POWER SUPPLY

A power supply is an electrical device that supplies electric power to an electrical load. 
The primary function of a power supply is to convert electric current from a source to 
the correct voltage, current, and frequency to power the load. A power supply is a 
hardware component that supplies power to an electrical device. The power supply is 
an integral part of any computer and must function correctly for the rest of the 
components to work. You can locate the power supply on a system unit by simply 
finding the input where the power cord is plugged in, one purpose of a power supply is 
to convert AC to DC so the computer has proper power to run its components. Another 
purpose of a power supply is to distribute proper DC voltage to each component. 
Several cables with connectors come out of the power supply. There are three major 
kinds of power supplies: unregulated, linear regulated, and switching. A fourth type of 
power supply circuit called the ripple regulated is a hybrid between the brute force and 
switching designs and merits a subsection to itself. A power supply is used to reduce 
the mains electricity at 240 volts AC down to something more useful say 12 volts DC. 
There are two types of power supply linear and switch mode. A switch mode supply 
works by turning the mains electricity on and off very quickly to reduce the voltage. A 
power supply's efficiency rating is important because higher efficiency units tend to 
have better components waste less power and generate less heat, all of which 
contribute to less fan noise.