Best Power Supply Unit 2020 - 7 Best PSUs For Every Budget

Simply put, all the components in your computer are going to be using the power from the power supply unit, and if the PSU is not good enough, there are a lot of bad things that can happen.

Things that you can easily prevent from happening if you use a good power supply unit.

Best Power Supply 2020 Buying Guide

Corsair RM850x (Best Power Supply Overall)
Cooler Master MasterWatt 750W (Best Budget Power Supply)
FSP Dagger 500W (Best SFF Power Supply)
Gamdias Astrape P1-750G (Best RGB Power Supply)
NZXT E850 (Best Digital Power Supply)
Seasonic Prime 1000 Titanium (Best High-End Power Supply)

If you are looking for the best power supply units, you can head over to the marketplace and find a heap of them.

However, this level of saturation means that companies are now releasing more power supply units than people might need in the first place. This ultimately leads to confusion, as people cannot make the right decision.

With that out of the way, in this roundup, we are going to be looking at some of the best power supply units that are available in the market. It does not matter if you are looking for a full sized ATX, or a smaller PSU, there are enough options available for everyone.

Best Power Supply Units (PSUs) 2020

All these units are individually tested with a slew of different hardware configuration to yield the best possible results as well.

Corsair RM850x: Check Price On Amazon

Best Power Supply 2020 Overall

There is no denying the fact that Corsair has pushed the boundaries with their RMx series of power supplies; creating a fine line between the highest end options and some mid-range options as well. The RMx series has been the staple of high end gaming PCs for years and for all the right reasons, as well.

Today, we are looking at the Corsair RM850x; one of the most lauded power supplies from Corsair. It is able to provide you full power at just 47 degrees Celsius, the overall operating acoustic of this power supply are quiet throughout, the build quality is excellent, and the power supply is fully modular.

You even get two EPS connectors, as well as six PCI-E connectors. The dimensions are fairly standard, and you are getting 10-year warranty that is more or less, class leading for Corsair.

As far as the downsides are concerned, you have capacitors that are still attached to the cables, and the distance between peripheral cables is on the shorter side.

Overall, the Corsair RM850x is one of the best power supplies till date, and shows that once Corsair has dedicated themselves to something, they are going to perfect it no matter what comes in the way.

Pros

You get full power at just 47C.
The power supply has excellent acoustics.
The build quality is solid.
You are getting a fully modular system.
10-year warranty is great to have.
Plenty of connectors.

Cons

The capacitors are attached to the cables.

Cooler Master MasterWatt 750W: Check Price On Amazon

Best Budget Power Supply 2020

Cooler Master has had a long history of some amazing products available in the market, and they are continuing to impress us with their dedication and attention to detail.

Today, we are looking at the Cooler Master MasterWatt 750W, one of the best power supplies available in the market, especially for those who are looking for affordable options.

The great thing about this power supply is that it comes with one of the best build qualities that you can find; both the internals and externals are amazing. The power supply is quiet, and you are getting a semi-modular design for such an affordable price.

You are even getting a 5-year warranty, which is just great to have. You are also getting fully black, sleeved cables.

On the contrary, there is not a lot wrong with this PSU; you are getting what you are paying for, but do know that as far as the efficiency rating is concerned, you are only getting 80 Plus bronze certification

Overall, the Cooler Master MasterWatt 750W is one of the best power supplies available in the market for the budget you have. It does not hinder in the way of the budget, either. It will be giving you a great performance in almost all the situations without any hindrance coming in the way.

Pros

Great build quality.
Quiet operation.
Semi-modular design.
5-year warranty out of the box.
Black sleeved cables.

Cons

Not the most efficient power supply available in the market.

FSP Dagger 500W: Check Price On Amazon

Best Power Supply For SFF PC Builds

FSP is one of the companies that often get overlooked when we are talking about excellent power supplies.

The truth is that they are providing some of the finest products for some time now. If you are looking for something that is affordable, you can look at the FSP Dagger 500W as it is one of the best options available in the market. What’s so good about this unit? Let’s find out.

For starters, you are getting full power at just 47 degrees Celsius, the build quality is excellent, and the hold-up time is fairly long, as well.

The load regulation is fairly tight, too. You are getting a fully modular design, and you are even getting a couple of EPS connectors. The fan technology used on this power supply is double bearing, so you can be sure of good performance.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the power supply can be noisy, and the ripple can be high, as well on 12v rail. You are not getting a lot of peripheral connectors either.

