Best PSU For AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

Best Power Supply for PC gaming 2024: Quiet & efficient PSUs

13 of the best PSUs for a variety of gaming needs, no matter the size of your PC case or the power demands of your GPU.

Silent PC Review is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn More

Table of Contents

Finding the best power supply is often overlooked because it is a component rarely considered to be the star of the show in PC building. Despite this, modern gaming PCs continue to consume more and more power. PC builders need to feed their shiny new components with adequate wattage to ensure they get the desired performance. The best PSU for gaming depends on your internal hardware, as we all have different requirements

There are a lot of reliable power supply brands and options these days, with tailored features to fit into all builds, no matter the complexity or cost. No matter if you are running old hardware, have recently gone all out on a high-end gaming PC, or simply just upgraded your GPU, we have the best PSUs for the job.

Best power supply for gaming overall

Corsair RM750x

Wattage

750W

Certification

80+ Gold

Modular?

Fully

Pros
  • Lengthy warranty
  • Efficient
  • Good value
  • Reliable
Cons
  • 750W may not be enough for the higher-end gaming PCs

You are going to see some pretty fancy PSUs in this round-up, ideal for a wide variety of builds but when it comes to the very best, we aren’t focusing solely on features, but rather a balance of reliability and value.

You need clean power for your components, so we have opted for the Corsair RM750x, a highly regarded model with a Gold efficiency rating and fully modular makeup. While some modern components may need a beefier option, the majority of those in the mid-high end will need no more than 750W from Corsair.

Best PSU for high-end gaming PCs

ASUS ROG Thor 1000W Platinum II

Wattage

1000W

Efficiency

Platinum

Modularity

Fully-Modular

Pros
  • High level efficiency
  • Perfect for thirsty components
  • Insane features including OLED display
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Overkill for most other GPUs

Nvidia’s RTX 4090 is the most powerful GPU in the world at the time of writing this article, so as you can imagine, it needs some juice. The TDP on this flagship model is 450W, so when you factor in your other high-end components, you end up requiring a fairly high-powered PSU.

Use the PSU calculators to truly pinpoint what you need but we recommend aiming for something slightly above. We also recommend you go for as good a PSU as you can afford, with high efficiency, excellent features, and a lengthy warranty. 

The ASUS ROG Thor can certainly be regarded as overkill, however, it’s a premium power supply to match the powerful components of your new monster build. This will not only support your 4090 with ease but can easily handle future upgrades too.

Best PSU wattage for mid-high end PCs

MSI MPG A850G PCIE5

Wattage

850 W

80 Plus certification

Gold

Modularity

Fully modular

ATX 3.0

Yes

Pros
  • PCIE 5 & ATX 3.0
  • Efficient
  • Compact size
Cons

The RTX 4080 GPU got a bit of a bad reputation at launch but it is still a  great graphics card and as one of the new lineup, requires a fair bit of power.

The MSI MPG A850G PCIe 5 may have a higher wattage than required but a bit of overhead room is always nice. This brings in native support for the ATX 3.0 connector and is highly rated, making it a great option for any high-end gaming PC.

Best power supply for mid-range gaming PCs

Thermaltake Smart Pro RGB 650W

Wattage

650W

Certification

80+ Bronze

Modular?

Fully

Pros
  • Good value
  • Quiet
  • Sleek
Cons
  • RGB can only be seen with fan pointing upward

A mid-range gaming PC doesn’t need an all singing all dancing PSU, most of the budget needs to be spent on the CPU and GPU.

Still, you want something of reasonable quality with plenty of power too. With this in mind, we feel the Thermaltake Smart Pro RGB 650W PSU is a great middle ground. Good efficiency and nice aesthetics.

Best budget power supply for gaming

EVGA 700 BQ

Wattage

700W

80 Plus certification

Bronze

Modularity

Semi-modular

Pros
  • Great price
  • Semi modular
Cons
  • Not a good option for higher-end PCs

If you are looking to save a bit of money or are building a gaming PC on the cheap, you are looking for value here. Well, this semi-modular EVGA 700 BQ model is perfect.

PSU game and with a 5-year warranty, you’ve got nothing to fear here.

Best silent PSU for gaming

Seasonic PRIME TX-1000

Wattage

1000W

Certification

80+ Titanium

Modular?

