how much power in my"power supply"

[cracker099]

Is there a way how to see how much voltage my power supply provides and how much i am using up???

[scfarley]

You don't use up voltage. You use up power. Power= voltage X current. Your power supply lists the amount of current at +5 -5 12etc. It will produce. Newer parts don't use as much as older ones. However, we put more parts in computers any more, cdr, dvd, peltiers. It kind of boils down to this, if it is working, you are all right. I considered using a peltier. If so, I was going to put another p.s. in my full tower case just above the one that came with it to run the peltier. I opted for the Alpha w. 26cfm fan. I am glad I did. those are awesome coolers! One way to get an actual reading of power used would be to use a current sensing meter (accurate ones are very expensive, know any electricians?) read how many amps the power supply is drawing at the voltage you have available in the outlet you use for the computer. (this varies by the way, don't assume 110. I have measured (with a meter accurate to +- .1v ac as little as 97 volts to as high as 125!)) Those extremes demanded correction. Anyway, get the voltage, measure the current at full usage and multiply them out. P=vI Then you can see if you are approaching the limits of your power supply. I had a friend that bought (against my advice) a tower that had a 140w p.s. He then added a cdr, two hard drives and a peltier cooler! Needless to say, he ended up buying a real case (that one was a micro atx) . Hope this helps!

[ANTONIO E GUERRA]

Usually a power supply between 230 and 300 watts will be sufficient for your computer's needs. The power supply changes ac to d/c and tranforms it to different volts (5v. -5v, 12v and -12). Servers come with a dual power supply that will redundant power in case of one of the power supplies die.

[nilknarf]

Your power supply or case should list the maximum output of the power supply in watts. Most power supplies also list the output in amps for +5, -5, +12, and -12 voltages. Most hardware in your computer should have info about its' power consumption, if not in the documentation, then from the manufacturer. If the power supply does not list its' power output, then tell us the model number on the power supply, most model numbers will indicate what the output is.

BTW, I have a 200w power supply and it's running 5 hard drives, two cdroms, two floppy drives, four cooling fans, and all the other stuuf attached to the mobo. I can egt away with this because the system is made of newer low power components.

Generally speaking, if the system works, you have enough power. If you put something in and the system stops working correctly, then, depending on the problem, you may need more power.

Hope this helps!
Good Luck!