Overall, the FSP Dagger 500W is an excellent options for those who are looking for something that is on the more affordable side, but they don’t want to sacrifice on the overall performance.

Pros

You’re getting full power at lower temperatures.
The build quality is great.
The hold-up time is long.
Great load regulation.
Two EPS connectors.

Cons

It can get noisy.
High ripple on 12v rail.
Limited peripheral connectors.

Gamdias Astrape P1-750G: Check Price On Amazon

Best RGB Power Supply 2020

One of the companies that are not that well known when it comes to power supplies is Gamdias, however, the company does have a good reputation when it comes to gaming components, and naturally, the Gamdias Astrape P1-750G caught our attention. Is it as good as the company claims it to be? Let’s find out.

To start with, the power supply does come with good looks, it is fully modular, and even has great RGB lighting implementation. Another good thing about this power supply is that it is rated at 80 plus gold, and the internals of this power supply on the more powerful side, so you do not have to worry much in that regard.

On the contrary, the power supply is on the pricier side, and the cables are somewhat shorter. Another thing is that you might have difficulty finding fully sleeved custom cables for this power supply because not many companies are making them.

Overall, the Gamdias Astrape P1-750G is more or less a niche power supply unit. However, that does not mean that it is not a good option. As a matter of fact, it is one of the best power supply options available in the market, and you are getting a great option, as well. I can assure you that you won’t have any problems coming in the way.

Pros

The PSU looks gorgeous with the RGB lighting.
Fully modular design.
80 Plus gold rated.
Stable voltages.
Good quality internals.

Cons

Slightly expensive.

NZXT E850: Check Price On Amazon

Best Digital Power Supply 2020

NZXT is not a new player when you are talking about power supplies.

They have been in the market for a long time, and yes, the same is being said about the power supplies they have to offer. Needless to say, they know what they are doing, which is a great thing. The NZXT E850 is a combination of their digital supremacy combined with an analogue unit. How good is it? Let’s find out.

For starters, the power supply is extremely efficient, and the build quality is excellent. The fully modular design makes setting it up simple, you are getting a lot of connectivity options including two EPS connectors and six PCIe connectors.

The fan is great, and you have a bundled software that can provide you with a lot of information that you can use for better understanding. NZXT is also offering a 10-year warranty on this, which is great to have.

As far as the downsides are concerned, you are getting a noisier operations, the distance between peripheral connectors is on the shorter side, and the software readings can be inaccurate at times.

Overall, the NZXT E850 is a good power supply that can deliver stellar performance. Granted, it is one of the more expensive options available in the market, but for anyone who is looking for great performance, this is the way to go.

Pros

Great performance.
Good thermals.
The software does provide you with relevant information that can be useful.
Plenty of connectors.

Cons

Noisy operations.

Seasonic Prime 1000 Titanium: Check Price On Amazon

Best High End Power Supply 2020

The last power supply that we are reviewing is from Seasonic and we all know the reputation that surrounds them, we all know that the company is known for some of the best power supplies in the market, and that is saying something.

The unit we are reviewing today is the Seasonic Prime 1000 Titanium, it is one of the best power supplies available in the market, and here’s why.

You are getting full power at just 46 degrees C, you are getting excellent efficiency, the ripple suppression is top of the line, and you are getting a great hold up timing as well. The power signal is accurate, and the power supply runs very, very quiet.

It goes without saying that you are getting a fully modular design, and the legendary Seasonic warranty is also accompanying the power supply.

If you are talking about the downsides, I have to be honest with you, there is not a lot to dislike about this power supply. As a matter of fact, there is nothing objective here.

Seasonic has done a great job with the Prime 1000 Titanium, and for a lot of people, this is the perfect power supply you can buy provided you have the money for it. If you want something that can withstand pretty much any test, this is the way to go.

Pros

Class leading performance.
Plethora of connectors.
Efficient and quiet.
Quality components.
Great build quality.
Top of the line warranty.

Cons

None

Things To Look For In A Power Supply Unit

The Power Supply Unit is a very critical component in your PC because if you somehow plug an unsuitable PSU into it, there’s a chance of immediate failure of the other components of your PC.

On top of that, the manufacturers of those other components won’t compensate you for any damage because it’s all your fault for in this case.

The fire caused by an unreliable PSU can literally burn your house. So don’t show any carelessness here.

