Hi Tony,
The things to looks for in a power supply come in three general categories.
1.) Physical size and form factor. Sometimes, the large PC makers like
Gateway and Dell don't use standard form factor supplies. This is more
prevalent in their cheaper/smaller PC's. You would need to measure the
size and space of the existing PS, the mounting hole layout, and
openings for the fans and power cord. The new one needs to match this to
work. Fortunately, if it uses a standard ATX form factor PS, then most
aftermarket supplies that conform to the ATX form factor should fit.
2.) Electrical output. This is the total power output, and can be more
involved than just the wattage rating. Usually, for typical desktops,
the wattage rating is good enough, where you have to look deeper is in
higher end multiple CPU servers that may have specific requirements for
the amps that can be supplied on sertain voltage rails.
3.) Connector types and sizes. In addition to making sure that the
supply has enough connectors, and of the right type for the disk drives
and fans, you also need to be concerned about the connectors for the
motherboard. There are several different standards now in use. The main
board connector is the largest, and may be either 20pin or 24pin. Most
power supplies come with a 24 pin with either an adapter or a way to
"separate" the extra 4 pins for MB's that use 20pin. Most pentium (and
better) MB's also have at least one separate connector, (which people
invariably forget to hook up) a 4 pin "ATX" connector to supply extra
12V for the onboard VRM. However, some high end systems may actually
require a 6 pin connector and I have actually seen one system require
two of them.
If your system has a high end graphics card, it may also require a
separate power connector. If you have one, make sure the power supply
has provisions for this as well.
Russ Poffenberger
[log in to unmask]
Tony wrote:
> I currently have the power supply that originally came in my Gateway computer, a NPS-160CB-1A, but I really don't know what power supply to get. I was going to buy an EA500, but I was not sure if it was compatible. The only listed replacement power supply is the ATX-300GU, but there were a few bad reviews. Any help?
>
PCBUILD maintains hundreds of useful files for download
visit our download web page at:
http://freepctech.com/downloads.shtml
|