Introduction

As a reviewer I have tested hundreds of power supplies, so I created this article to help you find the best power supply. The power supply is a vital component in a PC because it supplies electrical power to every other part in your computer. If your power supply was included with the case, I recommend you swap it out for an aftermarket PSU suited to your needs. A good PSU can reward you with stable overclocks, low noise, and better cooling for other components through improved airflow. You might even be able to save money in the long run as a quality power supply will operate more efficiently, resulting in a reduction of your power bill. At the same time, a bad PSU can damage expensive components, such as motherboards or graphics cards, and possibly destroy data by damaging your storage devices.



Unlike many other "best of" articles, this guide does not contain affiliate links, so you can be sure I'm not recommending whoever pays the highest commission. The primary factor for my selection of the best power supply is its overall performance score based on my in-depth reviews. The score is derived using an algorithm I started developing many years ago. Besides just performance, the recommendations in this article also consider build quality and protection features. The price tag of the power supply is important, too, but a major factor only for the "best budget" power supply category. Furthermore, a quiet power supply will always be preferred over a noisy model.

In this article, I offer my picks for the best power supplies across various categories defined by needs and not just budget. The recommendations are backed by a wealth of testing data and pricing.

Our Best Power Supply Recommendations

The table below depicts the best PSU for every possible scenario. If you want to learn more about a specific power supply model, why we recommend it, or what the alternatives are, just click on it to be redirected to the corresponding section on the second page.

Best power supply for...

Power Supply Shopping Tips

The most frequent questions are what wattage will be required and whether it will it be enough. There are some PSU calculators, but I wouldn't rely on them too much because even two identical parts (e.g., processors) can differ significantly in terms of power consumption, mostly under overclocked conditions, including GPUs. Power spikes CPUs and GPUs can create are another issue PSU calculators don't even touch. Some of these power spikes can lead to the PSU shutting down if any of its protection features are triggered (usually overcurrent protection). Yet another issue is the transient response of a power supply to sudden loads, which can lead to instability if poor.

The most energy-demanding component in a PC is the graphics card, and the best way to find out its power consumption is to read one of our reviews, where power consumption is detailed under various scenarios and with comparisons. There is also the Cybenetics GPU database, and of course reviews from other sites. The second-most energy demanding component is the processor. While manufacturers provide TDP (Thermal Design Power) numbers, these can often be wildly inaccurate, so the best way is to look at reviews and just add up all the numbers.

The best way to evaluate your power supply requirements if you want to replace your current unit is to use a kill-a-watt device and run an intense benchmark. The peak wattage you see will prove useful in deciding on your next PSU purchase. A safe choice is a PSU with at least 20% headroom over your peak wattage, not only for future upgrades, but also because even the best power supply delivers its highest efficiency at loads in the 30%–50% range of its maximum rated capacity.

In the past, high wattage PSUs suffered from low efficiency at light loads, but that's not true anymore. Based on the newest ATX specification, all PSUs should achieve over 70% efficiency at 10 W (<500 W units) or 2% (>500 W) of their maximum-rated-capacity load. Burst-mode operation allows modern power supply designs to be highly efficient under very light and light loads regardless of the maximum power output.

Another important factor is the PSU's size. Nowadays, most power supplies have compact dimensions. However, you should check the chassis you intend to use to see if the PSU fits, also as some chassis don't even support ATX form factor PSUs, but require SFX or SFX-L PSUs, which are much smaller.

It is common knowledge that most users prefer fully modular PSUs over semi-modular ones. Non-modular PSUs are only recommended in low-end systems where cost is a top priority, and the difference is only a few dollars anyways. A fully or semi-modular power supply allows for better cable management, which improves airflow in your system and leads to lower thermal loads. Consequently, output noise can be lower as well.

The RGB trend has made its way to power supplies as well, but this feature should be at the bottom of your list unless you are a case modder wanting to show off your nice power supply. Many cases have closed PSU compartments, so make sure you get the right chassis if you want to look at your PSU's RGB light show.