Below are some of the common things you need to keep in mind while looking for a solid power supply unit.

How Much Power Your PC Needs

Yes.

The first step of choosing a suitable PSU is determining you much power your PC actually needs.Don’t worry. You don’t need to do any math-related stuff here.Instead, I would ask to go a PSU calculator like this one. Just enter the different components that you use in your PC, and it will calculate the total power your PC needs (in Watts).Do keep in mind that in when calculating the power required by your PC, it’s important to list down the components that will probably install in the near future.Most people either put little-to-no gap between the power their PC requires and the wattage of their PSU or go completely over the board and buy a 1000W PSU for something like a 400W PC.Both approaches are wrong here and I will explain why.Although the calculator I’ve linked to above is very accurate, no such calculator is 100% true and there can be a slight difference between theoretical and real-world scenarios.

So if you don’t put any headroom between the results Outervision’s calculator shows you and the wattage of your power supply, it may result in unexpected shut down of your PC.

Now we’ll discuss the people that go completely opposite and buy a way bigger PSU (in terms of power) for their PC.

Firstly, a PSU of more wattage will be more expensive, which will reduce your budget for other PC components.

Secondly, your system will draw way more power from the electric socket than it actually needs, which will lower the overall efficiency and push your electricity bill up.

As you may have realized, both of these approaches are bad and you have to find a balance without going towards any of the extremes I mentioned above.

My PC actually got 500 W recommendation from that calculator and I put a 630 W PSU into it because a) it gives you some slack in terms of wattage and b) If I have to add an SSD or two in my PC next year, I won’t have to buy a new PSU again.

Quality Of A PSU

Due to the critical nature, a PSU can really make or break your whole PC. Many vendors label their PSUs with continuous wattage but some label them with Peak wattage.

If a PSU comes with continuous and peak wattage rating (or only continuous wattage), it’s good. But if only a Peak wattage is mentioned, stay away from that.

It’s because many 2nd-class vendors ship their units with ambiguous Peak Wattage ratings and there’s no solid standard which defines for how long that peak wattage lasts.

Apart from this, you should buy a PSU only from a reputable brand because many not-so-known brands label their PSUs with higher ratings than what they are capable of, which may lead to permanent damage to your PC components.

Fortunately, all the PSUs we discussed earlier in this roundup are from well-known brands such as Corsair, Be Quiet!, NZXT, ThermalTake, and Silverstone etc.

Another way to judge the quality of a particular PSU is reading the online reviews, not just from online stores like Amazon and Walmart, but also from independent reviewers, like Tom’s Hardware, and Kit Guru etc.

Aesthetics

Personally, I don’t care about aesthetics when it comes to PSUs. Yes, there are RGB Power Supply Units in the market but, for me, functionality is the one and only area where a PSU should excel.

That being said, if you’re into RGB LEDs, only buy them from reputed brands.

Physical Size

You should note down the sizes of the PSUs that you’ve shortlisted because you can’t just put a unit of any size in your system.

Sure, there be any issue in mid-tower or full-tower builds, but in mini-ITX and mATX builds, where you have less physical space, there is a constraint on the size of PSU you can accommodate.

Take Antec Performance P6, for example. It’s an mATX case where you can only have a PSU as big as 160 mm.

This is why proper research is important where you should read the specs sheet of your PSU as well as the PC case where you want to fit it in.

80+ Rating System

The PC components that we have in our system work with Direct Current (DC) but the electricity that comes into our power sockets is AC (Alternative Current) in nature.

So, it’s your PSU’s job to convert that AC power into DC power. During that power conversion, a PSU can’t convert 100% of the AC power into DC, and some power is lost in the form of heat.

Many low-quality PSU waste a lot of power when converting AC into DC, which is why the 80+ rating system has been introduced.

The 80+ Rating system is a voluntary certification program which tests the efficiency of a particular PSU under specific loads like 20%, 50%, and 100%.

Following are some of the different efficiency levels and their respective ratings.

80+ White is 80% power efficient.
80+ Bronze is 85% power efficient.
80+ Silver is 88% power efficient.
80+ Gold is 90% power efficient.
80+ Platinum is 92% power efficient.
80+ Titanium is 94% power efficient.

Needless to say, higher 80 Plus ratings mean a better power supply in most cases, but they also cost more.

That is why here you need to find a good balance between the efficiency and your budget because going towards any extreme will be less optimal for your PC.