I am purchasing this power supply for a computer I am putting together.
http://www.mini-itx.com/store/information/picoPSU-160-XT.pdf
and while in discussion with a rep, they spoke about not overloading any rail, as I could damage the power supply; However it does mention
Overload protection
Over load protection will be effected when either of the loads (+5V & +3.3V)
exceeds > 150% Max Load.
but not the 12V rail….
it gives a chart with max current with the voltage which I understand Power = Current * Voltage, but how do I calculate how much each component uses, especially if it uses more than one "rail." i.e., a Molex uses a 5.5v and a 12v pin, so how would I know how much the 5.5v rail is using, and how much the 12v rail is using?
There is only one 3.3v, one 5v, and one 12v rail, correct?
Here is a breakdown of my components and their estimated power consumption.
Component Estimated Wattage
Intel Core i5-2400 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor 11W – 95W
Noctua NH-L9i 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler 5W – 10W
Asus P8H61-I R2.0 Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard 7W – 30W
G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory 9W – 9W
Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive 2W – 10W
Noctua NF-A4x10 4.8 CFM 40mm Fan 1W – 5W
Noctua NF-A4x10 4.8 CFM 40mm Fan 1W – 5W
Noctua NF-A4x10 4.8 CFM 40mm Fan 1W – 5W
Total: 37W – 169W
NOTE: This build is not meant for heavy tasks, no gaming, no editing, but maybe light programming, so I HIGHLY doubt I would overload anything, but I 100% want to make sure.
Any advice on how to calculate my usage, tips to set me in the right direction, or even just a plain answer would be appreciated.
Thank you for your time.
Best Answer
Your fans and CPU cooler will run from +12. All the others will run from various voltages derived from either 3.3 or 5 volts, and without the detailed specs, you cannot tell the current levels at any voltage.
However, since your computed max power is 169 watts and the supply is only rated for 160, regardless of how it's divvied up you're probably in trouble. That's not to say it won't work, necessarily, since it's entirely possible that not all the components will require maximum power and at the same time.
But it's probably not a good idea trust this. Murphy's Law applies.