Best Budget Power Supply: Corsair CX450

Power:

450 W

OEM:

CWT (RPS0053), Great Wall (RPS0063)

Efficiency:

85% / 80+ Bronze / CWT: ETA-S, GW: ETA-A-

Noise:

CWT: 27 dBA, LAMBDA-A- / GW: 36 dBA, LAMBDA-S+

Cables:

Fixed

Length:

143 mm

Connectors:

1x EPS, 2x PCIe 6+2, 5x SATA

Cooling:

120 mm / rifle bearing / semi-passive

Price:

$55.99

Warranty:

5 Years

Alternatives

• EVGA 450 BT: If the CX450 feels a bit expensive, take a look at the EVGA 450 BT, which offers the same 450 W rating, but can usually be found at a lower price.
• Corsair CX450M: For a few more dollars, you can get the modular version of the CX450, which is made by Channel Well Technology.

Best Midrange Gaming Power Supply: Seasonic Focus Plus Platinum 550 W

Power:

550 W

OEM:

Seasonic

Efficiency:

90% / 80+ Platinum / ETA-A

Noise:

15 dBA / LAMBDA-A++

Cables:

Fully modular

Length:

140 mm

Connectors:

2x EPS, 2x PCIe 6+2, 6x SATA

Cooling:

120 mm / fluid dynamic bearing / semi-passive

Price:

$114.99

Warranty:

10 Years

Alternatives

• Super Flower Leadex III ARGB Gold 550 W: For users wanting to combine high performance and increased reliability with RGB lighting, the Leadex III ARGB with 550 W maximum power output is the only way to go. While you can manually select your RGB lighting mode, you can also connect it to a compatible mainboard and synchronize the lighting with the other RGB devices in your system.
• Corsair RM550x: The smallest member of Corsair's RMx line offers high performance and a silent operation at even high loads and increased operating speeds. If you don't need the higher efficiency the Seasonic Focus Plus Platinum with a similar capacity offers and want something more affordable, but just as good in all other regards, the Corsair RM550x is the ideal choice.

Best Performance Segment Gaming Power Supply: Seasonic Prime Ultra Titanium 650 W

Power:

650 W

OEM:

Seasonic

Efficiency:

92% / 80+ Titanium / ETA-A+

Noise:

10 dBA / LAMBDA-A++

Cables:

Fully modular

Length:

170 mm

Connectors:

2x EPS, 4x PCIe 6+2, 8x SATA

Cooling:

135 mm / fluid dynamic bearing / semi-passive

Price:

$179.99

Warranty:

12 Years

Alternatives

• Super Flower Leadex III 650 W: The non-RGB 650 W version of Super Flower's Leadex III line costs less than the Prime Ultra Titanium of similar capacity and offers high performance in all areas. It might not be able to match the efficiency levels of the Prime Ultra Titanium, but its price-per-dollar ratio is pretty high.
• Seasonic Focus Plus Platinum 650 W: For those of you who don't want to pay the premium price of the Seasonic Prime Ultra Titanium 650 W, the Focus Plus Platinum with a similar capacity is the best alternative. It offers slightly lower overall performance and has a 10-year instead of a 12-year warranty, but costs notably less.

Best High-end Gaming Power Supply: Corsair AX850

Power:

850 W

OEM:

Seasonic

Efficiency:

92% / 80+ Titanium / ETA-A+

Noise:

15 dBA / LAMBDA-A+

Cables:

Fully modular

Length:

172 mm

Connectors:

2x EPS, 8x PCIe 6+2, 16x SATA

Cooling:

135 mm / fluid dynamic bearing / semi-passive

Price:

$229.99

Warranty:

10 Years

Alternatives

• Seasonic Connect 750 W: A unique power supply, it is the first of its kind because of the backplane that brings the modular connections closer to the system parts. This leads to shorter cables, resulting in less trouble with cable management and routing. The added benefit is the increased airflow in your chassis because shorter cables occupy less space.
• Corsair RM850x: Corsair's RMx line is among the most popular in today's market, and for good reason. The performance-per-dollar ratios RMx models achieve are among the highest in their respective categories, and the RM850x is no an exception. The cherry on top for this unit is the quiet operation, which is usually only the case with more expensive, higher efficiency PSUs.
• Super Flower Leadex III Gold 850 W: Another member of Super Flower's Leadex III family manages to get nominated as the best alternative option, this time in the 850 W category. Besides good performance and high efficiency, it also features a silent operation.

