Hello friends! When assembling a computer, the main parameter of a power supply is its power. Today I will give several ways how to calculate the power of a power supply for a computer, if you decide to assemble it yourself.
Power supply calculator
This is the easiest option since you don't have to look for a BOM for every part. There are both online calculators and specialized software. Personally, I do not recommend using this option, and here's why.
Each program or site is created by a programmer who enters these parameters manually. He may have erroneous data, and in the absence of information, take it from the ceiling, relying on his experience and intuition. Also, one should not exclude the possibility of a banal mistake.
Together, these factors lead to the fact that different calculators ultimately demonstrate different power consumption for computers with the same configuration. Do we need it? Of course not!
Option for the lazy
The easiest way to find the required power supply unit is to remember simple rules:
- For an office PC with a weak video card, 400 watts of energy is enough;
- A computer with an average graphics card needs a 500 Watt PSU;
- Powerful video cards require a power supply unit of 600 watts or more.
Another hint is to look at the manufacturer's website for the specification of the video card: usually the manufacturer indicates the recommended power supply of the power supply.
We count on our own
The most reliable way to calculate the required output energy is to do it yourself with the help of a calculator (or in your head, if the "smart" works well). The principle is simple: you just need to calculate the amount of power consumed by all PC components.
The task is greatly simplified if you are going to buy all the components in the online store: the description of each item usually indicates the characteristic we are interested in.
To make it clearer, I will give an example of calculating electricity for a specific configuration:
- Intel Core i5-7400 3.0GHz / 8GT / s / 6MB (BX80677I57400) - 65 W;
- Motherboard Gigabyte GA-H110M-S2 - 20W;
- RAM Goodram SODIMM DDR4-2133 4096MB PC4-17000 (GR2133S464L15S / 4G) (2 pcs) - 2x15 W;
- Western Digital Blue 1TB 7200rpm 64MB WD10EZEX hard drive - 7W;
- MSI PCI-Ex GeForce GTX 1060 Aero ITX (GTX 1060 AERO ITX 3G OC) - 120W
Having calculated the amount, we get 242 watts at the output. That is, a 400-watt power supply is sufficient for the normal operation of such a system. The same required power is indicated by the manufacturer in the characteristics of the video card.
For a PC that will be used for mining, as well as for a farm, the principle is the same: having thought over the configuration, you should calculate the amount of energy consumed and, based on this, choose power supplies.
Why are blocks plural? A well-designed farm is made of several clusters, where 3-4 video cards are hung on one motherboard. Each such cluster requires a separate power supply unit.
If you are an advanced user and decide to build a farm for mining cryptocurrencies, keep in mind that this method has lost its relevance a few years ago. Special devices - miners, sharpened for this task, show a higher hash rate, while the purchase is usually cheaper.
A few notes
In such a simple way, you can calculate whether there is enough power from the power supply to power the system. What happens if there is not enough power? In general, it's okay: the computer either won't start at all, or it will shut down during peak loads.
When calculating, I recommend taking a power supply unit "with a margin" - even if you are assembling a gaming device capable of launching the latest innovations, it is not known what will happen in a few years and whether you would like to upgrade by installing a more powerful video card. In addition, power supplies typically show their best efficiency at 50% load.
Please also note that not all online stores indicate the power of devices in the characteristics. Perhaps, for some detail, you will have to look for the parameters of interest on the manufacturer's website - they certainly are there.
When going to a regular store, you should not rely on the fact that you will come across a competent consultant who remembers all the necessary parameters by heart and will be able to accurately determine the required power.
Practice shows that for one such specialist there are 10 dropouts, with whom it is better not to get involved - they are guaranteed to try to suck in a device with excessive characteristics, for which you will have to overpay.
