Depending on its overall performance, your PSU plays a big part in determining reliability, so you have to be careful when it comes to picking the right one for your machine. A good PSU should also have the protection features able to save your components, including the power supply itself, should something go wrong.
The recommendations below are pulled from the top-level awarded products from our PSU reviews. As we continue reviewing units, this list will evolve and grow, continually representing the best of an incredibly important component.
Corsair’s RM850X boasts a fully modular cable design to help reduce clutter inside your case. It’s also highly efficient with an 80 Plus gold certificate. Promo Code: EMCPVEY82.
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Best Power Supply Units
April 27th Update: reviewed the Seasonic Prime Ultra Titanium 1000W, Apexgaming AG-850M, and several other models (no awards, not listed). Removed the Silverstone SX500-LG, EVGA SuperNova 550 G2, Corsair CX650M, FSP Hydro G 650.
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When it comes to power supplies, the saying that "more is better" doesn't apply. Before deciding on your next PSU purchase, you should calculate how much power your system draws from the wall and look for a capacity point that satisfies your demands. A few years ago, all high-end graphics cards were power-hungry. However, this changed with Nvidia's latest architectures. It's simply not necessary to buy a 1kW PSU for a couple of GeForce GTX 1080s. A 750W model will do just fine, leaving plenty of headroom for an overclocked host processor. Fans of AMD's flagship Radeon cards need to plan for higher power use, pairing them with PSUs featuring greater maximum output.
| Relative Performance | Performance Per Dollar |
In the relative performance charts provided with each one of our PSU reviews, we create an index of sorts that encapsulates overall performance, including load regulation, ripple suppression, efficiency, hold-up time, and the maximum power each PSU can deliver. Hopefully this makes your life easier, since you don't have to decipher several data-heavy graphs to reach your own conclusions. You only need to take a quick look at our index to see where your PSU of choice stands against its competition. The second most important chart, derived from the relative performance score, is performance per dollar, which we're betting will become your favorite as you shop for an upgrade.
Best SFX PSUs
Corsair SF450
- Full power at 45°C
- Efficient
- Silent operation
- Ripple Suppression
- Load regulation
- Transient response
- 5VSB performance
- Compact dimensions
- Quality caps
- Build quality
- Fully modular
- Hold-up time
- Warranty
- Price
- No option to deactivate the semi-passive mode
- No Berg adapter is provided
- ATX cable should be longer
- Some users might not like the lack of an SFX to ATX adapter in the bundle
Corsair's SF450 is an SFX PSU featuring amazing performance and very silent operation. It easily takes the top place in the 450W SFX category and its only downside looks to be the increased price, which is justified by the excellent build quality.
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Best 550W PSU
Bitfenix BWG550M
- Good price
- Full power at 46°C
- Full protection set
- Efficient
- Ripple suppression
- Load regulation
- Silent
- Build quality
- Fully modular
- HDB fan (with not so high lifetime though)
- Flat, stealth and pretty long cables
- Warranty
- Hold-up time
- ATX cable's connector is tough to connect (to the PSU side)
- 5VSB efficiency
An overall great PSU with a down to earth price. Bitfenix should be proud of its Whisper line, which meets eye-to-eye the toughest competition in the Gold efficiency category. You can't go wrong with the BWG550M, it is as simple as that.
Corsair RM550x
- Full power at 48°C
- Efficient
- Ripple suppression
- Silent
- Japanese caps
- Fully modular
- Hold-up time
- Load regulation on the minor rails
- Performance in Advanced Transient Response Tests
- Semi-passive operation
- Warranty
- Price
- No fan test button
- Distance between 4-pin Molex connectors
In addition to very high performance, Corsair's RM550x also features dead silent operation, even under extremely hard conditions. The only major downside of this PSU is its high price, compared to the competition in this wattage category.
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Best 600W PSUs
Seasonic SSR-600TL
in Best Power Supplies- Resilient to high temperatures
- Efficient
- Ripple suppression
- Load regulation
- Hold-up time
- Accurate Power Ok signal
- 5VSB performance
- Dead silent
- Fully modular
- 2x EPS & 4x PCIe connectors
- Build quality
- Warranty
- Expensive
- OCP at 5VSB
- Distance between peripheral connectors
- Not top-notch transient performance
- Inrush current with 230V input
This is the best passive PSU that money can get you today. It is super efficient, its overall performance puts to shame many high-end active cooling PSUs and it can easily support a strong gaming system. The only downside is the stiff price, but you get what you pay for, with this product.
