What's the deal with Power Supplies?

[NoviceDollars]

When some of you refer to 'power supplies' are you talking about battery-backups? I'm not familiar with what power supplies are, though it sounds very simple and common-sensical. Regardless, I ask you for a brief explanation.

Is a 'power supply' necessary for PTLE and Digi001, or can't I just plug everything into my surge protector?

[This message has been edited by NoviceDollars (edited June 06, 2001).]

[znelson]

They're talking about the power supply built into the case that powers your computer.

[NoviceDollars]

AHhhh....I see the light.
So how can I check to find out what my power supply is?

[electrobank]

Your power supply will have a sticker somewhere on it. Either the back by the fan, or on the side. Each power supply should have this info as it is required to have a UL Listing and provide you with power specs. Most common on computers is a 250 Watts power supply. With todays faster Bus and processor speeds, the demand for more power has increased.

[znelson]

Since we're on the topic of power supplies.. any of you guys running an athlon 1.x on an A7M266? If so, what wattage power supply are you using? I've got a 300W .. I hope that's more than enough. I'm only running a 1.33Ghz cpu, 1 ide system drive, 2 scsi data drives, and a cdrw drive.

I'd also be interested in any setup tips you have for the A7M266.. mine arrives monday.. it'll be the 3rd motherboard I'm trying.

[electrobank]

For anything above a 1ghz should atleat have a 300 to 350 Watt Power supply. You want consistant voltage and power sent to your MOBO at all time. Even bad power supplies are to blame for freezes and hangs.