Magically modify your computer power supply to make a beautiful desktop power supply, simple and practical

A good power supply can be an essential piece of equipment when you are trying to work with electronic devices and microcontrollers. While you can certainly use USB power bricks and "battery eliminators," nothing beats having a dedicated power supply with a ton of voltage options and current capabilities.

The ideal bench power supply should have 5V and 12V outputs, although 3.3V is also a good choice. It should be able to deliver a few amps per voltage.

You can certainly buy desktop power supplies, but they're not cheap. As the current capacity and output voltage quantity increase, so does the price. While a commercial desktop power supply is certainly worth the investment, you may want to consider a cheaper solution. Adapt an old computer power supply for use on your workbench. Computer power supplies have all the voltages you need and some very impressive current capabilities. Also, due to mass production, they are cheap compared to dedicated desktop power supplies. In fact, if you have access to an old computer that's on its way to the junk heap, you can salvage its power supply and put together a nice desktop power supply for a few bucks. This is what I actually do - an old Windows desktop computer is now a useful addition to my studio.