Cooling and Power Lesson 003: Power Supply Unit

Is alternating current a positive or negative current?

Alternating current cycles between positives and negatives repeatedly.

What is the main purpose of a power supply?

To deliver DC to all components inside the PC when receiving an AC power supply.

What is the purpose of the transformer in a power supply?

To bring the voltage down to a level that electronics can use.

What do filters and regulators do in a power supply?

They basically fine tune the voltage for the various components of your computer, to +3.3 VDC, +5 VDC, or +12 VDC, or -12 VDC.

Modular Power Supply Unit (PSU)

Allows the user to unhook the connectors and detach them from the unit.

What is the benefit from the functionality of a modular PSU?

The ability to remove unnecessary connectors, because it frees up space and increases productive airflow.

What is a redundant power supply?

A system that has multiple PSUs connected to it.

What is the benefit of a redundant power supply?

If one of the power supplies fails, another one will immediately take over.

Why would a user want a redundant power supply?

For critical environments, such as data centers.

When it comes to maintenance, what is a benefit of having a redundant power supply?

If a PSU fails, it can be replaced with no power interruption.

What systems can support redundant power supplies?

Systems with compatible motherboards.