How to Set Up an ATX Power Supply in a Computer
Installing computer hardware is a daunting task, especially for those inexperienced with the intricacies of the interior of their computers. However intimidating it may be, the task of setting up a new power supply is rather simple. If you are not sure you know what you are doing in the process, have a professional stand by you and assist you.
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Instructions
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Removing the Old Power Supply
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1
Unplug the power supply and turn the power off if it has a power button. The power supply is the device that the computer's main power cable connects to. Its power button is usually a toggle switch.
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2
Open up your computer so the interior is exposed. Usually, you would have to unscrew the screws that are near the edge of the computer and then slide the lid outward before removing it. Not all computers are like this. If you do not know how to open up your computer, you will need to consult a computer technician or a computer-savvy friend to help you.
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3
Unscrew the screws that are behind the power supply on the outside of the rear of your computer. Only remove the screws that are holding the power supply to the computer.
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4
Disconnect all the cables leading from the power supply into your computer's internal components. Do not remove a power supply that is still connected to something in your computer.
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5
Pull the power supply gently from inside your computer.
Installing a New Power Supply
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6
Place the power supply very carefully inside the computer in the power supply mount on the upper left-hand corner of its interior.
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7
Screw the power supply into the computer. Make sure you do not miss a screw to prevent the power supply from being unstably mounted.
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8
Connect the 24- or 20-pin cable (the thickest cable) to the motherboard. If you cannot connect the cable, this means you are holding the connector upside down. Try flipping it over. The socket is arranged in a way that you cannot possibly connect it the wrong way, to prevent novices from making mistakes.
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9
If your motherboard has a four-pin socket, connect the four-pin cable from the power supply (it has a square connector) to it.
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10
If the motherboard has a four-pin flat male peripheral socket, connect one of the flat four-pin connectors to it.
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11
Connect all the peripheral storage devices from your computer to the power supply. This includes hard drives and CD/DVD drives. The power supply has flat cables that are female (they receive the four pins sticking out of each of these peripheral devices). These should fit in each of those devices.
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12
If you have a floppy drive, connect the small female connector from the power supply into the floppy drive's four-pin socket. The small connector is about 1 cm long.
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13
If your graphics card also has a four-pin socket, do not forget to connect the power supply to this. Many modern graphics card need a little more power to run properly, and they sometimes take this from the power supply itself.
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14
Close your computer up by doing the exact inverse of what you did to open it.
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15
Connect the main power cable to the power supply and turn the computer on to test it.
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Tips & Warnings
If your computer doesn't turn on after the power supply is installed, you probably did not install it properly. Check that all cables are properly connected from the power supply to the computer, even if you are sure that you did it correctly. If the problem persists, have a technician assist you with a solution to the problem.
