So you probably have noticed that some motherboards have this little CPU power connector that's completely separate from the ATX connector. I've only seen these on brand specific mobos from Dell and ...

The motherboard takes a full-size 24-pin ATX power link from the power supply, which handles most functions on the PC. Still, there's also a dedicated central processing unit (CPU) connection, usually ...

Building a PC isn’t easy for everyone, but if you’re someone who’s planning on doing it soon or just a PC enthusiast who’s passionate about PCMR, then this is the perfect blog for you. In this column, ...

I'm hardware-refreshing my old HTPC to an i5-3570K on a MSI Z77A-G41 which has an 8-pin 12V CPU power connector, and the PSU I have is an Antec Earthwatts EA-380 PSU, which has a 4-pin ATX 12V ...

If you’ve ever opened a PC case and stared inside, or looked at a bare motherboard, you may be taken aback by the number and variety of connectors, pins, and slots that exist on a modern PC ...

Don’t underestimate the importance of your PC’s power source. A good power supply serves as the cornerstone for a low-maintenance and highly reliable computer. But more often than not, boxed, ...

The venerable ATX standard was developed in 1995 by Intel, as an attempt to standardize what had until then been a PC ecosystem formed around the IBM AT PC’s legacy. The preceding AT form factor was ...

Most computer builders in the world think I'm nuts for endorsing the use of 330 watt power supplies for a high-end performance computer. Conventional "wisdom" says that anything under 500 watts is ...