Power Supply Unit (PSU)

a.k.a. “Power-Sucking Unit”

The component that supplies power to a computer.  Most personal computers can be plugged into standard electrical outlets.  The PSU then pulls the required amount of electricity and converts the AC current to DC current.

You can locate the power supply on a system by simply finding the input where the power cord is plugged in.  Without opening your computer, this is typically the only part of the PSU you will see.

If you were to remove the PSU, it would look like a metal box with a fan inside, and some cables attached.

Modern computers use a switched-mode power supply.