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Best 650W PSUs
Corsair RM650x
- Full power at 49°C
- Ripple suppression
- Load regulation
- Performance with transient loads
- Silent
- Compact dimensions
- Quality caps
- Fully modular
- Hold-up time
- Warranty
- Single EPS connector
- Short distance between peripheral connectors
- No bypass relay in the inrush current protection circuit
The RM650x is a high performance PSU featuring great build quality and a very silent operation. It is offered at a fair price and the ten-year warranty is the cherry on top. Its major problem seems to be the harsh competition from EVGA's similar priced offerings, especially the 650 P2 model.
EVGA SuperNova 650 P2
- 4x PCIe & 2x EPS
- Amazing ripple suppression
- Efficient
- Full power at 46°C
- Fully modular
- Hold-up time
- Performance in Advanced Transient Response tests
- Semi-passive operation
- Silent
- Quality caps
- Warranty
- Price
- Short distance between peripheral connectors
The 650 P2 is another excellent EVGA PSU with very high performance in all areas, also featuring very silent operation. The PSU's only downside is its high price, but in this case you get what you pay for.
Seasonic SSR-650TD
- Full power at 47°C
- Efficient
- Ripple suppression
- Load regulation
- Hold-up time
- Silent
- Build quality
- Fully modular
- 4x PCIe & 2x EPS connectors
- Selectable semi-passive operation
- FDB fan
- Warranty
- Looks
- Price
- 3.3V rail performance in Advanced Transient Response tests
- Inrush current with 230V input
- Distance between peripheral connectors
The new Seasonic Titanium platform is awesome! The 650W Prime model offers amazing performance in all areas and super high efficiency. Hands down this is the best 650W unit money can buy today and on top of that it is dead silent, even under worst case scenarios.
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Best 750W PSUs
Corsair RM750x
- Full power at 49°C
- Efficient
- Silent
- Low ripple
- Load regulation on the minor rails
- Quality caps
- Hold-up time
- Fully modular
- Warranty
- Small price difference with the RM750i
- Single EPS connector
- No fan test button
- Distance between 4-pin Molex connectors
If you don't need the extra bell and whistles of the RM750i and want to save some bucks then the RM750x is a good choice, however the price difference between these two products is small.
Seasonic Focus Plus SSR-750FX
- Price
- Full power at 46°C
- Efficient
- Ripple suppression
- Load regulation (+12V)
- Hold-up time
- Accurate Power Ok signal
- Fully modular
- Selective semi-passive operation
- 2x EPS & 4x PCIe connectors
- 10 year warranty
- 3.3V transient response
- Noisy under rough conditions
- Bulky ATX, EPS and PCIe cables
- Found lots of long component leads on the main PCB
- Short distance between peripheral connectors
- 5VSB efficiency should be higher
The Seasonic FOCUS Gold 750W is a high performance PSU featuring super compact dimensions, a fully modular design and a selective semi-passive operation. All above can be yours at a very good price which doesn't exceed 100 bucks and the cherry on top is the ten-year warranty. If Seasonic manages to improve the not so good 3.3V transient response and lowers the output noise, the FOCUS units will be even better.
Thermaltake TPG-0750F-R
- Price
- Full power at 46°C
- Efficient
- Ripple suppression
- Load regulation (+12V)
- Hold-up time
- Accurate Power Ok signal
- Silent under light-moderate loads
- Fully modular
- 4x PCIe connectors
- HDB fan with RGB lighting
- Japanese caps
- 10-year warranty
- Selectable semi-passive mode
- Inrush current
- 3.3V rail performance in transient tests
- PCIe and EPS sockets are identical (on the PSU's side)
- Single EPS connector
- Fan profile could be less aggressive
Thermaltake used the best version of this Gold Sirfa platform. The TPG-0750F-R is highly efficient and has excellent ripple suppression. Given its good pricing scheme, the Japanese caps and the HDB fan, it is definitely worthy of your attention.
EVGA SuperNova 750 P2
- Full power at 49°C
- Efficient
- Ripple Suppression
- Load regulation
- Silent at light-moderate loads
- Hold-up time
- Quality caps
- Fully modular
- Semi-passive operation
- Warranty
- Weak and not so efficient 5VSB rail
- Short distance between 4-pin Molex and SATA connectors
- Fan profile
The 750 P2 is a top-notch PSU with low ripple on all rails, tight load regulation and high efficiency. Its fully modular cable design along with the selectable semi-passive operation, the Japanese caps and the 10-year warranty complete the package. With a richer, in operational modes, fan profile and a lower speed fan this PSU would offer an even more silent operation, which is highly desired by many users nowadays.
