Best PC power supply: top PSUs for gaming and more

PRICE
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
PSU on a black surface against a purple background
(Image credit: Future)

Choosing the best PSU build might be the last thing on your mind, but you might want to put a lot more effort into it. A good PC power supply unit doesn’t just supply power to your PC components, as its name suggests, but it also gets the most out of them and protects them from failures. The better ones even produce less heat and less noise, as well as deliver better stability.

So, don’t underestimate the importance of an excellent PSU. That PC you are building will run at its ideal efficiency while the graphics card and processor you’ve spent a lot of money on will last longer. Without one, you’re risking the possibility of those pricey components failing or worse, your whole setup going up in flames. 

PC power supplies, therefore, are not a part of your rig that you want to compromise on just to keep costs down. So, we found the best PSUs in 2022 for you. This guide should help you find the ideal one for your setup as well as score the best deal, thanks to the included price comparison.

The best PC power supply of 2022

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Corsair AX1000 at an angle against a white background

The Corsair AX1000  boasts performance and quiet operation that's worthy of the price. (Image credit: Corsair)

1. Corsair AX1000

The best PC power supply

Specifications

Form factor: ATX
Capacity: 1000W
Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Titanium
Modularity: Full
Warranty: 10-year

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent performance
+
Extremely quiet
+
Solid build quality

Reasons to avoid

-
Cables a bit stiff
-
Not cheap

The Corsair AX1000 may be among the priciest on this best PC power supply list, but it’s well worth the money for your next build thanks to its performance and quiet operation. It boasts a solid load regulation, super high efficiency levels and excellent benchmark results, an ace for ATX’s specification requirements. It’s fully modular as well, with eight PCIe & two EPS connectors to boot.

EVGA 500 B1 at an angle against a white background

An economical power supply like the EVGA 500 B1 may be right up your alley. (Image Credit: EVGA)

2. EVGA 500 B1

Best budget power supply

Specifications

Form factor: ATX
Capacity: 500W
Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Bronze
Modularity: None
Warranty: 3-year

Reasons to buy

+
Low price
+
6 SATA cables

Reasons to avoid

-
500w rating

If you’re on the market for an affordable power supply that doesn’t cut too many corners, there aren’t a lot of options right now. So, an economical power supply like the EVGA 500 B1 may be right up your alley. For less than the price of a new game, you’ll get a full 500 watts of power transmitted through several SATA cables and two PCIe cables. This is hands down one of the best power supplies because it covers the bare essentials and nothing more, which is exactly what a budget PC component needs to do. The three year warranty is a nice touch, as well. 

  • This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Corsair RM750x 

be quiet! Straight Power 10 at an angle against a white background

be quiet! Straight Power 10 runs nice and quiet. (Image Credit: be quiet!)

3. be quiet! Straight Power 10

Best silent power supply

Specifications

Form factor: ATX
Capacity: 400W – 700W
Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Gold
Modularity: Semi
Warranty: 5-year

Reasons to buy

+
Quiet  ATX and EPS support

Reasons to avoid

-
A little pricey across capacities

Even the best PSUs seem to have extremely loud fans, and unlike case fans, it’s not exactly easy to replace them. Luckily, the Straight Power 10 line-up runs nice and quiet. Options range from 400w to 700w, and they’re SLI and Crossfire certified. They’re also modular, meaning you only need to use the cables that are necessary for your build.  

Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB 1050W Platinum at an angle against a white background

Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB 1050W Platinum delivers high overall performance. (Image credit: Thermaltake)

4. Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB 1050W Platinum

Best PSU with advanced platform

Specifications

Form factor: ATX
Capacity: 1050W
Efficiency rating: 80 PLUS Platinum, ETA-A (88-91%)
Modularity: Full
Warranty: 10 Years

Reasons to buy

+
Efficient
+
Fully modular

Reasons to avoid

-
Weird fan profile
-
No Over Temperature Protection

Thanks to the advanced and reliable platform it uses, the Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB 1050W Platinum delivers high overall performance. It also boasts five vivid RGB lighting modes – controllable via a button in the back, a built-in memory function and a Smart Zero Fan that’s ultra quiet. 

Silverstone SFX Series SST-SX550 at an angle against a white background

Silverstone SFX SST SX550 is a compact power supply that fits in plenty of cases. (Image Credit: SilverStone)

5. Silverstone SFX Series SST-SX550

Best compact power supply

Specifications

Form factor: SFX
Capacity: 550W
Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Gold
Modularity: None
Warranty: 3-year

Reasons to buy

+
Compact size
+
ATX and EPS support

Reasons to avoid

-
Limited number of connectors

The best PC power supplies unfortunately tend to be giant hunks of metal that don’t fit into smaller PC cases. However, the Silverstone SFX SST SX550 is a compact power supply that fits in plenty of cases. It’s half the size of most of the other PSUs on this list, allowing for more room for better airflow. This makes it an easy pick for anyone building a mini ITX or micro ATX build, and you can even slide it into a mid- or full-tower, if you feel like it. It’s easy to see why the Silverstone SFX is one of the best PC power supplies.

