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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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