Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Silverstone
(
http://www.silverstonetek.com
)
was originally best known for its
media center/home theater cases but has since branched out to become a
full-line case supplier, selling an extremely broad range of cases—everything
from entry-level mini-tower cases to cube-style small form factor cases to super-
premium media center/home theater cases. We have limited experience with
Silverstone cases, but all of those we've seen have been of excellent quality.
Most Silverstone cases are sold without a power supply.
Thermaltake
(
http://www.thermaltakeusa.com
)
cases are particularly popular
among extreme gamers—including those who want a case designed from the
ground up for liquid cooling—but Thermaltake also offers a complete range
of general-purpose cases, including small form factor and media center/home
theater cases. Construction quality is generally excellent. Most Thermaltake
cases are sold without a power supply.
PowerSupply
The power supply is one of the most important components in a PC, yet most
people give it little consideration. In addition to providing reliable, stable,
closely regulated power to all system components, the power supply draws
air through the system to cool it. A marginal or failing power supply can cause
many problems, some of which may be very subtle and difficult to track down.
Most problems are not subtle, however. A poor or marginal power supply is
likely to cause system crashes, memory errors, and data corruption and may
fail catastrophically, taking other system components with it.
Here are some important considerations when choosing a power supply:
Form factor
Unless you buy a case with a bundled power supply, the first thing to
determine is which power supply form factor(s) will fit the case you've
chosen. Full-tower cases and most mid- and mini-tower cases accept
ATX12V or ATX12V/EPS12V power supplies. Smaller cases, including most
μATX cases, may accept only smaller power supplies that use the SFX12V,
TFX12V, or a proprietary form factor. Mini-ITX cases accept Mini-ITX power
supplies.
Wattage rating
Wattage ratings are not standardized, so you can't simply compare
numbers. High-quality power supplies have wattage ratings speci-
fied at 40° C or 50° C. Cheap power supplies are often rated at 25° C or
even 20° C, which unrealistically inflates their capabilities. For example,
a power supply rated for 500W output at 20 °C may actually be able
to deliver only 300W at the higher temperatures actually present in a
working power supply.
Size your power supply according to the system configuration, taking
into account the wattage required by the processor and video adapter.
The power draw of mainstream processors ranges from less than 30W
to more than 130W. Video power draw ranges from just a few watts for