Thermaltake Toughpower PF1 ARGB 1200W at an angle against a white background

If you’ve got a high-powered mirrored setup, the Thermaltake Toughpower PF1 ARGB 1200W is the best PC power supply for you.  (Image credit: Thermaltake)

6. Thermaltake Toughpower PF1 ARGB 1200W

Best built

Specifications

Form factor: ATX
Capacity: 1200W
Efficiency rating: 80 PLUS Platinum, ETA-A (88-91%)
Modularity: Full
Warranty: 10 Years

Reasons to buy

+
Very good transient response
+
Fully modular

Reasons to avoid

-
Noisy
-
Expensive

The Thermaltake Toughpower PF1 ARGB 1200W is braun and beauty rolled in one, delivers high performance with RGB lighting features. If you’ve got a high-powered mirrored setup, this one’s the best PC power supply for you. Better yet, it’s fully modular and built like a tank so it’ll last you a long time. All these high-end features come at premium price, but if you happen to have extra cash lying around, it’s completely worth it.

XPG Core Reactor 750W at an angle against a white background

XPG Core Reactor 750W is a mighty PSU with higher quality parts and high performance. (Image credit: XPG)

7. XPG Core Reactor 750W

Best for new ATX specifications

Specifications

Form factor: ATX
Capacity: 750W
Efficiency rating: 80 PLUS Gold, ETA-A (88-91%)
Modularity: Full
Warranty: 10 Years

Reasons to buy

+
Full power at 47 degrees Celsius
+
Efficient and silent
+
Good transient response

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive

The XPG Core Reactor 750 may have some pretty tough competition out there, like the Corsair RM750x, for example. It’s high price tag doesn’t help. However, it’s a mighty PSU with higher quality parts and high performance. In addition, it’s also one of the very few power supplies that’s fully-compatible with the new ATX specifications. And, it’s pretty compact, ideal for more compact computer setup.

Corsair CX750F RGB at an angle against a white background

The Corsair CX750F RGB combines a modular design with a bronze 80 Plus efficiency rating and a relatively low noise fan (Image credit: Corsair)

8. Corsair CX750F RGB

Awesome RGB power supply

Specifications

Form factor: ATX
Capacity: 750W
Efficiency rating: 80 Plus
Modularity: Fully Modular
Warranty: 7-year

Reasons to buy

+
Customizable RGB lighting 
+
Modular

Reasons to avoid

-
Not enough for top-of-the-line builds

With the Corsair CX750F RGB, the company has come up with a winner. The PSU combines a modular design with a bronze 80 Plus efficiency rating and a relatively low noise fan for a perfect PSU for under a hundred bucks. Add to that, RGB lighting that can be controlled three different ways and you can’t really go wrong with this one. While it won’t power the most muscular of builds, it should handle most just fine. 

If less power is needed, you can also take a look at the CX550F RGB White, which delivers 500W power and comes in a pristine white color that simply looks fantastic with the RGB light on.

Corsair AX1500i at an angle against a white background

Corsair AX1500i can power an absolute behemoth of a rig. (Image Credit: Corsair)

9. Corsair AX1500i

Best high capacity power supply

Specifications

Form factor: EPS
Capacity: 1500W
Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Titanium
Modularity: Fully
Warranty: 10-year

Reasons to buy

+
Titanium efficiency rating
+
Monster capacity

Reasons to avoid

-
Huge price tag
-
Enormous size

If you’re a serious builder that plans on building an absolute behemoth of a rig, with multiple graphics cards, cooling systems on top of some healthy overclocking, the Corsair AX1500i is the best PC power supply for you. It has the highest possible 80 Plus Titanium efficiency rating, and is fully modular, so you only need to add the cables your build actually requires. 

Check out our Corsair promo codes to get the best deal on your next purchase.

NZXT E650 at an angle against a white background

NZXT E650 is a fully modular power supply. (Image Credit: NZXT)

10. NZXT E650

Best modular power supply

Specifications

Form factor: ATX
Capacity: 650W
Efficiency rating: 80 Plus Gold
Modularity: Full
Warranty: 10-year

Reasons to buy

+
Stylish 
+
10 year warranty 

Reasons to avoid

-
On the expensive side 

If you’re really trying to maximise the visual appeal of your build, a modular power supply is almost essential – you can avoid all of those messy looking wires cluttering up your case. The NZXT E650 takes things a step further. Not only is it a fully modular power supply, meaning you only need to connect the wires you actually need, but it’s also extremely attractive itself, begging to be shown off in your case. This is all topped off with an 80 Plus Gold efficiency rating and a 10-year warranty – not only will it look good, but it’ll deliver power efficiently and last forever while it does it. 

How do I choose a PC power supply?

When you're looking for a PC power supply, there are really two things to take into consideration: wattage and efficiency rating. For most people, a 500W power supply will be plenty, but if you're using high-end gaming components, you're going to want to get something with a bit more juice – for instance, you'll want at least an 850W PSU if you're getting an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080. 

For efficiency, we'd recommend going with a PSU with at least an 80 Plus Bronze rating. And, if you want the most efficient power, going with an 80 Plus Gold or an 80 Plus Platinum PC power supply is going to be the way to go.  

Michelle Rae Uy
Contributor

Michelle Rae Uy is the former Computing Reviews and Buying Guides Editor at TechRadar. She's a Los Angeles-based tech, travel and lifestyle writer covering a wide range of topics, from computing to the latest in green commutes to the best hiking trails. She's an ambivert who enjoys communing with nature and traveling for months at a time just as much as watching movies and playing sim games at home. That also means that she has a lot more avenues to explore in terms of understanding how tech can improve the different aspects of our lives.