Best Power Supply for Gaming and Video Editing Computers

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Why Do You Need a Power Supply for Gaming?

The power supply unit is the heart of every PC since it feeds all components that are in your machine. This means that if the PSU goes down, it goes with almost everything else. So, from the graphics card to your CPU, everything in your PC benefits from the best PC power supply.

Without a solid power supply, you will be putting the expensive PC parts at risk and make the other components not work as they should. So don’t blow up your money on the best graphic cards or processors, and forget about a power supply.

The best power supply unit ensures the gaming computers are running at optimum efficiency, better performing, and quite stable. However, with a wide range of power supply options available in the market today, it can be a challenging task to find the best one for you.

Are you looking for a great power supply for your PC? Below is a review of the five best power supplies for gaming, their pros and cons to help you find an excellent power supply to match your needs and preferences. 

The Best Power Supply for Gaming and Video Editing Computers

1. Corsair CX Series 450 Watt Modular Power Supply

The Corsair CX Series 450 Watt Modular Power Supply is an affordable power supply option that boasts a more efficient operation, especially under lighter loads. However, since it has a more aggressive fan and a rifle bearing fan, this means that the noise output is increased. Despite this, it is a good PSU for its price.

Its 80 plus bronze design uses less power and runs cooler than other supplies. The cable sleeving, connectors, and black housing give the build a high-end look at a low price. In addition, its LLC resonant topology ensures improved efficiency, especially at lower loads.

It comes with five years of warranty, offering a good value for money. This Corsair power supply is a great option for people looking to power a budget gaming PC, and they have a computer with a modest graphics card and a low-to-mid-range processor.

2. Corsair RM750x Fully Modular Power Supply

The Corsair RM750x Fully Modular Power Supply is a reliable and great power supply that will deliver enough power for a modern gaming PC, including one with a little modest overclocking and high-end components.

This power supply unit has capacitors rated up to 105 degrees celsius, and it is 80 plus Gold certified, making it very reliable. It also includes a zero RPM fan mode to provide a silent operation when not under heavy load.

It includes fully modular cables, modern standby support, and high-quality capacitors. Additionally, it is compatible with 12-pin GPU power cables. The automated setting of the fan means that it will switch on at certain power levels, helping increase longevity and save energy.

3. EVGA 500 B1, 80+ Bronze 500W Power Supply

EVGA power supplies is another one of the best power supply manufacturers in the market today, with a lot of options to offer. The EVGA 500 B1 provides a full 500 watts of power transmitted through two PCIe cables and several SATA cables.

If you want an affordable option that covers the bare essentials and nothing more, this power supply option might be what you’re looking for. In addition, the 80 plus bronze certification provides an efficiency rating of up to 85% under typical loads.

It features high-quality capacitors, 12v single, 12v rail, and a fully modular design. It also includes heavy-duty protections like OCP, OPP, OVP, SCP, and UVP for a great power supply. 

4. Seasonic PRIME TX-1000 80+ Titanium, Full Modular Power Supply for Gaming

The Seasonic PRIME TX-1000 80+ Titanium Power Supply for Gaming features a top-notch build quality. It uses Japanese capacitors, including many polymer caps and a fluid dynamic bearing fan. It gives high performance and silent operation under most load regions.

This compact power supply is one of the best when it comes to performance. This is because it has an amazing ripple suppression with the use of annoying in-line caps, has a great hold-up time, and provides a tight load regulation on all rails.

Furthermore, the 5VSB rail’s efficiency is high, and this power supply gives some of the highest efficiency readings at light loads. It also comes with six PCIe connectors on dedicated cables and a form factor of ATX12V v2.4, EPS 2.92 for improved performance.

5. Fractal Design Ion 80 Plus Gold Certified 650W Full Modular SFX-L Power Supply

The best PC power supplies have expanded to a small form factor category, an area that has gained interest from gamers. The Fractal Design Ion 80 Plus Gold SFX-L Power Supply boasts a larger 120mm fan and highly flexible modular cables that make a big difference during the installation and cable routing process.

Furthermore, it comes with an SFX-to-ATX adapter bracket that comes in handy if you’re planning to use this power supply unit along with an ATX chassis. Due to its large SFX depth, this unit provides better airflow and larger cooling fans.

