PSU power allocations

[Rastalovich]

Random thought questions:

• If u only use the 20/24/+4 connectors of a psu, does this offer more wattage to that line due to the fact u`r not using any of the molex ?
  
• Or is the allocation of wattage assigned to each connection line ? So u may aswell use the molex cos it`ll make no difference to the psu as a whole.
  
• Does this vary depending on how u`r psu is built ? and u can tell by -what marking or label or specification ?
  

 

[Ham]

IIRC it depends on the psu. The amount of transformers internaly. But i could be totaly wrong there...

 

[Toxteth O'Grady]

You might find the answer here.



TOG

 

[JN]

Random thought questions:

• If u only use the 20/24/+4 connectors of a psu, does this offer more wattage to that line due to the fact u`r not using any of the molex ?
  
• Or is the allocation of wattage assigned to each connection line ? So u may aswell use the molex cos it`ll make no difference to the psu as a whole.
  
• Does this vary depending on how u`r psu is built ? and u can tell by -what marking or label or specification ?

It's not so much a matter of what the PSU offers, its more what the components draw.

If you was to only have the 20-Pin ATX connector plugged into your motherboard, and your motherboard only needed 50w in order to work, then that's all that would be taken from the PSU.

To answer your other question, there really is no easy way to find out how the rails on PSU's are distributed. Sure you can look at the label to see how many +12v rails the unit has, but this really means nothing. Many manufacturers essentially 'fake' having more than one +12v rail to come in line with ATX spec, and some just lie through their teeth about everything.

 

[Rastalovich]

The components can`t draw from a supply more than the supply can.. supply. And with my question being, does the main mobo connector-line have any dependence on the molex lines -- if it does; the least molex used the more power available to the mobo line. If it doesn`t; the mobo will draw what it needs up to a ceiling, the ceiling being pre-defined by the psu in terms of watts per line.

Reps to TOG, simply for the linkage - it`s great. Gonna take a fair bit of studying for it to fall into place, but I think the answers are cetainly therein. Likewize I need to dig out the A-Level Electronics part of my brain

I do think that, as people have infered, that it can also depend on the manuf. But I`d like to know if there is a description attached to the psu that would let u know.

 

[Toxcity]

You might find the answer here.



TOG

Tox that is one hell of a useful link!

Repped...

EDIT: Damn.. you where the last person I Repped..