How To Install A New Power Supply For Pc

How to install a PSU

Fit a new ability supply in iv easy steps

A Corsair RM850X PSU in front of an opened PC.

When edifice a PC of your very ain, installing the PSU is usually 1 of the last steps. And perhaps as much equally installing the motherboard, it's i that brings everything together, with power cables latching on to most every major component like braided black tendrils. Just for the purpose of fun, not horror.

PSUs can still be a source of the latter if they e'er fail or, worse, curt out the more than expensive parts of the build. Luckily, the installation process is more than idiot-proof than it might appear. Just like installing an SSD or fitting a new CPU, information technology's mainly about knowing what plugs in where. A lot of "tab A goes into slot A" stuff, rather than any serious electrical engineering.

This guide will walk you through the process, and call up that installing a PSU is best done in one case all of the other components – the motherboard, graphics cards, storage and so on – are already in place.

The Razer Katana PSU on a plain dark background.

What PSU do I demand?

Well-nigh importantly, your PSU should fit your example. Most conventional belfry-style cases have room for standard ATX power supplies, whereas compact chassis designs may only fit an SFX-style PSU. Cheque your instance'due south specs if you're non sure.

Next, you'll need enough watts on manus to ensure the components doing the heavily lifting are sufficiently fed – there's no sense investing in the best graphics cards or best CPUs if they're not getting enough power. For a very bones gaming PC, 450-500W will be enough, but I'd recommend at least 650W for mid-range builds. More avant-garde rigs, peculiarly those with power-hungry GPUs like the RTX 3080 or RTX 3090, should go for at least 750W.

You'll also encounter PSU possess ratings like eighty Plus Bronze, eighty Plus Gold and fourscore Plus Platinum. These basically rate how efficiently a PSU tin can turn wall power into PC power. Higher ratings (Gold, Platinum and Titanium) are therefore better for your electricity beak and should produce less heat, at the toll of being more expensive to buy. Honestly, Statuary-rated PSUs are fine for budget builds, but Gold is a better eye footing.

Lastly, you tin can take your option of modular, semi-modular and fixed PSUs. Modular models let you to attach and detach every individual PSU cablevision from the PSU itself, so the merely cables in the case are the ones you demand; fixed PSU cables tin't be removed, then are cheaper just might stuff your case with unnecessary wires. Semi-modular PSUs take both a few fixed cables and a few sockets for removable cables. I personally prefer semi-modular PSUs when ownership them for myself, every bit the stock-still cables are normally the most essential ones anyway.

A PSU fully installed inside a gaming PC.

How to install a PSU

Step 1: Start off by making certain all the cables you need are attached to the PSU, specially if you have a modular or semi-modular unit of measurement. The essentials are the 24-pivot motherboard power connector, one viii-pin CPU power connector, and as many GPU/PCIe connectors every bit your graphics card needs. You lot may besides demand ane or more than SATA power cables, for internal storage or to power sure CPU coolers.

A modular PC PSU, out of its case, with several cables connected to it. — This is a modular PSU, with fully removable cables.

Footstep 2: With the PSU fan facing downwards, slide it into the case's PSU bay. This is usually at the dorsum and in the flooring of the case, except for very cheap or old cases that have it at the top.

A PSU partially inserted into a PC's PSU bay. — The PSU fan should face directly onto a vent, even if information technology looks upside-down.

Some cases permit you remove a plate at the rear and so simply slide in the PSU, which can then exist secured by re-attaching the plate. On others, as you can see in these photos, the PSU goes in from the side, and so is screwed directly onto the chassis. Either way, secure the PSU in place with the case'southward included screws.

A PSU being fixed in position by tightening the PC's mounting screws. — PSU screws should expect slightly different to all the other screws in your case's accessory pack - they unremarkably have hexagonal heads.

Step 3: Information technology's cable connectin' time. There'southward no particular lodge, but trying to avoid criss-crossing the cables will help you organise them later. Be sure to make apply of whatever routing holes around the motherboard tray, too.

The big 24-pivot cable connects straight to the motherboard – it's hard to miss that one, merely should almost ever be on the board's right border – while the 8-pin CPU ability cable plugs in at the top-left of the mobo. Some higher-stop motherboards might have a secondary CPU ability connector, only this is only actually for extreme overclocking use, and your arrangement volition piece of work fine if yous only connect the primary connector. That said, graphics cards with multiple PSU connectors volition always need all of them filled.

A close-up of the CPU power connectors on the edge of a motherboard. — In this case (hahhhh) we're but connecting the main, 8-pin CPU power connector on the right.

Recall the SATA power connectors as well (the ones shaped like a stretched-out 'Fifty'). These tin plug straight into difficult drives or SATA SSDs; some CPU coolers will also take SATA power connector, either as part of a hub unit or on a separate cable.

A PSU SATA power cable about to connect to an internal hard drive. — SATA power cables frequently take several identical connectors per cable, and so you can just utilise one to feed multiple drives.

Step iv: Tidy upwardly! You tin usually stuff most of the cable bulk next to the PSU, just cable ties or even the cases' congenital-in straps should be used to keep the remainder of the cables tight and compact. This isn't but for aesthetics: a tidy example is easier to clean and easier to manage when you cull to change components around in the future. Even if y'all somewhen need to snip some ties to access a particular PSU cable, that's easier than untangling it from a dusty spaghetti jumble.