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Form Factor
Describes the physical size and layout of a power supply. Typical form factors
could be AT, ATX, BTX, Mini ATX etc... Form factors are not cross compatible i.e.
you cannot replace an AT power supply with an ATX power supply.
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Modular Power Supply
This phrase is usually applied to power supplies that have detachable power cables.
Traditionally all thge internal power cables on a PSU were hard wired into the PSU
casing. Modular PSUs have internal cables that are plugged into the PSU as
required. This leads to tidier internal case wiring, and tidy wiring leads
to better internal airflow and cooling.
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Noise Level
Usually given in Decibels ( dba ), the noise level gives you an indication of how
much audible noise a power supply will generate when running. Typically 20dba
is fairly quiet, 40 dba is fairly loud. For PCs that are to be sited in living
rooms as media centers it is advisable to obtain a PSU with as low a noise level
as possible.
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PFC
"Power Factor Correction" is a feature of a power supply whereby it compensates
itself to appear as a mainly resistive load to the mains supply in order to smooth
the demands that it makes on the supply. PFC is generally more of a benefit
for power generation companies than end users, however users that run many computers
from a single supply could benefit from using PFC enabled power supplies.
More and more countries are imposing legislation that make PFC enabled equipment
a requirement.
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Power
Measured in Watts, the power rating of a power supply gives an indication of how
much energy it can supply. The more components you have in your computer and
the more powerful they are, the more power you will need to drive them all.
In other words you will need a bigger power supply to drive a top of the range CPU
and two graphics cards in SLi mode than you will to drive a low end system with
on-board graphics.
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Redundant Power Supply
This specialist bit of server equipment is actually two power supplies in a single
box. Typically on servers that must stay running even in the event of a power
supply failure, dual redundant power supplies are fitted so that if one should fail,
the other will stay running. Often redundant power supplies feature 'hot swap'
capabilities so that replacement units can be installed with the equipment running.
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Uninterruptible Power Supply ( UPS )
A UPS is an external power supply that contains a rechargeable battery pack. In
the event that the mains power to the UPS fails, the UPS will instantly switch to
battery power and will continue to provide mains power levels to any connected devices.
Better quality UPSs also feature surge protection and status monitoring facilities.
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Voltage
Measured in Volts, applies to both the mains supply to the power supply and the
outputs from the power supply. Most power supplies used in the UK are
set to operate on 240 Volts supply. The outputs from PC power supplies
are always DC and range from -12V to +12V. Often a voltage selector switch
is present on the back of power supplies to allow for operation on US & European
voltages of 110 Volts - never connect a power supply that is set to 110V operation
to UK mains voltage.
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