Fully

Pros
  • Highest level of efficiency
  • Massive 12 year warranty
  • ATX12V & EPS12V
Cons
  • Very expensive, not reccomended for standard gaming PCs

If you are looking for a fanless PSU, see our passive selection below, however, for those after a high-powered PSU with all the bells and whistles (silent whistles) then consider a Seasonic PRIME 1000W PSU.

These are expensive and are often reserved for those that require the highest levels of efficiency. A byproduct of such efficiency and high wattage, along with the special features is … silence.

Best SFX PSU for smaller builds

Corsair SF600

Wattage

600W

Efficiency

Platinum

Modularity

Fully-modular

Pros
  • High efficiency
  • Compact
  • Modular
Cons
  • Expensive

The Corsair SF series is well known for those looking to complete mini-ITX builds. These high-powered SFX units offer incredible efficiency and performance for a reasonable cost. For more SFX power supply options you can check out our full guide but rest assured knowing that this Corsair unit is top-notch.

Best passive PSU for silent operation

Seasonic Prime 600 Titanium SSR-600TL

Wattage

600W

Certification

80+ Titanium

Modular?

Yes-Fully

Pros
  • Fanless (silent)
  • Highest level of efficiency
  • Fully modular
Cons
  • Expensive

A passive PSU may seem overkill to some but for others, it is an absolute necessity. If you want to eliminate as much noise from your system as possible, then the removal of the PSU fan is a great place to start.

Best 1000W PSU for headroom

MSI MPG A1000G

Wattage

1000W

Certification

80+ Gold

Modular?

Fully Modular

ATX 3.0

Yes

Pros
  • Efficient with premium features
  • Very reliable
  • Fully modular
Cons
  • Quite long (check dimensions)

Many high-end PSU models are fit for the “Best 1000W PSU” title however, we feel that the MSI MPG A1000G deserves a mention here.

With an incredible efficiency rating, latest features, and high performance, this can do no wrong in your extravagant PC build.

Best 850W PSU

Corsair RM850x

Wattage

850W

Certification

80+ Gold

Modular?

Fully Modular

For those looking to grab an 850W power supply, there are a few worthy of consideration. Few do it better than the Corsair RM850X PSU, especially at that price.

This has all the features and power most system builders need.

Best 750W PSU

Corsair RM750x

Wattage

750W

Certification

80+ Gold

Modular?

Fully

Our top selection makes a fine choice for the best 750W PSU and yes we may be a bit Corsair heavy but they are one of the best in the business when it comes to powering a gaming PC.

Best 650W PSU

EVGA Super Nova 650 G5

Wattage

650W

Efficiency

Gold

Modularity

Fully-modular

Pros
  • Good quality oerall PSU for the price
Cons

Again Corsair is a smart pick for this bracket too, however, we would also like to showcase EVGA and its highly regarded Super Nova G5 range.

This 650W PSU is fully modular, features a 10-year warranty, and a gold efficiency rating, making it a perfect pairing for almost any PC.

Best affordable power supply

EVGA 700 BQ

Wattage

700W

80 Plus certification

Bronze

Modularity

Semi-modular

There are many options under $100 here, all of which depend on what you need but this is another good opportunity to highlight the value of the EVGA BQ 700W units. Even if you need more power, this line of power supplies offers unbeatable prices for the level of quality you receive.

How to find the best Power Supply for gaming

Overly cheap power supplies are still not worth the savings. You want this PSU to run your system for several years without a hitch, so investing in a reliable model is the best way to go. This doesn’t mean you are going to be spending hundreds of dollars though, you can get quality PSUs for a low price.

Wattage – how much power do you need?

The first and most important thing to consider is how much power your PC needs. Figure out what wattage your PC will use before buying and don’t worry about going over the wattage amount either, some headroom is a good thing. However, undercutting what you need will end up with performance issues.

There are huge leaps in price the stronger you go, so you don’t want to get more than necessary. Plus, higher wattage PSUs will mean a higher electricity bill and tend to generate more heat and noise.

Fortunately, there are tons of calculators around to make this easy for you:

Alternatively, you can estimate based on the TDP values of your components.

You need to add up your motherboard, GPU, and PSU power requirements to make a total. Then add a bit extra for security, and in case you plan on updating other components to something more power-hungry later.

As a rough guide, 850W or less will definitely be enough for most people.

