Lesson 4 Power Supplies

Question 1

How many pins does a SATA power connector have?

Answer 1

15 pins

Question 2

ESD stands for?

Answer 2

Electrostatic discharge

Question 3

Power supplies are measured in what?

Answer 3

Watts

Question 4

Molex power connectors are for?

Answer 4

Case fans, IDE hard drives, and optical drives

Question 5

What plugs directly into the power supply to test for problems?

Answer 5

Power supply tester

Question 6

There are two different pin numbers PCIe power connectors can be, what are they?

Answer 6

6 pin (ATX version 2.1)

8 pin (ATX version 2.2 - higher)

Question 7

Some power supplies have a small switch on the back called…?

Answer 7

voltage selector switch

Question 8

The four basic units of electricity are?

Answer 8

Voltage (V) – Volts (V)

Current (I) – Amperes or Amps (A)

Resistance (R) – Ohms (Ω)

Power (P) – Watts (W)

Question 9

This current cycles back and forth rather than traveling in one direction, and is the most economical way to transmit electricity. What is it called?

Answer 9

AC (alternating current)

Question 10

The four type of power connectors are?

Answer 10

Molex

Mini (Berg)

SATA

PCIe

Question 11

PSU stands for?

Answer 11

Power supply unit

Question 12

The three most common voltages for power supply units are?

Answer 12

3.3V

5V

12V

Question 13

UPS stands for?

Answer 13

Uninterruptible power supply

Question 14

What is the main power connector for power supply form factor ATX?

Answer 14

P1 20-Pin Connector

Question 15

What is the main power connector for power supply form factors:

• ATX 12V 2.0
• ATX 2.1
• ATX 12V 2.2
• ATX 12V 2.3

Answer 15

​ P1 24-Pin Connector

Question 16

Floppy drives use what type of power connector?

Answer 16

Mini (Berg)

Question 17

What current is required by most eletronic devices?

Answer 17

DC (direct current)

Question 18

List the four different power supply problems.

Answer 18

Surge

Spike

Brownout (sag)

Blackouts

Question 19

What is a rail?

Answer 19

A rail is the printed circuit board (PCB) inside the power supply to which the external cables are connected.

Question 20

To find the electric current of a power supply I would divide the _____ by the _____.

Answer 20

Divide the voltage by the resistance.

Question 21

This object is designed to feed the motherboard, hard drives, optical drives and any other devices inside a computer with power. What is it called?

Answer 21

Power supply

Question 22

Which ATX power supply form factor is backwards compatible?

Answer 22

ATX 12V 2.0

Question 23

What are three things to consider when buying a power supply?

Answer 23

1. Type of Power supply and compatibility
2. Wattage and capacity requirements
3. Amount and type of connectors

Question 24

The voltages for Molex and Mini (Berg) power connectors are color coded Red, Black, and Yellow. What is the voltage for each color?

Answer 24

Red 5V

Yellow 12V

Black G

Question 25

Identify this connector.

Answer 25

SATA 15 pin

Question 26

Should you buy a power supply that’s over or under your system requirement? How much over or under should it be?

Answer 26

Over

30%

Question 27

What are common tools you might use to troubleshoot power supplies?

Answer 27

• Screwdrivers
• Compressed Air and Compressors
• Computer Vacuum – Takes out dust efficiently but can cause ESD (electrostatic discharge) if not used correctly.
• Multimeter – Commonly used to measure power supply voltages.
• Power Supply Tester – Plugs directly into the power supply to test for problems.