Set 13 — Power Supplies and Cooling

24-pin connector

Main power connector from PSU to motherboard

4/8-pin CPU (EPS) connector

Supplies extra power directly to the CPU

PCIe 6/8-pin connector

Supplies extra power to a graphics card

SATA power connector

15-pin connector that powers SATA storage drives

Molex connector

Older 4-pin power connector (legacy drives/fans)

3.3V, 5V, 12V rails

The standard voltage outputs of a PC power supply

Wattage rating

Total power output a PSU can safely deliver

80 Plus certification

Rates PSU power efficiency (e.g. Bronze, Gold, Platinum)

Air cooling

Heat sink + fan pulling heat away from components

Thermal paste

Fills microscopic gaps between CPU and heat sink for better heat transfer

Liquid cooling (AIO/custom loop)

Uses liquid coolant - better heat dissipation than air

Case airflow

Intake fans bring cool air in, exhaust fans push hot air out

ESD strap

Anti-static wrist strap - prevents static discharge from damaging components

Surge protector

Protects equipment from power spikes

UPS

Uninterruptible Power Supply - battery backup during an outage