Power Supply Reviews & Buying Guides - Tech4Gamers

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Power Supply

Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W Platinum

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Best Overall PSU For Gaming

What We Liked

High power density, silent fan, efficient, suitable for overclocking, ATX12VO standard

What We Disliked

Expensive

Wattage

1200W

Efficiency Rating

80+ Platinum

Size

150 x 150 x 86mm

Modular

Yes (Fully)

Protection

OPP, OVP, UVP, OCP, OTP, SCP

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Power Supply

Seasonic Vertex GX-1200W Gold

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Best 1200W PSU For Gaming

What We Liked

Soft sleeved cables, quiet, tight load regulation, 12-year warranty, plenty SATA connectors

What We Disliked

High OCP on minor rails, Smaller distance between 4-pin MOLEX connectors, high vampire power at 230V

Wattage

1200W

Efficiency Rating

80+ Gold

Size

160 x 150 x 86mm

Modular

Yes (Fully)

Protection

OPP, OVP, UVP, OCP, OTP, SCP

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Power Supply

XPG Fusion 1600W Titanium

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Award

Best High-End PSU For Gaming

What We Liked

Supports multi-GPU, performance, ripple suppression, warranty, software controlled, quiet

What We Disliked

Transient response should be better, expensive, high vampire power at 230V

Wattage

1600W

Efficiency Rating

80+ Titanium

Size

210 x 150 x 86mm

Modular

Yes (Fully)

Protection

OPP, OVP, UVP, OCP, OTP, SCP, NLO, SIP

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Power Supply

Corsair HX1000i Platinum

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Award

Best 1000W PSU For Gaming

What We Liked

Voltage ripple performance, iCUE software control, hybird fan mode, build quality, lots of connectors

What We Disliked

No 12VHPWR native connector, efficiency could be better

Wattage

1000W

Efficiency Rating

80+ Platinum

Size

180 x 150 x 85mm

Modular

Yes (Fully)

Protection

OPP, OVP, UVP, OCP, OTP, SCP, NLO, SIP

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Power Supply

Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum

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Best 850W PSU For Gaming

What We Liked

Efficient, silent, voltage ripple performance, build quality, flat cables, low temperatures

What We Disliked

Expensive

Wattage

850W

Efficiency Rating

80+ Platinum

Size

150 x 150 x 86mm

Modular

Yes (Fully)

Protection

OPP, OVP, UVP, OCP, OTP, SCP

Amazon

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Power Supply

Corsair SF1000L SFX Gold

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Award

Best SFX PSU For Gaming

What We Liked

Exceeds 80+ Gold efficiency, performance, pricing, SFX-to-ATX adapter bracket, voltage ripple performance

What We Disliked

Noisy after 50% load, High OCP triggering point on minor rails

Wattage

1000W

Efficiency Rating

80+ Gold

Size

130 x 125 x 63.5mm

Modular

Yes (Fully)

Protection

OPP, OVP, UVP, OCP, OTP, SCP

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Read Our Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W Platinum Power Supply Review

If you’re looking for more options, you can check our PSU wattage calculator to get a list of power supplies based on your PC’s requirements.

Best PSU For Gaming In 2024

Here is a list of the best PSUs for gaming that I’ll be recommending today:

Best Overall: Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W Platinum
Best 1200W: Seasonic Vertex GX-1200W Gold
Best High-End: XPG Fusion 1600W Titanium
Best 1000W: Corsair HX1000i Platinum
Best 850W: Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum
Best SFX: Corsair SF1000L SFX Gold

Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W Platinum

Best Overall PSU For Gaming

Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W Platinum Pictures From Our Review

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Pros

High power density in a compact design
Semi-silent fan
Extremely efficient
Suited for extreme overclocking
Dust Free rotation feature
Features ATX12VO standards

Cons

Slightly expensive

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One of the first power supplies on the planet to feature ATX12VO, the Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W Platinum, has brought out an innovation that Intel has been trying to achieve for some time. With a higher efficiency in a smaller package, I can only ask for a little else. Whether you’re trying to build a mid-range 1440p gaming PC or a high-end productivity rig with the RTX 4090, this power supply can handle all of it and more.

