How to determine the power of a computer

At numerous forums devoted to computer technology, with an enviable periodicity, there are reports of malfunctions in the operation of computer components, overheating and even the burning of the power supply unit or motherboard along with the video card. One of the reasons for this is the incorrectly calculated power of the computer. Obviously, this is a rather important issue, since it is related to the operability of the entire computer system. In this article, we'll talk about how to select the power of the computer power supply, ensuring the stable operation of its electronic assistant.

At first glance, it may seem that the problem is contrived, because now you can buy a unit even for a kilowatt. Accordingly, if the user enters, without thinking about the possible consequences, they are quite predictable. However, the characteristics that are not always stated in the specifications for the power supply unit coincide with the actual ones, and computer power verification is often of interest only from the theoretical side (practice begins after failures and breakdowns). In addition, paying for watts that will never be used is not too wise.

Many people are familiar with the situation when, after buying a modern video card and connecting it to the motherboard connector instead of the expected increase in FPS-s (frames per second), after a while, a smell of burned insulation and fused varnish appears from the system unit. One possible reason for this is that the total power of the computer is greater than that which can be given by the power source. Of course, we pointed out a very neglected case - in practice this is preceded by program failures.

The power of the computer can be determined

There are several ways to find out the amount of electricity consumed by the system. The most difficult, but giving the most accurate results is the way to determine the power - with the help of current-measuring devices. In any electrotechnical shop there are commercially available measuring pincers and a multimeter. The power of the computer can be determined using any of these devices.

Dangerous, but accurate

To measure with ticks, you need to divide the power cord of the computer into two cores. It is better not to cut the factory one, but to assemble a small "plug-and-socket" extension lead in which the conductors are not assembled in a single cable. After that, you need to connect the computer to the network through it, load the system and turn on the most resource-intensive application. Now you can measure the current. We seize any wire with ticks and look at the current value . The power of the computer can be easily found knowing the formula P = I * U, where "U" is the voltage of 220 V. Thus, at a current of 1 ampere, the power will be 220 watts. Knowing this, it is impossible to make a mistake in choosing a power supply . Metering is done quickly and safely.

The multimeter is also included in the rupture of any of the two wires of the extension cord, so all the preparatory work is carried out with the plug disconnected from the mains. It must be switched to the current measurement mode (limit - 10 A). After that, the system is turned on, and the current meter is displayed on the display panel. The power calculation is similar to the previous method.

Fast, convenient, but not too informative

Another possibility of determining the power of the system unit is realized with the help of special programs or services on the Web. Having opened a page of such site, in special columns it is necessary to specify the type of installed components and their number. After pressing "Calculation", the approximate power will be reported. Knowing it, you can select a power supply. Also convenient is that you can specify a new component instead of the old one and see the change in power consumption.