Power chip rectifiers are a piece of Transformer anatomy which gives its possessor special powers that other Transformers do not have.

Fiction

The Transformers cartoon

In a plot to defeat Optimus Prime in a one-on-one battle, Megatron had the Constructicons build a device that would siphon off all the unique special powers of his Decepticon warriors and transfer them into his own body. In order for the machine to work, each Decepticon had to remove their power chip rectifier and place it within the machine. Starscream lamented that without his power chip rectifier he could not perform any of his special abilities, including his cluster bombs and his null-ray. Heavy Metal War

Notes

• After his enhancement Megatron was able to manifest all of the Decepticons' skills without having the physical features typically associated with them--for instance, he was able to cause a blinding flash of light to appear despite lacking Reflector's flash attachment, camera aperture, and lenses. This calls into question whether these physical features have any inherent function at all. Perhaps they serve to focus or direct the energy output.

• The rectifiers were thrown in a furnace, indicating they were melted down or evaporated or such in order to transfer the powers to Megatron. What the hell?

• In Transformers: Decepticons for Nintendo DS, reference is made to "Weapon chips" and, in one such mission Blackout must retrieve Megatron's Weapon chip. When Megatron integrated his chip into himself, his arm transformed into a HUGE cannon. In addition, Barricade's hand was shown as a cannon along with Optimus Prime's arm. Barricade made a threat to Brawl that if he didn't settle down he would "confiscate his weapon chip." What relations (if any) weapon chips have to power chip rectifiers is unknown.