Complete Guide to Desktop PC Power Supply Voltages and Wire Color Standards

Whether you're building a desktop PC or troubleshooting a power-related issue, understanding the different voltages and corresponding wire colors from your power supply unit (PSU) is crucial. When connecting high-performance graphics cards or storage devices, knowing which voltage supplies what component ensures both safety and system stability. In this post, we’ll break down the ATX PSU standard and explain each voltage, its function, and the associated wire color. This guide is designed to be beginner-friendly with practical examples to help you grasp how everything connects inside your PC.       Main Voltages and Wire Colors in an ATX Power Supply +3.3V (Orange): Powers logic-level components like the motherboard chipsets and memory modules. Essential for stable data handling in modern systems. +5V (Red): Used by legacy disk drives and many USB ports. Still common in today’s systems for peripheral devices. +12...