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Best 850W PSUs
EVGA SuperNOVA 850 G3
- Full power at 47°C
- Efficient
- Ripple suppression
- Load regulation
- Transient response at +12V
- Accurate Power Ok signal
- Fully modular
- 6x PCIe & 2x EPS connectors
- HDB fan
- Japanese caps
- Semi-passive mode
- Dimensions
- Build quality
- Not affordable
- Inrush current with 230V
- OTP is set high
- 5VSB efficiency
- Vampire power
- Noisy
- In-cable caps
A top performing PSU which with higher efficiency at 5VSB and a less aggressive fan profile could be close to perfection. Super Flower's new platform is awesome and EVGA did good to use it, for replacing the aged G2 units (which still rock though).
Seasonic SSR-850FX
- Price
- Full power at 47°C
- Efficient
- Ripple suppression
- Load regulation
- Hold-up time
- Accurate Power Ok signal
- Fully modular
- Selective semi-passive operation
- 2x EPS & 6x PCIe connectors
- 10 year warranty
- Transient response on the minor rails
- Noisy under rough conditions
- Bulky ATX, EPS and PCIe cables
- Short distance between peripheral connectors
- 5VSB efficiency should be higher
At this price tag (110 bucks) the Seasonic FOCUS Plus Gold 850 is a bargain and easily receives a recommendation from us. Besides high performance it is also super compact, allowing its installation even in small sized chassis. Seasonic's new FOCUS family managed to capture our full attention so far.
EVGA SuperNOVA 850 P2
- Full power at 49 °C
- Efficient
- Ripple Suppression
- Load regulation
- Silent
- Compact dimensions
- Quality caps
- Fully modular
- Semi-passive operation
- Warranty
- Hold-up time
- Weak and not so efficient 5VSB rail
- Short distance between 4-pin Molex connectors
EVGA's SuperNOVA 850 P2 has amazing performance, silent operation, compact dimensions for a 850W PSU and is backed up by a hefty 10-year warranty. If you want to invest in one of the best PSUs in this category, then the 850 P2 is definitely for you.
EVGA SuperNova 850 T2
- Full power at 49°C
- Efficient
- Ripple Suppression
- Load regulation
- Super Silent
- Hold-up time
- Compact dimensions
- Quality caps
- Fully modular
- Semi-passive operation
- 5VSB rail's performance
- Warranty
- Price
- 3.3V performance in Advanced Transient Response tests
- Short distance between 4-pin Molex connectors
The EVGA SuperNOVA 850 T2 is a super high performance PSU with a price to match, which means its performance per dollar ratio is low. Nonetheless, this is the most efficient PSU we have tested so far and probably the best in the 850W category.
Seasonic SSR-850TD
- Full power at 47°C
- Efficient
- Ripple suppression
- Load regulation
- Hold-up time
- Silent
- Build quality
- Fully modular
- 6x PCIe & 2x EPS connectors
- Selectable semi-passive operation
- FDB fan
- Warranty
- Looks
- Price
- 3.3V rail performance in Advanced Transient Response tests
- Inrush current with 230V input
- Distance between peripheral connectors
The Seasonic Prime Titanium 850 is probably the best 850W PSU available on the market today. It features top-notch performance, dead silent operation, nice looks and a hefty 10-year warranty. The only problem is the stiff price, but in this case you get what you pay for.
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Best 1000W PSUs
Corsair HX1000
- Full power at 47°C
- Efficient
- Ripple suppression
- Full protection features set
- Load regulation
- Hold-up time
- Accurate Power Ok signal
- Low EMI
- Build quality
- Silent
- Inrush current (115V)
- Fully modular
- 2x EPS & 8x PCIe connectors
- FDB fan
- Semi-passive mode
- Ability to switch to multi +12V rail mode
- 10-year warranty
- OCP at 5VSB
- Bulky ATX, EPS and PCIe cables
A high quality PSU with excellent performance and a hefty warranty. What more to ask from Corsair? Probably a way to offer the same excellent ripple suppression without using in cable caps, which make the cables less flexible and bulky.
