The Best Power Supplies Right Now

One of the biggest areas where first-time builders get confused is on how many watts they need for the PC they are building. In the most simplest of terms, a typical mid-range single graphics card gaming PC will require anywhere from a 500W to a 700W+ power supply in order to run.

However, the exact wattage range of power supplies you should be looking at will be determined by the kind of components you will put into your system.

And, the main component that will draw the most power (and, thus, determine how big of a power supply you will need) is your graphics card.

The bigger the graphics card you get, the higher the power capacity you will need from your power supply.

But it’s also important to note that a power supply’s wattage rating isn’t always a good determining factor on whether or not it will work for you. Many low-quality brands put out “800W” power supplies by bending the rules of testing their units, when in reality, their power supply might really be what other companies are calling a 500W power supply.

So, it’s important that you not only look for a power supply that will provide enough power to your components, but also one that is a quality unit that displays an accurate wattage rating. Fortunately, in the guide below, we’ve given you a bunch of different options at various wattage capacities that you can choose between.

This will allow you to rest assured that you aren’t choosing a cheap low-quality power supply that is marketed as a high-end unit.

The +12V rail on a power supply is, in a lot of ways, a much better indicator of what kind of system that power supply can handle. This is because the +12V rail on a power supply is responsible for delivering power to your two most power-hungry components (as well as other components): your GPU and CPU.

So, one way to tell if a power supply is a cheap unit is to compare its +12V rating to other power supplies in the same price range. For instance, if an 850W power supply from an unknown manufacturer has a +12V rail of 28A, and you see that other 850W power supplies have over 60A on their +12V rail, then it’s safe to say that the unit from the unknown manufacturer is lying about the true capacity of their power supply.

The +12V rail rating of the PSU you are looking at is also a better way to determine what graphics cards it can support, rather than relying simply on wattage. Most graphics card manufacturers put out minimum power supply recommendations that are actually higher than what the graphics card will draw. And, they likely do this because there are a lot of power supplies out there that list higher wattage capacities than they can truly deliver under extreme situations.

But if you don’t want to overspend on a power supply, you can check the minimum +12V rail rating required for the graphics card you are considering purchasing by using this list. And, then from there you can look for a power supply that has a +12V rail that has a higher rating than the graphics card you are looking at has.

The 80Plus certification is a voluntary program that power supply manufacturers can use to determine the efficiency of their units. PSU manufacturers that want to get their power supplies 80Plus rated send in their units to an independent lab who then tests the units to determine their efficiency.

The efficiency of a power supply is determined by how much power is lost during the conversion from AC power (from your wall) to DC power (which goes to your components). The more power that is lost during this conversion, the less efficient the power supply is and vice-versa.

And, the test looks at how efficient the power supply is when it is under different loads. The higher load any power supply is under, the less efficient it will become. But some higher-end power supplies are able to minimize the amount of power that is lost during the conversion even at higher loads. And, those units will earn a higher 80Plus rating (Gold, Platinum, or Titanium).

Also Read: 80 PLUS Bronze vs Gold vs Platinum vs Titanium: Which PSU Rating do you Need?

So, the 80Plus rating on a power supply essentially lets you know how efficient that power supply is. It isn’t the end-all-be-all determiner of power supply quality—especially at the lower 80Plus ratings (like Bronze and Standard).

However, if a power supply has a higher 80Plus rating (typically above Silver), then it is likely a solid unit.

For people who are looking to build a budget-friendly gaming PC, though, you’ll likely be forced to choose between 80Plus Bronze units. And, there are a lot of 80Plus Bronze units that aren’t the greatest options and there are other 80Plus Bronze units that are really good options (especially when price is factored in).

If you look through the list below you’ll see my recommendation for units like Corsair’s CXM series, which are Bronze rated units that are great options for the price.

Ultimately, though, the 80Plus rating will give you a little bit better idea of what kind of efficiency a power supply will bring to the table, but it isn’t a perfect indicator of power supply quality.

Modular power supplies come with one big upside and one downside. The upside, obviously, is that modular power supplies are easier to work with. Non-modular power supplies come with a big bundle of cables and if you build a system that doesn’t need some of those cables, you’re then forced to figure out how to hide them and get them out of the way of your build.

The downside is that modular power supplies cost more than non-modular power supplies. So, some first-time builders who are working with a tight budget may have to choose between paying more for a modular power supply or saving money and getting a non-modular power supply.

Also Read: What is A Modular Power Supply? Modular vs Non-Modular PSUs

The difference in money-saved in some cases could be the difference between the builder being able to get a better graphics card—which is going to have a bigger impact on that gamer’s in-game performance.

So, the bottom line is that, whether or not you should get a modular power supply will come down to how much you have to spend on a new build or upgrade, and if you have a tight budget, whether or not you are willing to sacrifice some convenience and aesthetics in order to put more money towards other components.

While a power supply won’t really have a direct impact on your in-game performance, it is an important component that will determine the quality of the system you can put together. A cheap 400W power supply will limit the kind of graphics card you can get, which, in turn, will limit the kind of in-game performance you’ll get.

So, in short, yes, you need a solid power supply if you are planning on building a gaming computer. But, that doesn’t mean that you need to spend more on your power supply than on your other components. If you are looking to put together a moderately priced gaming PC, (say, an $800 PC build), you don’t need to spend over $100 to get a high-quality 800W power supply.

At that budget range, you’ll really only be able to afford a mid-range graphics card and so you’ll be just fine spending ~$50-$70 on a decent 550W+ power supply.

But, the bottom line is that, while a power supply won’t directly influence your frame rate and in-game performance, it will play a significant role in determining how powerful your system is. So, don’t skimp on your power supply.

One common question first-time builders have when they are choosing a power supply is, “Is it possible to choose too big of a power supply?” The answer to that is: not really.

If you are building a system that will only require a maximum of 450-watts, you won’t need a high-end 1000W power supply. You could just as easily get a decent 550W-650W power supply.

If you’re setting up a multi-GPU system that will draw a lot more power, then a 1000W (or greater) PSU will make more sense.

So, while you can’t really have too much wattage, buying a larger power supply when it isn’t necessary will cost you more money than you could have spent and the savings difference between opting for a PSU better-suited for your system could have cost you upgrades on more important components.