How Does a Power Supply Unit (PSU) Work?

Power Supply unit is a very important component of every computer system it , in order to fulfill the requirement of various components within the computer it convert external electrical power into a specific voltage and current in term of technology PSU converts the alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) which computer components can use ,lets understand the working of PSU point by point-

  • AC to DC Conversion: at first step PSU intake the alternating current( AC) from the standard electrical outlet which is different for different region for India it is 230V supply voltage, then further this alternating current( AC) is passed through a transformer to step it up or down according to the requirement , transformer make the current ready for the upcoming step.
  • Rectification: Rectification remembered yes its the same process you read during your board class 12 , if not remembered nothing to worry the process of rectification is based on concept that current flows only in positive direction in a diode, in the process power supply use the rectifiers (diodes) to convert the alternating current into vibrating direct current this process in whole is known as rectification.
  • Smoothing: the current prepared by rectification is vibrating direct current is not suitable for directly powering of the computer components so now Capacitors are used for making the vibrating direct current smooth which make the direct current even more suitable for the powering of the computer components.
  • Voltage Regulation: despite of passing through the process of smoothing may still have some fluctuations, so voltage regulators are installed to ensure a steady and precise output voltage the work of this circuit is to adjust the voltage in order to meet the specifications required by the electronic components the voltage is basically around 3v -12v depending on specific requirements of electronic components.
  • Output: at last the regulated direct current (DC) voltage is then supplied according to the requirement to the all components of the electronic device like motherboard, hard drives, graphics cards and soo on, the output voltage or power is provided to different parts of the device using different connectors and cables.

What is Power Supply Unit (PSU)?

A PSU is a type of internal hardware used in information technology systems. Power Supply Units (PSUs), despite their name, transform power rather than providing it to systems. In particular, a power supply regulates the DC output voltage to the precise tolerances needed for contemporary computing components in addition to converting the alternating high voltage current (AC) into direct current (DC).

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