How to Choose a Computer Power Supply

Video Transcript

"Hello. Today we're talking about how to choose a power supply for your computer. Essentially, whenever you are purchasing a power supply, it really, the only factor to consider is how much juice do you need to power your components. This particular power supply is a two hundred fifty watt power supply that came from a pre-made manufactured Dell machine. Now, if you are manufacturing your own machine, then you're going to want more juice than that. But essentially whenever choosing one you need to factor in number one, the type of video card you're using, or even if you're using multiple video cards. Number two, the number of hard drives you're using. Number three, what are the components? Are you using a DVD drive, a couple of DVD drives? Are you using a floppy drive? How much memory do you have? Things like that. Every internal component in a PC requires some amount of power, so you typically want to make sure you have enough power to go around to all the components. This is especially true if you are a video gamer. If you're a video gamer, then you definitely want something more than this. Typically when I have to replace my power supply or get a new power supply for my machine, I will try to find something with at least five hundred fifty watts, at least. And typically, if I were to add a second video card in my machine, I would want at least six fifty, but if you're just a basic home user, and you just want a machine to get on the Internet or write email, then a two hundred fifty watt power supply should be more than enough for you. Brand does not make as much difference as the actual wattage output of the device."