What are common voltages produced by a desktop power supply?

The common voltages produced by a desktop power supply include +/- 5 volts. In the context of personal computers, power supplies typically output various standard voltages that power different components of the system. The +5 volt rail is primarily used for powering the logic circuits on motherboards, particularly in the older and some current PC architectures, while the -5 volt rail, though less common in modern systems, was used in some legacy systems and for specific components like ISA devices.

Additionally, other standard voltages produced by desktop power supplies include +12 volts, which powers components such as hard drives, fans, and high-performance graphics cards, as well as +3.3 volts used for modern CPU and memory voltage requirements. However, the common choices available focus on the +/- 5-volt range, which is a critical part of the power distribution in many systems. This helps clarify the integral role of +5 volts in the operation and performance of various computer components.