The most power-hungry component is by far the GPU, with modern cards requiring as much as 450W of power.

Best PSU brands

The market is a wash with loads of different brands, so who can you trust? We only recommend power supplies that come from the biggest names in the business. The brands listed below are highly regarded for their PC component manufacturing and their PSUs often come with lengthy warranties.

  • Corsair
  • EVGA
  • Seasonic
  • Thermaltake
  • be quiet!
  • Cooler Master
  • Antec
  • SilverStone
  • MSI
  • ASUS

While there are some other notable brands, there is little need to shop elsewhere.

Do you need a fully modular power supply?

No, needing modularity is rare but can happen. The general PC builder can always get the best out of any PSU type, however, modular units often come with other nice-to-have features that we don’t see on the cheaper non-modular units.

A fully modular unit will allow you to detach all cables, which gives you the option to buy and install custom cables from the likes of Cable-Mod.

While it is true that a fully modular PSU gives you a bit more flexibility with cable management, it doesn’t make that much difference if your case has a PSU shroud or some other way to hide unused cables.

Modular vs semi-modular vs non-modular PSU

We have chatted about modular and non-modular but there is a third option – semi-modular. A semi-modular PSU is exactly as it sounds, with only the crucial power cables hard-wired into the unit.

This middle ground gives you some of the benefits of a modular PSU at a lower cost, however, you wouldn’t want to use modded cables with this type of PSU.

The basics to take away from this is that unless you need an all-singing, all-dancing PSU for your build, a non-modular will do just fine.

Power supply ratings explained

Power supply ratings, also known as 80 Plus ratings are based on efficiency. There are six ratings from white all the way up to titanium. 

The lowest rating – white – are not a terrible option for budget builders, however, they tend to cost a similar amount to Bronze-rated PSUs.

At the other end of the scale – Titanium PSUs are incredibly efficient but they come with an expensive price tag, making them less than ideal for your average gamer.

The “80 Plus” standard means that a rated PSU will supply at least 80 percent power efficiency at 20, 50, and 100 percent load. Additionally, each power supply rating must show a power factor of at least 0.9 at a 50 percent load.

80 Plus Silver is no longer seen as manufacturers felt the unpopular rating was a pointless step between bronze and gold.

Learn more about each PSU efficiency rating:

80 Plus Gold vs Bronze 

When it comes to your average gamer and run-of-the-mill gaming PC, a Bronze-rated PSU is more than enough. Remember, the rating is all to do with efficiency, so if that is not one of your primary considerations, going for the more affordable PSU is a wise choice.

Gold and bronze PSUs are the two most popular picks for gamers and that boils down to their attractive price tags. The efficiency between the two is negligible for most, with a 115V bronze PSU hitting around 82% at 100% load and a Gold hitting 87%, something to consider when shopping.

Do you need a silent PSU?

When buying a modern power supply, especially with some headroom, there isn’t actually that much noise to worry about. That being said, most PSUs still use a fan to cool, which naturally produces some form of audible sound.

While the majority may not have acoustics on their mind, other system builders painstakingly try and remove every decibel of bleeps, creeks, and whirs. PSU manufacturers are aware of this and many feature quiet operation and other sound-limiting features.

Outside of this are passive and semi-passive power supplies. A passive PSU sometimes referred to as “fanless” is exactly as it sounds, cooling itself via massive heat sinks and excellent efficiency.

Semi-passive power supplies still have fans but use fan profiles (zero fan mode) to cool, only turning on when needed. This means a passive power supply will remain quiet until pushed when playing games or some other resource-heavy task.

ATX 3.0, a new generation of PSU

ATX 3.0 power supplies introduced the 16-pin 12VHPWR connector, allowing for up to 600W power delivery to a GPU. The current or previous spec could only manage 150W per cable, so when Nvidia introduced its flagship RTX 4090 and its 450W TDP, things started to make sense.

This connector archives this feat with four data lines, allowing the PSU and GPU to communicate with each other.

While these are impressive, they aren’t always needed. We would recommend one of these when powering an RTX 4090.

In summary

When it comes to finding the best power supply for your PC, you only have to worry about two things – reliability and wattage. As long as you buy a PSU from a highly recommended manufacturer and supply your PC with polenty of power, you are good to go. All of the units above deliver in terms of quality, so match it up with your next gaming PC build and enjoy!

About the Author