Best Power Supply Unit 2019 - 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 2019 Buying Guide

Bitfenix BF450G (Best Budget Power Supply Unit 2019)
Corsair RM750x (Best Power Supply Unit 2019 Overall)
Seasonic SSR-750PX (Best Power Supply Unit Up to 750W)
Silverstone SFX SST-SX550 (Best Compact Power Supply Unit)
Be Quiet! Straight Power 10 (Best Power Supply Unit 2019 Up to 400W)
NZXT E650 (Best Modular Power Supply Unit 2019)
Thermaltake Smart RGB 700W (Best RGB Power Supply Unit 2019)

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) 2019

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

Bitfenix BF450G: Check Price On Amazon

Best Budget Power Supply Unit 2019

BitFenix is a company known for creating some great components for the PC hardware market, and one of the most famous offerings from BitFenix happen to be their power supplies.

Today, we are looking at the Bitfenix BF450G, a budget-oriented power supply that is made for people who do not have a really powerful setup, and they just want to power up some of the basic components that are found in the computer.

As the name suggests, this power supply comes with 450 watts of power, and I know that it is not the ideal choice for gaming PCs, but considering the use case, it actually is great.

For starters, you get full power at 46 degrees Celsius, which is a great advantage. Additionally, the power supply is 80 Plus Gold rated, which means that it certainly is a lot more efficient.

The overall ripple suppression is decent, and the load regulation is one of the best I have tested in a power supply. Most importantly, the Bitfenix BF450G is one of the quietest power supplies I have used so far.

The overall build quality is pretty amazing, and last but not least, it is a pretty compact PSU despite having the standard ATX dimensions.

Everything is good with the Bitfenix BF450G, however, the one thing that you need to know about this PSU is that it is a non-modular unit.

So, if you are okay with having extra cables that you are going to need to tuck, then the Bitfenix BF450G is a great option and a must have for budget-oriented folks.

Pros

Efficient.
Great with ripple suppression.
Runs super quiet.
Great build quality.
The unit is compact.
Gives full power even at higher temperatures.
Has a great load regulation.

Cons

Has a non-modular design.

Check Price On Amazon

Corsair RM750x: Check Price On Amazon

Best Power Supply Unit 2019 Overall

For the longest time, the Corsair RM750x has been one of the best power supplies in the market. So much so, that Corsair has recently decided to refresh the model and brought some minor, yet welcomed improvements to the power supply.

Before we begin, the entirety of the RMx and RMi series is one of the best in the market.

With that said, today, we are looking at the refreshed version of Corsair RM750x. Honestly, when you compare it to the original, not much has changed, but certainly is a good thing because the power supply remains one of the best.

For starters, the ripple suppression is one of the best I have seen; the power supply remains quiet thanks to the fan only spinning when the need arises, but even with the fan spinning, you won’t really hear anything.

The build quality remains one of the best, as a matter of fact, Corsair has somehow managed to reduce the size as compared to the original. Additionally, the power supply is fully modular, is backed with 10 years Corsair warranty, and comes with 2 EPS, and 4 PCI-E connectors.

The good news here is that there is nothing wrong with Corsair RM750x that can break the overall experience.

The only complaint I have is that the capacitors that help with the ripple suppression are attached on the front of the cables rather than being somewhere discrete.

This can create an unsightly experience, but then again, if you are going for a modular power supply, might as well replace the cables later down the road.

Pros

The power supply offers excellent ripple suppression.
It is super quiet.
The build quality is solid.
The unit itself is smaller as compared to the original.
One of the best performances.

Cons

None.

Check Price On Amazon

Seasonic SSR-750PX: Check Price On Amazon

Best Power Supply Unit Up to 750W

Seasonic is another company that’s great when it comes to bringing some amazing power supplies for the consumers.

Today, we are looking at the famous Seasonic SSR-750PX. One of the higher-end offerings from Seasonic, and one of the best power supplies in the market, and for all the right reasons.

The Seasonic SSR-750PX is an 80 Plus Platinum power supply, and to find a power supply of such a high efficiency is nothing short of a miracle. As usual, you get Gold certified power supplies, so the higher the better.

The price is definitely one of the biggest selling points of this power supply. Additionally, it provides full power even at 47 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the build quality is one of the best, and despite being a powerhouse of a PSU, the dimensions are still impressively compact.

The power supply works quietly under load, or when idle, so for those looking for a whisper quiet power supply, this is the way to go. You even get 10 years of warranty, so if you are scared that the power supply might end up failing on you, there is nothing to worry about.

There is no denying that the SSR-750PX is a wonderful, and powerful power supply. However, there is one thing that I would suggest you keep in mind. The distance between peripheral connectors is rather shorter.

Therefore, if you are using a super tower, you might need to get an extension cable.

Overall, the SSR-750PX by Silverstone is a wonderful power supply, and it is powerful.

