e., the keyboard, the mouse, and most USB
devices). If your power supply isn??™t able to provide adequate power to all
your hardware, one or more of those devices will suffer.
The power supplies found in most computers are extremely cheap, a fact
that ends up being the cause of most power supply problems. This means
that it doesn??™t make too much sense to replace one cheap unit with another
cheap unit, even if the replacement has a higher wattage rating.
Power supplies are rated by the amount of power they can provide (in
watts); most computers come with 200??“300W supplies, but many power
users end up needing 350??“400W. The problem with power ratings, however,
is that most of those cheap power supplies don??™t hold up under the
load. A cheap 400W unit may drop under 300W when you start connecting
devices, but better supplies can supply more than enough power for even
the most demanding systems, and will continue to provide reliable operations
for years to come. A well-made power supply will also be heavy and
have multiple fans, as well as being a bit more expensive than the $20 landfill
fodder lining most store shelves.
Possible exceptions are portable computers, which may not have userreplaceable
power supplies. However, the need for increased power is
generally only applicable to a desktop system that can accommodate several
additional internal devices, so the matter is pretty much moot.
Fix USB Power Management Issues
Power management is a common cause of USB problems; if Windows is able
to shut down your USB controller to save power, it sometimes won??™t be able
to power it back up again, which will prevent some USB devices (especially
scanners) from working.
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