Best Enthusiast Gaming Power Supply: Corsair AX1000

Power:

1000 W

OEM:

Seasonic

Efficiency:

92% / 80+ Titanium / ETA-A+

Noise:

23 dBA / LAMBDA-A

Cables:

Fully modular

Length:

172 mm

Connectors:

2x EPS, 8x PCIe 6+2, 16x SATA

Cooling:

135 mm / fluid dynamic bearing / semi-passive

Price:

$284.99

Warranty:

10 Years

Alternatives

• Antec Signature 1000 Titanium: The flagship of Antec's Signature line is also based on Seasonic's Prime Titanium platform, with the added bonus of the OC Link feature, which allows you to connect two similar PSUs and operate them at the same time should your system need extraordinarily high energy levels.
• Seasonic Prime Ultra Titanium 1000 W: But for some minor changes, this is basically the same unit as the AX1000, so it only makes sense for its performance to be as high.

Best Power Supply For Workstations: Corsair AX1600i

Power:

1600 W

OEM:

Flextronics

Efficiency:

92% / 80+ Titanium / ETA-A+

Noise:

23 dBA / LAMBDA-A+

Cables:

Fully modular

Length:

200 mm

Connectors:

2x EPS, 10x PCIe 6+2, 16x SATA

Cooling:

140 mm / fluid dynamic bearing / semi-passive

Price:

$559.99

Warranty:

10 Years

Alternatives

• EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 T2: This is a beast of a power supply. Its platform is capable of much more power output, so it won't break a sweat even when delivering power levels close to its maximum rated capacity for prolonged periods of time. It was the favorite power supply of all hardcore miners who wanted something of extremely high quality and performance, as it can handle high loads while operating around the clock continuously. It remains the best power supply in EVGA's portfolio.
• Corsair AX1500i: The AX1500i was the best power supply before the arrival of the AX1600i. Despite its age, it remains one of the best PSUs money can get you, and although it has a high price tag, it is still more affordable than the AX1600i.

Best SFX Power Supply: Corsair SF450 Platinum

Power:

450 W

OEM:

Great Wall

Efficiency:

91% / 80+ Platinum / ETA-A

Noise:

22 dBA / LAMBDA-A

Cables:

Fully modular

Length:

103 mm

Connectors:

1x EPS, 2x PCIe 6+2, 4x SATA

Cooling:

92 mm / rifle bearing / semi-passive

Price:

$124.99

Warranty:

7 Years

Alternatives

• Corsair SF600 Platinum: It uses the same platform as the SF450 Platinum, but because it delivers more power, overall performance is slightly lower. All in all, a great SFX PSU that uses the same cable configuration as the SF450 Platinum. You should only go for this unit if 450 watts are not enough for your system.
• Corsair SF750 Platinum: The strongest SFX power supply available today, and with top performance levels in all areas. Despite its extremely high power density, it achieves an impressive LAMBDA-A- Cybenetics noise rating with close to 26 dBA overall noise output. One of the very few SFX units offering 2x EPS connectors (along with 4x PCIe connectors).

Best SFX-L Power Supply: SilverStone NJ450-SXL

Power:

450 W

OEM:

Enhance Electronics

Efficiency:

92% / 80+ Titanium / ETA-A+

Noise:

<6 dBA / LAMBDA-A++

Cables:

Fully modular

Length:

132 mm

Connectors:

1x EPS, 4x PCIe 6+2, 8x SATA

Cooling:

Passive

Price:

$189.99

Warranty:

3 Years

Alternatives

• Fractal Design Ion SFX Gold 500 W: An impressive entry from Fractal Design in the SFX-L category that utilizes a Seasonic platform—high performance at a fair price, it also operates quietly and is fully modular with highly flexible cables. The 10-year warranty and included SFX-to-ATX adapter are two more benefits.
• SilverStone SX800-LTI: A tiny power supply in terms of dimensions only, its power density per liter is 775 W! It also achieves sky-high efficiency and good overall performance.

Quietest Power Supply: Seasonic Prime Titanium Fanless 600 W

Power:

600 W

OEM:

Seasonic

Efficiency:

92% / 80+ Titanium / ETA-A+

Noise:

<6 dBA / LAMBDA-A++

Cables:

Fully modular

Length:

170 mm

Connectors:

2x EPS, 4x PCIe 6+2, 8x SATA

Cooling:

Passive

Price:

$199.99

Warranty:

12 Years

Alternative

• SilverStone NJ450-SXL: I already listed this unit as the best SFX-L power supply, but since it is also passively cooled, it easily wins the title for the best alternative passive PSU if availability of the Seasonic Prime Titanium Fanless 600 W is an issue or you need a compact passive power supply.