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Upgrade Guide: Keep It Powered, Keep It Cool

Keep your upgraded PC fully powered and properly cooled, step-by-step.

Stan Miastkowski

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1. Identify the power supply.

Turn off your PC, unplug it, and remove the cover. Virtually all PCs made in the past three to four years use an ATX power supply, which has a dual-row motherboard power connector. Older PCs may have an AT power supply, which uses two single-row power connectors. AT power supplies also have a thick black cable that runs to the system switch. (ATX supplies are switched from the motherboard and don't have a switch wired to them.)

Note that although most ATX supplies are the same size, the physical size of power supplies does vary. AT supplies come in several shapes and sizes; what's called a "slim" supply is the most common.

Also, a few PC models use proprietary power supplies that can't be replaced with standard units. If your PC uses one, you'll have to order a replacement directly from the manufacturer.

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