Technical > PC Hardware Discussion/Reviews > How do you know which PSU to choose?

How do you know which PSU to choose?

20+4 Pin PSUs are compatible with both 20 Pin and 24 Pin Motherboards... It's connector has a Removable 4 Pin section for Compatibility with 20 Pin Mobos.

-Tursiops_G.
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If You're Unsure, "RTFM"... If You're SURE, "RTFM" Anyway.

reply to krzyrice
But what happens if my board uses 24 pin connector and it doesn't got the extra 4 pin connector port on it? It says it uses the 8 pin CPU power connector.

Yeah you can use that PSU.

The +4 clips out so it will fit on 20-pin ATX power connectors. The 8-pin CPU power connector is the +12v "P4" power connector. In this case it's listed as "1x EPS 12V(8 Pin).

reply to krzyrice
What do you mean by this sentence "The +4 clips out so it will fit on 20-pin ATX power connectors." The connector on the PSU is 20+4 pin. How would it work on a motherboard that needs 24 pin? Plus what I do with that extra 4 pin on the side if theres no hole for me to plug it in the motherboard?

The connector HAS 24 Pins, and WILL Fit straight into a 24 Pin Motherboard without needing to do any modification...
WHEN connecting it to a *20 Pin* Motherboard, You just *BREAK OFF* the extra 4 Pin section, and then just tie it back/leave it disconnected.

-Tursiops_G.
--
If You're Unsure, "RTFM"... If You're SURE, "RTFM" Anyway.

reply to krzyrice
Oh alright thank you.

reply to krzyrice
krzyrice: One thing you need to know:

On the +4 pin connector that clips on the 20 pin to make it into a 24 pin connector, that added four pins is yellow, orange, red, and black IIRC. Note that that is 3 different voltages and MUST NOT be used in the CPU 4 pin header on your mainboard, or, rather, even an 8 pin CPU power header. The proper power supply connectors for the CPU power header is made only of yellow and black wires (+12VDC only).

Be careful to plug each connector on the mainboard the correct orientation, do not force anything to fit, it should be easy to plug the connectors in and if you have to fight with it, your orientation of the connector might be wrong. On the 20/24 pin mainboard main header, there is a part that is like a lip for the clip on the respective 20/24 pin power supply feed/connector. The same with the 4 or 8 pin CPU header.

I hope this helps you, it is quite simple, just explaining it is difficult.
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reply to krzyrice
Ok I think I get it. So let me tell it back to you. The power supply I am going to buy has 20+4 mother board connector right? The Gigabyte motherboard I am going to buy needs 24 pin connector correct? So with the 20+4 pin on the power supply I just put them together and then it will become 24 pin motherboard connection. As for the other CPU 8 pin connector I just use the one that is included along with the power supply?

Correct.
The 20+4 pin connector should come pre-assembled as a 24 pin connector straight "out of the box".

All other connectors should fit as required. Any Left-over connectors should just be neatly tied back.

-Tursiops_G.
--
If You're Unsure, "RTFM"... If You're SURE, "RTFM" Anyway.

reply to krzyrice
Alright thank you! It was pretty confusing not knowing if it'll work with my motherboard or not.

reply to krzyrice
What should help you a little in the future:

Yellow wires are +12VDC
Red wires are +5VDC
Orange wires are +3.3 VDC

The mainboard uses those, black wires that are "common" or "baseline/ground" wires. Other colors per here:

»pinouts.ru/Power/atx_v2_pinout.shtml

The pin setup is known as a "pinout", you can probably find better example on google than the above.
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Join Teams Helix and Discovery. Put that fancy computer to good use helping to find a cure, your mom will love you for it. »Team Helix »Team Discovery

reply to krzyrice
get a Corsair PSU any of them are good look at the sizes of 520 to 750 any thing from that range will work fine
»www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi···reType=1

every thing they make is good

if you just want some thing cheap
»www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···17139004
550w 80bucks
/thread

reply to krzyrice
I could never use those power supplies from Corsair partly due to the case I'm choosing. Even though the PSU is mounted on the bottom it doesn't have a hole at the bottom for the PSU to breath from. So I can only buy PSU with a fan in the back only.

no they will work fine just turn them upside down
as long as there is some gap it will work fine its been talked about to death on hardOCP
what case are you using btw?

reply to krzyrice
I'm using this case since it comes with 5 fans pre-installed.
»www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···11156241

If you look closely at the pictures, you can see it doesn't have the hole at the bottom like the other cases for the power supply to breath. I was wary of not knowing if the psu fans were exhast or not. I didn't want it to blow hot air at my graphics card all day. And two, I didn't know if the holes in the back of the case would line up to let me invert the psu(fan up).

reply to krzyrice
I never said my case came with the PSU. And I said if you looked closely my case has no opening at the bottom so you cannot place the PSU upside down with the fan underneath.

no your missing the point the case is setup to install the PSU with the fan POINTING UP ie TOP DOWN FAN UP so you can use any PSU you want including the corsairs

ALL PSUS BLOW AIR OUT OF THE CASE

lt;dr
the corsair will work fine

reply to krzyrice
Oh I see. So the large fan on top of the PSU is an intake or exhaust?