computer power supply connectors can be pretty confusing for the newbie when setting up a new PC.
Get these connections wrong, and you'll have some funny LED lights or behaviors in your PC. In this article, we'll take a look at power supply connectors so you have an idea of what they are and how they function.
1. Best Source Of Information
First up, what's the best source of information to learn about computer power supply connectors? It's definitely the motherboard manual. Most motherboard manuals have specific instructions on how to hook up the computer power supply connectors to the motherboard. Review the manual carefully to make sense of those connectors.
2. Types Of Power Supply Connectors
What are the types of computer power supply connectors, you ask? Well, here they are:
* Power to hard disk drives There are connectors which power the hard disk drives - you hook these up directly to the power suppy unit using the power cables supplied.
* Power to the CPU The CPU is powered by a power supply connector hooked up to the motherboard. This is usually a small little connector you need to be familiar with your motherboard manual to ascertain what connector this is.
* Power to graphics card Most of the heavy duty graphics cards in PCs have a separate line to power them. The power supply connector to graphics cards might come from the power supply unit, or the motherboard.
* Power to computer beeper Notice how your computer 'beeps' when you first boot it up? That beep sound is powered by a computer power supply connector. You usually hook that connector between the motherboard and the power supply unit.
* Power to LEDs and lights Your computer case will have LEDs and lights to indicate activity in the computer (e.g. hard disk drive activity). To power these lights, there are some small power supply connectors between the power supply unit and the motherboard as shown below
* Power to floppy and optical drives Your floppy or optical drives will need to be powered by computer power supply connectors. These are usually hooked up between the drive and the computer power supply unit.
3. Be Careful With The Power Supply Connectors
Whenever you're dealing with the computer power supply, please ensure that you've grounded yourself properly. Very often, I hear of motherboards being short-circuited simply because the user forgot to ground himself or herself before meddling with the computer power supply connectors.
