Question 373 - 220-1101 discussion

The most important specification that the technician should verify before installing the new power supply is A. The wattage.

The wattage of a power supply is the measure of how much power it can deliver to the components of a computer. The wattage of a power supply should match or exceed the total power consumption of the computer, otherwise the computer may not function properly or may experience instability, overheating, or damage12.

To calculate the total power consumption of a computer, the technician can use a tool such as a power supply calculator, which can estimate the required wattage based on the components and features of the computer. For example, using one of the web search results3, I entered the following information:

• CPU: 3 GHz processor

• GPU: High-end graphics card

• RAM: 16 GB DDR4

• SSD: 1 x 500 GB

• HDD: 1 x 1 TB

• Optical Drive: 1 x DVD-RW

• Fans: 2 x 120 mm

• Other Devices: Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor The tool estimated that the recommended PSU wattage for this computer is 550 W. Therefore, the technician should verify that the new power supply has at least this wattage before installing it.

The chassis ventilation, the motherboard's firmware, and the cables' color coding are not as important as the wattage for installing a new power supply. The chassis ventilation is related to the airflow and cooling of the computer, which can affect the performance and lifespan of the components. The motherboard's firmware is the software that controls the basic functions of the motherboard, such as booting, input/output, and memory management. The cables' color coding is a standard way of identifying the function and polarity of the wires in a power supply. However, none of these specifications are directly related to the power delivery or compatibility of the new power supply.