Pc Power Supply: definition, ratings, how to choose the right wattage, tier list
Pc Power Supply guide
What power supply do i need?
This is the question that almost everyone has set about assembling their system.
With this guide we try to help you in your choice.
But first of all, we answer the most common questions about power supplies
What is a power Supply?
If we have to give a simple definition of a Power Supply (or PSU), we can say that it is an fondamental element in a Pc that has the fuction of converts Alternating Current ( AC ) to low-voltage DC power necessary for the correct functionality of the internal components of a computer.
A computer psu its able convert AC into different DC voltages such as 12 volts , 3.3v and 5v.
Generally the 3.3 and 5 volts are used by motherboards and chips, while the 12-volt is used to run disk drives and fans.
The efficiency ratings
The efficiency rating on a PSU is simply a rating for how well the PSU converts the AC power it recieves from the outlet to DC power the components of the PC can use.
For explaining it as simply as possible, imagine that your PC components are drawing 100w of power. If your Power Supply is 80% effinciency rated, it means that it will draw 125w from the AC outlet.
Many of you will then be asking: if my power supply is 500w model with a 80% efficiency, and this will mean that it is only able to supply 400w, where does the other 100w go? The answer is really simple, indeed all the Ac electricity that is not converted into Dc current does not disappear but turns into heat. You could therefore ask yourself whether there will ever be a 100% efficiency power supply. Well, the answer is also simple in this case and it is no.
The feeders will however always be more efficient in the future and will tend to this 100%, but will never reach this percentage because there will always be in play heat production and resistance to the conductivity of the various elements that make up the power supply.
How much energy will draw a Power Supply?
Many times i have heard people say ¨ i have a 550w Psu, so it will have always an electricity drawing of 550w¨.
This statement could not be more wrong
A power supply, in fact, absorbs and delivers the energy that is needed to the components of the computer, and therefore, satisfying the energy demand of these, will consume more or less energy.
For example if a system in idle needs about 80w, the power supply will deliver this energy and consumption will be consequent, if the system then needs more energy the power supply will increase the energy produced and consumption will increase in the same way.
How many watt do I need?
This question does not have an unequivocal answer as there are many opposing opinions.
On the one hand, in fact, there are manufacturers of graphics cards that normally exceed in terms of wattage requirements; this is because their recommendation is independent of the rest of the system and the quality of the food.
On the other hand we have the practical experience that teaches us that we need less watts than those required.
So how do you orient yourself?
A useful tool is PSU calculators.
Here we indicate one that is good for everyone:
- https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator
However, it must be borne in mind that these PSU calculators also exaggerate with the specific wattage requirement.
Another tool that can be useful is this Silverstone Pdf, which is very realistic as regards the consumption expected from a video card:
- http://www.silverstonetek.com/downloads/PSU/GPU-supportlist.pdf
Despite it isn't updated to the latest graphics cards (Nvidia RTX series and Amd Rx590), it is still useful a lot.
Now we can do a practical example with an ipotetic system.
Consider to have a pc build with the following components:
- Ryzen 7 2700x a little bit overclocked to 4.3 Ghz
- 2 SSd
- 1 Sata Hard Disk 5400 rpm
- 1 led stripe wit 30 leds (60 cm)
- 1 M.2 ssd
- 6 120mm fan
- an Nvidia Rtx 2080
- a liquid cooling kit
We can ipotize a very heavy use; 16h per day with 4 hour of gaming.
So thanks to the calculator, we know that this system will have a 542w load wattage; so we have to choose a unity that can erogate around 600w.
RECOMMENDED POWER SUPPLIES Here we are at the important point, what you have been waiting for.
For convenience, they have been divided according to price, so that everyone can find the right model for their budget.
ENTRY LEVEL UNDER 60$
BE QUIET SYSTEM POWER B8 / S8 Based on the OEM HEC architecture, such as EVGA W / B or Cougar VTX, these are the basic Be Quiet models. Thanks to the proposal of many different wattages (starting from xw) and their economy (especially for the Bulk B8 models) they are ideal for all those who are close to the budget. N.B.: these models are leaving the lists; their substitutes are the new S9 based on FSP Raider. So, despite being good PSUs, they do not shine as far as absolute quality, and therefore are not to be preferred to those of the guide.
EVGA WHITE 80+ Available in wattage: 430W / 500W / 600W From OEM HEC, these units are among the most popular by those who want to spend a little to turn on the PC. Surely they are not an emblem of great efficiency and quality, but they perform their task in an excellent way without making too much noise and without breaking.
EVGA B3 450W With this tiny gem, based on the Leadex SuperFlower platform, EVGA proved one more time that can challenge the best competitors. This unit, with an impeccable components, may be at Bronze level for efficiency, but it can compete with more expensive Gold units when it comes to regulation and ripple control. Together with the new full-modular Cougar LX, this is the only totally modular and semi-fanless model in this price range.
CORSAIR CX450M The CX450M is one of the best option in this price range. OEM CWT; Semi-modular, very efficient (80Bronze, but can be defined almost-80Silver), and silent. Performances are very good for a PSU, only the ripple on the 12V is a bit poor, but it is only at full load.
COUGAR VTX OEM HEC, they seems to be clones of the EVGA B, at a lower price, and with a better ripple. The level of noise is quite good. Of course, it isn't the quietest power supply, but at low-medium load it works subtly. They are the natural alternative to EVGAs themselves, at a better price.
The guide is in developing, stay connect for new update. Thanks
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