Sometimes when you upgrade your PC, you will find that current power supply isn’t powerful enough to support your new system. If you need to replace your power supply, here is how.

Steps

  1. 1
    Get a large surface to lay our all your parts and a cup to put all the screws that you are going to be taking out in.
  2. 2
    Unscrew and remove the side panel of your tower and locate the power supply.
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  3. 3
    Before you start messing around inside your PC case, make sure you are grounded so there is no static involved. Static can mess up your video card and motherboard.
  4. 4
    Unscrew the screws (there will be around 4 of them) connecting the power supply to the back of the case and put them in the cup.
  5. 5
    Remove the motherboard connections carefully. The power supple will defiantly be connected to the motherboard, and will probably be connected to at least 2 fans as well. Remove these plugs carefully. Be especially careful when removing it from the motherboard because sometimes the SATA port will just snap off in the process, and you really can’t fix that. If the SATA port does snap make sure you bend the prongs in different directions so they can’t touch each other. This is not the worst thing in the world; you most likely have 3 more of these ports to use.
  6. 6
    Pull out the power supply. Again, be careful.
  7. 7
    Test your power supply if you have a tester. There is a device called a power supply tested that you can buy. It’s very inexpensive and it basically tests your PSU so that you don’t go through the trouble of installing a PSU that doesn't even work.
  8. 8
    Slide in the new power supply and tighten up the 4 screws in the back.
  9. 9
    Connect the PSU to your motherboard (there are usually around 3 plugs you have to deal with, and pictures of the plugs are included with your power supply paperwork in most cases.)
  10. 10
    Connect the PSU to your main fan (the biggest one) and as many other ones as your connection supports.
  11. 11
    Put your computer's side back on, fasten the screws and try out your new power supply.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Can the power supply be fixed if it is dead?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It depends on what is dead. If it has damaged capacitors and other components it might be fixed, but replacing the PSU is the safest and probably easiest method.
  • Question
    I just took power supply out of dell Inspiron One all-in-one, 130w. Do I have to get same manufacturer's power supply, or can I get one with same wattage?
    Carlos Craig
    Carlos Craig
    Community Answer
    Go on eBay and find one pulled out of an old one, because the power supply on all-in-one computers is proprietary.
  • Question
    I have a power supply, Delta DPS-350AB-20 A , can anyone help me find a replacement for this?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    I believe it's a 350W HP SMPS Power supply. Buy one from a local computer store near you that matches the supply watts.
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wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 40,311 times.
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Co-authors: 8
Updated: June 25, 2019
Views: 40,311
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