Seasonic SSR-1000PD Ultra
- Full power at 47°C
- Efficient
- Ripple suppression
- Load regulation
- Hold-up time
- Accurate Power Ok signal
- Transient response
- Silent (for a 1kW PSU)
- Build quality
- EMI
- Fully modular
- 2x EPS & 8x PCIe connectors
- 2x SATA connectors supporting SATA 3.3 spec HDDs
- FDB Fan
- Selectable semi-passive mode
- Warranty
- Looks
- Distance between peripheral connectors
- OCP at 5VSB
The SSR-100PD Ultra is the best performing PSU with 1kW capacity that money can buy today. We haven't tested of course its Titanium (or ETA-A+) sibling yet, which will most likely achieve an even higher overall performance rating, so for the moment this model is the king of our charts.
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Best 1200W PSU
Corsair HX1200
- Full power at 46°C
- Efficient
- Ripple suppression
- Full protection features set
- Load regulation
- Hold-up time
- Accurate Power Ok signal
- Build quality
- Silent
- Inrush current
- Fully modular
- 2x EPS & 8x PCIe connectors
- FDB fan
- Semi-passive mode
- Ability to switch to multi +12V rail mode
- 10-year warranty
- OCP at 5VSB
- Bulky ATX, EPS and PCIe cables
This is another high-end Corsair PSU that, aside from great overall performance, also offers quiet operation (clearly indicated by the LAMBDA-A+ badge it carries). The collaboration between CWT and Corsair is paying off, and we appreciate that much attention is paid to the 5VSB circuit's efficiency. This doesn't seem to be as high of a priority to EVGA and Super Flower.
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Best 1250W PSU
Thermaltake ToughPower RGB TPG-1250D-T
- Full power at 50°C
- Efficient
- Ripple suppression
- Load regulation
- Silent operation
- Quality caps
- Fully modular
- Hold-up time
- Digital control
- Control/Monitor software
- RGB Fan
- Individually sleeved cables
- Warranty
- Tough competition at this price range
- OCP at 5VSB is set too high
- You can plug an EPS cable to a PCIe socket and vice-versa and these connectors aren't electrically compatible!
- Not all cables are individually sleeved
The Toughpower DPS G RGB 1250W is a high-performance PSU that packs some interesting features, including an RGB fan and compatibility with Thermaltake's SPM cloud service. Its only problem is the stiff competition in this price range from Corsair's and EVGA's high-end models.
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Best 1500W PSU
Corsair AX1500i
- Full power at 49°C
- Powerful
- Highly Efficient
- Ripple Suppression
- Load regulation
- Silent Operation
- Digital control and monitor
- Amount of connectors
- Fully modular
- Long cables
- Japanese electrolytic caps
- Hold-up time
- Warranty
- Large dimensions
- Small distance between Peripheral connectors
- Accuracy of Corsair Link's readings
Our final verdict can be summarized as follows: this is best PSU that money can buy today.
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Best 1600W PSU
Corsair AX1600i
- Full power at 48°C
- Powerful
- Efficient
- Ripple suppression
- Load regulation
- Hold-up time
- Accurate Power Ok signal
- Inrush current
- Silent
- Quality caps
- Fully modular
- Amount of connectors
- Quality fan
- Corsair Link app
- Magnetic side covers
- Warranty
- Expensive
- Small distance between peripheral connectors
- EMI with AVG detector
The Corsair AX1600i is the best PSU that money can buy today, period. It offers top performance on all areas and it uses an innovative platform, which provides us a glimpse at the future of power supply design.
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Has two here http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story2&reid=446
And here https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/evga-supernova-650-p2-power-supply,4364.html
How long and in how many systems can you use your $100 plus power supply?
Is paying $100 for a power supply cost effective "insurance" on a $500 computer? At what point does it become cost effective insurance?
If I'm paying over $100 for a power supply where do I cut costs to pay for it? The case? The SSD or hard drive? No optical drive? The CPU cooler?
I'm looking for frugal, cost effective advice. I know that this article is about the "best" and that I can find these answers in the forums. But I still don't understand why manufacturers just don't build a "best" power supply in say 500, 750 and 1000 watts. Wouldn't economies of scale make the cost of the units affordable?
I stand corrected. I have a 650 P2 and I didn't see two connectors. I must've grabbed a cable from my 850 box, thinking it was the same. So it appears to use just the single connection from CPU1 out of the PSU using a cable that has both the 4+4 and an 8-pin EPS.
Thanks Turkey!