Power it up, cool it down, power it up, cool it down, power it up, cool it down!
Hey there!
I’m Trisha Hershberger and you’re watching DIYin5,
the show where we make complex tech seem simple.
This episode is part of our ‘build your own pc’ series and today we’ll be focusing
on power and cooling options.
To see the other videos in the series, be sure to subscribe to the channel
and check out all our other tech breakdowns.
Whether we’re talking PCs, business or the ability of hoverboards to zoom over water,
most people would argue that more power is better, but that’s not necessarily true!
You’ll want to size your PSU appropriately for your system.
Too high of a load into a basic system actually decreases your efficiency
and costs you more money over time.
When it comes to your power supply unit, or PSU, the wattage listed is the maximum amount
of energy it could possibly supply.
A great tool I like to use to determine how many watts you might need
is the OuterVision Power Supply Calculator and it’s linked in the description below.
Your'er welcome!
After determining the amount of power, then you need to determine
if you want a modular or semi-modular PSU.
A full modular PSU has no cables pre-attached whatsoever.
This is the most expensive way to go but it allows you to only attach the cables you need
for better airflow and less clutter.
A semi-modular PSU has the essential cables pre-attached and is a bit less expensive.
A non-modular PSU has all necessary cables pre-attached, including some you may not even use,
and may lead to a cable management nightmare - or not - totally up to you.
Each power supply unit will have an efficiency rating - which is the amount of power
provided to the components divided by the amount of power drawn at the wall.
For example a 50% efficiency gives 50W to the system but takes 100W from the grid.
A better efficiency rating means less waste and waste is bad for heat
and can potentially damage other components.
Remember back when we covered choosing the right case for your build?
Some cases come with a PSU already mounted inside and while this definitely makes the
overall build a little easier, it also can limit your options.
Something to think about...
Speaking of heat, heat is the ultimate enemy of any system and must be eliminated at all costs!
Where there is heat, there must be a way to get rid of it, hence the importance of cooling methods in your PC.
Different components will come with their own cooling means directly from their manufacturer,
and these stock options will get the job done.
But if you really wanna cool things down, and do so quietly and with a bit of pizazz,
then here’s where you can get fancy.
You can cool your system down with aftermarket coolers - either using air or liquid.
Whoo! It's a little hot in there! Let's get some liquid cooling up in this piece, hu? Whoo! Much better!
No, don't ever do that!
Yep, I did just say liquid as in putting liquid in your PC.
We’ll get to that.
Air is the cheaper of the two options and you can choose the size, speed and look of
the fan you want to install.
Some fans are designed for high airflow while others are designed for static pressure.
High airflow fans are great for cases, moving the air from front to back and bottom to top,
while static pressure fans are great at pushing air in a stronger way toward a specific component,
or for a case that has small vents or something blocking the airflow.
Whether it’s for funky aesthetics, less noise, or the incredible cooling results achieved,
you may be considering liquid cooling.
Liquid cooling can be 2-10 times more effective than air cooling, it’s super quiet and it
makes your whole system look like a science experiment in a good way.
People used to homemake systems using things found around the house like aquarium pumps
to get these results, but I’m happy to say that it’s a bit more standardized now.
You can either purchase the parts needed individually - water blocks, pump, radiator and fan, water reservoir -
or you can purchase a starter kit or even All in One system to make things a bit easier for your first time.
If you are up for the challenge, liquid cooling can be a ton of fun.
Alright, if you’ve been following the series, we’ve now covered all the major components
required to build your very own PC!!!
Other things I’ll quickly mention are an optical drive.
These are not really used anymore
but they're cheap and a real pain in the butt when you need one and don’t have it.
A wireless card if your system doesn’t have a direct line you can get an external USB connected wireless card
or an internal component with better antennas for better reception.
A Bluetooth USB adapter, another inexpensive external option.
A sound card, when on-motherboard audio isn’t enough.
And of course, peripherals - your command center to navigate your system.
Ok, that about does it!
Please, please, please let us know in the comments how your build is going and if you have any questions.
I’m excited for you and cannot wait to see what you come up with.
Building your own pc is not only grade A bragging rights, it’s also the best way to get the
ultimate performance bang for your buck.
If this video helped you out in anyway, please give it a like and a share.
My name’s Trisha Hershberger and I’ll see you back here soon with more DIYin5.