Pros

Great performance across all hardware.
Excellent price to performance ratio.
Extremely efficient.
Works quietly even under load.
Comes with a 10-year warranty.
Excellent build quality.
Very compact in dimensions.

Cons

The distance between peripheral connectors is on the shorter side.

Check Price On Amazon

Silverstone SFX SST-SX550: Check Price On Amazon

Best Compact Power Supply Unit 2019

If you are looking to build a small, SFX form factor PC, then finding a PSU for that PC might not be an easier task for you. There are a handful of companies that engage in making power supplies for that form factor, with Silverstone being one of the few.

Today, we look at the Silverstone SFX Series SST-SX550, one of the best SFX power supplies in the market. Whether you are making an HTPC, or you are working on a small gaming PC, the PSU should be more than enough for you.

It provides you with full power even at 47 degrees Celsius, despite its small size, it has great ripple suppression, can run pretty quietly as well, which is great because noise can be an issue in small form factor computers.

Additionally, build quality as well as the capacitors are pretty amazing. Not to forget, the power supply is literally one of the smallest units I have seen.

While there are some great factors about the Silverstone SFX Series SST-SX55, the fact that it is non-modular despite being this small irks me. Other than that, the Silverstone SFX Series SST-SX550 is a pretty amazing PSU that you should buy.

Pros

Small.
Great performance.
Good for gaming PCs.

Cons

Non-modular.

Check Price On Amazon

Be Quiet! Straight Power 10 400w: Check Price On Amazon

Best Power Supply Unit Up to 400W

Be Quiet! is a company dedicated to bringing the users some of the best components in the market. Their power supplies have been the best for a long time. Today, however, we are looking at a power supply that is better for the people who are not looking to spend a lot of money, but still want the traditional Be Quiet! Performance.

The Be Quiet! Straight Power 10 400w.

As you can tell by the power, the power supply is intended for people who are not looking to run powerful components on this power supply. Still, despite being low powered, there are plenty of good things about this unit.

For starters, the overall performance is good, and the unit itself is efficient. The construction, as well as the internal capacitors, are pretty well built.

The power supply does live up to its name as it is one of the quietest options available in the market. Surprisingly, it is backed by a 5-year warranty, making it a great option.

There are not a lot of bad things about the power supply, to be honest. However, at the price you are paying, you would expect the manufacturer to add sleeved cables. Sadly, the Be Quiet! Straight Power 10 400w comes with ketchup and mustard cables.

Pros

Great performance.
Solid build with high-quality components.
Comes with a 5-year warranty.
Runs quietly.

Cons

Non sleeved, ketchup and mustard cables

Check Price On Amazon

NZXT E650: Check Price On Amazon

Best Modular Power Supply Unit 2019

NZXT has made quite a name for themselves over the past couple of years. However, they were never really known for being on the forefront in the power supply market.

However, things have changed as NZXT has partnered up with Silverstone to release a semi-digital lineup of power supplies.

Today, we are looking at the NZXT E650; a middle of the road product from the lineup, and still a great power supply as far as the features are concerned.

The power supply comes with a digital interface that can be looked at through NZXT’s CAM service, additionally, you get an amazing 10 year of warranty and NZXT’s amazing support.

The unit itself is fully modular, so you really do not have to worry about tucking away any cables. The power supply is 80 Plus Gold certified, so great efficiency is guaranteed.

Honestly, looking at the performance, there is nothing about the power supply that I would like to change as it gives you pretty much everything you would want from a high-end power supply.

Pros

Great efficiency.
Backed by an amazing 10-year warranty.
Fully modular design provides maximum
Full power even at 50 degrees Celsius.
High-quality components.
Allows digital monitoring through NZXT’s CAM software.

Cons

None.

Check Price On Amazon

Thermaltake Smart RGB 700W: Check Price On Amazon

Best RGB Power Supply Unit 2019

Thermaltake has been making a name for themselves for some time now. They have introduced some great products over the past couple of years, however, their power supplies never received the right attention they deserved. However, today, we are looking at the Thermaltake Smart RGB 700W.

As you can tell, the power supply does come with RGB lighting, completing the circuit of every single component having RGB lighting. However, we are mainly concerned with just how well it performs.

With that said, the power supply does give you many pros; for starters, it provides full power even when the temperature goes hot, the ripple suppression feature is there and works like a wonder, and the fact that the power supply is fully modular is just an added benefit.

Additionally, the power supply comes with an impressive 7-year warranty and offers a semi-passive operation as well.

There are a few downsides though, for starters, it is not as efficient as I would have preferred, and the fact that it only comes with one EPS connector is a bothering thing considering how most high-end motherboards require two.

Overall, the Thermaltake Smart RGB 700W is a decent offering for anyone looking for good performance power supply unit.

Pros

Performs without an issue.
Impressive 7-year warranty.
RGB fan is an added bonus.
Modular design.

Cons

Is not as efficient.

Check Price On Amazon

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.