The computer power supply provides power to your pc computer hardware via cables which have a specific type of connector. The power supply has a main power cable and connector which is attached to the motherboard. It also has various connectors that power up your other internal computer components. Here are some of them.
* 4-Pin Peripheral Power Connector
The 4-pin peripheral power connector dates back to the floppy drive era. It is now commonly used for IDE hard drives, extra computer fans and other small hardware. The 12-volt 4-pin power connector and the 12-volt 8-pin power connector are offshoots of the original 4-pin power connector.
The 12-volt 4-pin power connector, which is otherwise called an ATX12V connector or a P4 connector, sports two additional 12-volt cable lines. The motherboard usually draws power from this connector to fuel the CPU.
The 12-volt 8-pin power connector, which is otherwise called an EPS12V connector, is used for CPUs that need more power than a 12-volt 4-pin power connector can provide.
* SATA Power Connector
The SATA power connector was designed to meet the power requirements of hardware devices that use the upgraded ATA interface. It is used for SATA devices like SATA hard drives and SATA optical drives.
* PCI Express Power Connector
The PCI express power connector provides power to PCI express expansion cards. Advanced graphics cards and sound cards require this power connector.
The PCI express power connector can have six pins or eight pins. The 6-pin PCI express power connector can provide up to 75 watts of power, while the 8-pin PCI express power connector can support up to 150 watts.
Take great care when attaching the computer power supply connectors to your pc computer hardware. Some of these connectors like the 12-volt 8-pin power connector and the 8-pin PCI express power connector look very much alike. If you make a wrong connection, you will damage your connectors.