Will a U.S. imported ATX power supply work safely in the U.K?

Shaolin Chicken · 2025-03-05T19:06:05+0000

Hello,
Can anyone help please?
If I imported an ATX power supply from the U.S. will it safely work in the U.K?
I have read various threads while searching google and most seem to think that either the power supply will have an input voltage selector or it will be self switch and will work OK.

Is this correct, the power supply I would like to import doesn't have an input voltage selector, but upon reading the Cybernetics power supply rating for the power supply, it states 110V-240V, 50-60Hz frequency, so this make me think that it will be OK and is a self switch power supply and I just need a UK power supply cable, what do you think?

Am I safe?

Tetras · 2025-03-05T19:24:28+0000

Yes, it should work without any changes required, assuming you check the manufacturer spec.

I'd not recommend you buy a PSU from abroad though, as the model may not have been optimised for operation in the UK and you can have difficulty claiming the warranty.

LuckyBenski · 2025-03-06T01:10:56+0000

I believe that some PFC (Power Factor Correction) only works at EU voltages and as such, US sold PSUs simply don't have the feature.

Distracted · 2025-03-06T03:34:50+0000

Shaolin Chicken said:
Is this correct, the power supply I would like to import doesn't have an input voltage selector, but upon reading the Cybernetics power supply rating for the power supply, it states 110V-240V, 50-60Hz frequency, so this make me think that it will be OK and is a self switch power supply and I just need a UK power supply cable, what do you think?

This is correct.

The PSU is built and tested to handle a range of input voltages and output a specific range of voltages. It doesn't care where in the world you are, so long as you stay within the range it is designed for.
If you need more reassurance, the PSU will have declarations of conformity that you can download from the manufacturer or whoever has branded it. There will almost certainly be an EU and UK declaration in there given the voltage range.

The caveat about warranty still applies.

Shaolin Chicken · 2025-03-06T05:37:43+0000

Thanks @Distracted

Thank you also for the other comments, I have bought other power supplies from the UK which have only included a two prong power cable, and worked safely with a UK power cable.
I have already ordered the power supply as I do not know when it will be available to purchase in the UK, hopefully it works, I will use a power supply tester first to see if it works correctly.