Test Your Knowledge Of Atx Power Supplies

The purple wire provides a constant +5V Standby voltage to the motherboard, even after the computer is turned off.

The motherboard is kept constantly powered through a +5V standby voltage. This enables soft power functionality.

Black wires are used for grounding purposes in electrical systems. Grounding is an essential safety measure that helps to prevent electrical shock and protect equipment from damage. By connecting the black wire to a grounding point, any excess electrical current is safely redirected into the ground. This helps to maintain a stable electrical circuit and reduce the risk of electrical hazards. Therefore, the black wire is commonly used for grounding purposes in various electrical applications.

The P1 connector on ATX12V 2.x power supplies has a total of 24 pins. This connector is used to provide power to the motherboard and is essential for the proper functioning of the computer. The 24 pins are designed to provide different voltages and signals to the various components on the motherboard, ensuring stable and reliable power delivery.

The correct answer is Amps x Volts. This is because Watts is a unit of power, and power is calculated by multiplying the current (in Amps) by the voltage (in Volts). Therefore, the correct formula to calculate Watts is Amps x Volts.

While all of these are possible, the low wattage of the existing PSU should be your biggest clue that the question is about wattage requirements.

The red wire in a Molex connector provides +5V. Molex connectors are commonly used in computer power supplies to provide power to various components. The +5V wire supplies a voltage of 5 volts, which is commonly used to power the motherboard, hard drives, and other peripherals. This voltage is essential for the proper functioning of these components.

The green wire is used for the "Power On" function. When this wire is connected to ground, it signals the power supply to turn on and start providing power to the system. This wire is typically connected to the power button on a computer or other electronic devices, allowing the user to easily turn the device on or off.

The purple wire provides +5V Standby voltage.

A power supply will only provide as much power as is needed.

"Soft power" acts as an electronic power switch. Operating systems and other software are also capable of controlling the power supply via "soft power".

Yellow wires provide +12V power.

The P1 connector on ATX12V 1.x power supplies has a total of 20 pins. This connector is used to provide power to the motherboard and is essential for the computer's operation. The 20 pins on the P1 connector are designed to fit into the corresponding 20-pin socket on the motherboard, ensuring a secure and reliable connection.

A "rail" is a single voltage produced by the PSU. There are 3 rails in a standard power supply (3.3V, 5V, and 12V). Each rail carries a single positive voltage.

Before upgrading the power supply, Ernie should consider the form factors of the power supply, motherboard, and case. This is important because different components may have different form factors, and they need to be compatible with each other in order to fit properly. By considering the form factors, Ernie can ensure that the new power supply will physically fit into the case and connect to the motherboard correctly. This step is crucial to ensure a successful and compatible upgrade.

ATX12V 2.0 and later power supplies are guaranteed by the standard to include SATA power connectors. They were optional on ATX12V 1.3 supplies, so

Standby power provides a voltage of +5V. Standby power is a low power mode that allows certain devices to remain partially powered even when they are not actively in use. The +5V voltage is commonly used to power small components such as standby lights, USB ports, or other low-power devices that need to remain operational even when the main power is turned off.

Red wires provide a voltage of +5V.

SATA power connectors have 15 pins.

Anything of Pentium II vintage would be using an original ATX supply which predates the ATX12V 1.0 standard. Original ATX power supplies do not have the P4 connector that is necessary to supply power to Pentium 4 CPUs.

Although they have different numbers of pins (20 and 24), the ATX12V 2.x P1 connector is backward compatible with 1.x power supplies.

Time is money. Get your client up and running again immediately with a field replaceable unit (FRU). It simply doesn't pay to replace parts within a PSU or attempt any sort of component-level repair.

The "Power Good" wire is gray.

The ATX12V 2.0 standard eliminated the AUX connector.

The orange wires provide +3.3V voltage.

The brown wire is used for the +3.3V sense. This means that it is responsible for sensing the voltage level of the +3.3V power supply. The +3.3V sense wire is typically used in computer power supplies to provide feedback on the actual voltage level of the +3.3V rail to the power supply controller. This allows the controller to make adjustments and ensure that the voltage remains stable and within the required range.

The correct answer is "mini" because the standard power connector for floppy drives is a four-pin mini connector. This connector is smaller in size compared to other power connectors and is specifically designed for use with floppy drives.

The blue wire provides a -12V power supply. This voltage is commonly used in electronic circuits for various purposes, such as powering certain components or providing a negative reference voltage. It is essential for the proper functioning of devices that require a balanced power supply with both positive and negative voltages.

The white wire is optional.

With the introduction of the ATX12V 1.0 standard, a four-pin connector called the P4 was added. The P4 plugs into a separate connector on the motherboard and provides direct power to CPU's like the Pentium 4.

The 6-pin AUX connector provides both +3.3V and +5V power. This means that it supplies two different voltage levels, +3.3V and +5V, which can be used to power various components or devices that require these specific voltage levels.

Molex connectors have four pins.

The ATX12V 2.0 P1 connector is required to provide voltage outputs of +3.3V, +5V, +12V, and -12V. This connector is commonly used in computer power supplies to supply power to various components such as the motherboard, CPU, and peripherals. The +3.3V and +5V outputs are used to power digital circuits, while the +12V output is used for powering devices such as hard drives and graphics cards. The -12V output is used for providing power to certain legacy components.