This means that you get a more relaxed fan speed profile and are quieter than their standard counterparts. On top of that, this PSU has larger PCBs that allow for higher capacity units of up to 1000 Watts.

What is the best efficiency rating for a PSU?

Although most manufacturers of power supplies tend to have the same PSU efficiency rating system of 80 plus, there are ratings you should look out for. They include Bronze, Silver, Gold, Titanium, and Platinum.

An 80 Plus Titanium efficiency rating tends to be a bit more efficient than Bronze which means the parts will waste less power or heat during the AC to DC conversion. This efficiency is mostly measured using three load levels, including 20%, 50%, and 100%.

While most PSUs tend to have an efficiency rating of 50%, Titanium PSUs tend to perform better even under heavy load and a high-performance computer. Higher efficiency will also mean that the internal components are subjected to less heat and, in turn, have a longer lifespan.

Although such PSUs may cost a bit higher than others, they tend to be more reliable and come with great warranties.

What Do You Consider Before Buying the Best Power Supply for Gaming?

1. Wattage

When choosing a power supply, the first thing you need is to determine the total wattage required for the build. You can use an online wattage calculator, for example, the Extreme Power supply calculator by Outer Vision to determine the total wattage you require for the build.

Once you determine the wattage required, we recommend account for a 20% buffer for safety and future-proofing. This helps you dodge the cost of getting a new PSU if you chose to install Crossfire or SLI GPUs later on.

2. Ratings

It would be better if you always strived to have a good efficiency rating on a PSU. An 80 Plus certification standard guarantees efficiency, accurate wattage, and active PFC. The main purpose of APFC is to make the apparent power equal to true power. Your PSU will have better voltage regulation with all these benefits, allowing your PC to perform as stable as possible.

3. Modularity

When it comes to modularity, there are three main options;

Direct Cable- This is a cheap power supply option, but it is not the best for an enthusiast gamer who may need to swap the build from time to time. It is also much harder to deal with since all the PSU cables come directly from the PSU housing.Semi-Modular- With this one, all required cables come from the PSU case, such as the CPU (4+4) connector, PCI-e (6+2) connector, and ATX Power (20+4) connector. Other cables like SATA (15-pin) connectors and Molex (4-pin) will allow you to remove them at will. The semi-modular PSUs have decent cable management and average pricing.Full Modular- These PSUs have removable cables making the installation easy and the cable management extremely easy. Although they are reliable and allows one to change builds frequently, they can be a bit expensive.

4. Design

When it comes to the design, it is important to determine the durability of the PSU. The best power supplies will have a great build quality and an impressive warranty to build the trust of the product. You can check the reviews to determine how durable the power supply will be.

For enthusiasts, the best power supply for gaming should have an impressive design, and the color should match the theme of your room or PC. Although this is not a very important thing to consider, it is important to have it in mind so that you can pick one within your style.

5. Price

Most of the above features will highly depend on your budget. For this reason, you should determine your budget and find a good option within your budget. The prices may fluctuate depending on the brand, modularity, efficiency, as well as other features. Luckily, there is an option for every reasonable budget you have.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Power Supplies for Gaming

1. What is a good power supply wattage for gaming?

You don’t need to do a lot of mathetics or have a degree in rocket science to know the wattage requirements. This is because you can easily check the recommended system power requirement on the specs list of your current and future graphics cards. You can also use an online power or wattage calculator to get a more accurate figure.

2. Is 750W good for gaming?

Generally, a 750w PSU is good enough for a high-end gaming PC. However, if you’re curious about how much wattage the PC will need, then it is better to use a PSU online calculate to give a rough estimate of the wattage you need.

3. Is a higher watt power supply better?

Since the main function of a power supply is to provide power to the device. This means that the more robust the device or application is, the more power it requires, and in turn, the higher the wattage you will need from the power supply. Therefore, depending on your device, it is better to have a higher wattage unit than a lower wattage unit.

4. Can a power supply short circuit?

If the gaming computer is not correctly connected to the power supply, a short circuit may occur. A defective power supply can also cause a power problem or short circuit with your gaming computer.