that it accepts the input you have from your mains.

[PopsicleHustler]

Make sure its from trustworthy company, and appropriate wattage. In general all PC PSUs are the same in terms of power delivery through certain cables, so don't worry about frying your PC by over volting it .

[Chris_R.]

I know there is a difference in efficiency Ex 80+ Gold, bronze, silver. 

 

I *think* some may have multiple 12V rails but I am by far no expert on those.

[Mira Yurizaki]

PSUs accept two voltages from mains: 115V (well really, 100-120V) and 230V (or about there to 240V).  Cheaper PSUs usually have a red switch on the back to switch between the inputs. If it doesn't have a switch and it's a more expensive one, it takes both. If it doesn't have a switch and it's a cheap PSU, I wouldn't consider buying it.

 

As far as output goes, PSUs provide the same standardized voltages so it doesn't matter. The plugs and sockets are designed to prevent you from inputting the wrong kind of power into something.

[LukeSavenije]

The best advice I could give is looking into the pinned tread in this catagory. The psu tier list. Anything from tier 3 or higher is what I recommend for any budget.

[Jurrunio]

tier 3 or above. Wattage depends on what you're actually building.

 

Input voltage isnt a problem, since those without active PFC (cannot adapt to input voltage difference) are already filtered out by the tier list.

 

[Mira Yurizaki]

I should've mentioned in my post that the definitive way to make sure a PSU takes some voltage is to look at the sticker.

[DocSwag]

PSU's all are supposed to do the same thing (take voltage from the wall and convert it to lower voltages your pc components can work with) but some may do it better than others. E.g. more efficiently (efficiency rating), more cleanly (voltage regulation and ripple: the output voltage may vary with load or constantly ripple back and forth more if the psu is lower quality), etc.

[ArcticSalad]

All PSUs will supply exactly what the components require, there isnt anything to worry about there. Regarding 110V or  230V outlets, any decent unit is going to be able to switch between them automatically or at least have a physical switch for it on the back. Any standard ATX power supply will do the trick, but there are a couple of things to look for.

• 80+ ratings (bronze, silver, gold, etc.) are electrical efficiency ratings. Although higher efficiency is a good thing, it actually has very little impact on your electrical bill or anything else. I still wouldn't get anything less than 80+ bronze simply because that's probably a sign of it being a poor quality unit, more on that later.
• Cables supported. You want to make sure the PSU has all the connectors that you're going to need. Some of the more budget options may only have one PCIe cable or not enough Sata connections.
• Build quality. This is the biggest and key consideration to make. A power supply failure has the chance of damaging a whole lot more than just the PSU itself. When judging quality, its never about the brand, rather, its about the individual unit. Check out the PSU tier list we have pinned at the top of this subforum. Get anything tier 3 or better, they will be good quality and have all the protections you want.
• Wattage. You're going to want to have enough of that stuff. It's dependent on the system though. If you're not sure how many watts you're going to need, feel free to post your specs and we can help you out.

[OrionFOTL]

22 minutes ago, Jurrunio said:

Input voltage isnt a problem, since those without active PFC (cannot adapt to input voltage difference) are already filtered out by the tier list.

I just want to say that supported input voltage doesn't depend on the type of PFC, they are completely separate things. 

 

Accepted input voltage depends on the current throughput of input side components like bridge rectifiers and fuse. So you can have a unit with any type of PFC (none, passive, active) that only supports 230V.

[Jurrunio]

2 minutes ago, OrionFOTL said:

I just want to say that supported input voltage doesn't depend on the type of PFC, they are completely separate things. 

 

Accepted input voltage depends on the current throughput of input side components like bridge rectifiers and fuse. So you can have a unit with any type of PFC (none, passive, active) that only supports 230V.

I know that, I'm just saying those without PFC must be horrible in every other way that it shouldn't be used. Even those with passive PFC are usually dodgy.

[Paint Stick]

A good PSU will save you headaches down the road.  brand name psu, spend a little bit of money on it, read the reveiws on it.  you dont want a piece of junk from china.

 

Part of the PSU's job which wasnt touched on here, is the the amps per cable, is more important than watts.

 

the higher the amp rating the better.  the last thing you want is a brown out inside the case.

 

the other thing to keep in mind is how well does the PSU filter line noise? and how does it handle inconsistancies in power input?  Outlets typically put out 100-130 volts, and are known to bounce around.  How well your PSU compensates for this will determine how well your computer performs.

 

For instance when I first got into computers around 2000, I would burn up hard drives in a matter of months...  I swapped the PSU, and while the computer become more stable, I was still experiencing hardware failures at an alarming - typically hard drives...  I then bought a line conditioner - like a UPS but without the batteries, that solved the problem.

 

The moral of the story is that while its easy to just gloss over the PSU,  having a quality PSU can mean the difference between stable and long term functionality,  and unstable and failing hardware.

[Stefan Payne]

9 hours ago, Jakers038 said:

Since I have a weak generic Chinese PSU that has a 1x6 pin and is really loud, I'm thinking of buying a new one, that would give me a bigger choice of GPU's to choose from. Unfortunately I have no idea about anything PSU related other than Watts and PCI-E pins and I don't want to screw something up, so is there different voltage psu's and things like that or am I fine with any one I choose? (as long as it's powerful enough and has enough connectors)

1) Not all PSU are equal

2) Wattage is irrelevant, quality is relevant. Then wattage. And that's digital: enough, not enough. Nothing in between.

3) Depending on the PSU it depends. There are a couple of PSU that only work in 230VAC areas, others use everything from 100-240VAC

 

And if you live in a 115VAC Area anyway, that's what will be sold to you.

3 hours ago, Paint Stick said:

  having a quality PSU can mean the difference between stable and long term functionality,  and unstable and failing hardware.

I agree with that statement...

While it might work with many PSU, a unsuitable PSU can cause unnecessary trouble like random lockups, freezes and reboots as well as shutdowns.