During our testing, the voltage regulation was extremely tight even at 1200W, where the voltage only dropped by 6mV from 12.15V at 20% to 12.09V at 100% load. Similarly, it is one of the most efficient power supplies at its wattage, showing up to 93.92% efficiency, ensuring greater overclocking potential. You’re getting all the bells and whistles with this ATX3.1 standard power supply, albeit a slightly higher price tag, that I cannot condone because of its amazing features.

Here’s my summary of the Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W Platinum taken from the review:

The Enermax PlatiGemin 1200W Platinum takes the crown with its robust build, top-tier efficiency, and exceptional performance. It has a fully modular design, premium mesh-sleeved cables, superior voltage regulation, and excellent thermal management. The unique Dust Free rotation feature ensures long-term maintenance. Despite its high cost, it’s perfect for high-end gaming rigs and overclocking enthusiasts seeking a reliable, silent power source.

✅Buy It If

You plan on overclocking your PC: The Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W has an impressive 235% power excursion, making it perfect for extreme overclocking. If you plan on doing that with your new gaming PC, this PSU will support you with stable wattage.

You’re excited about ATX12VO: Although it isn’t perfect and nowhere near mainstream, if you’re an adventurous person who wants to try out the latest and greatest in computer tech, this power supply will satiate your hunger. It will easily provide everything you’ll need for the next 10 years.

❌Don't Buy It If

You want affordability: While the power supply has amazing features and performance, it also has a hefty price tag. If you’re on a tighter budget, I recommend looking at another 1200W PSU or budgeting down to a 1000W or even an 850W component.

What Makes It The Best Overall PSU For Gaming?

The Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W Platinum power supply is a breath of innovation, featuring the latest ATX12VO standard with ATX3.1. Perfectly suitable for extreme overclocking thanks to an impressive 235% power excursion, 93.92% efficiency, and extremely tight voltage regulation, it’s truly best overall power supply for gaming, regardless of whatever components you’re building with.

Performance: 10/10	Value: 8/10
Features: 10/10	Efficiency: 10/10

Seasonic Vertex GX-1200W Gold

Best 1200W PSU For Gaming

Seasonic Vertex GX-1200W Gold Pictures From Our Review

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Pros

Soft sleeved cables
Quiet operation
Tight load regulation
12-year warranty period
Plenty SATA connectors
High build quality

Cons

High OCP on minor rails
Smaller distance between 4-pin MOLEX connectors
More expensive than competition

Check Price

Read Our Seasonic Vertex GX-1200W Gold Power Supply Review

Perfect for power-hungry components, the Seasonic Vertex GX-1200W Gold power supply features enough wattage and power efficiency to keep all your high-end components at bay, even when overclocked. You won’t find a lack of cables, either, with 16 SATA and 3 MOLEX 4-pin connectors. However, I would have liked to see a 150mm distance between the MOLEX connectors.

Regarding performance, the voltage regulation is amazing, as tested in our review. The Vertex GX-1200W only loses to the PlatiGemini by a little, with a regulation difference of 0.74%. It’s not the most efficient, but according to our tests, it went slightly above the 80+ Gold rating and was 92.43% efficient. The temperatures were also fine, making it an outstanding power supply overall. You won’t face any issues regardless of whether you’re running a mid-range or high-end PC.

I was very impressed by the Vertex GX-1200W’s performance, this is what I said:

The Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 is a high-quality, reliable PSU that handles demanding systems with ease. It’s fully modular, efficient, and operates quietly with a hybrid fan mode, making it a great choice for anyone looking to power a modern setup. The PSU is well-built with top-tier Japanese components, and the 10-year warranty adds peace of mind. It’s a solid performer, though its price might be a bit steep compared to some newer options on the market.

✅Buy It If

You don’t want transient spikes to hinder your gaming sessions: High-end graphics cards like the RTX 4090 and RX 7900 XTX are prone to greater transient spikes, especially when overclocked. If you’re worried the spikes will cause sudden shutdowns and restarts, purchase this power supply for its tight load regulation and easy handling of transient spikes.

You’re new to PC building: Cable management can be difficult for new PC builders. However, the Seasonic Vertex GX-1200W Gold power supply helps ease it by featuring soft-sleeved cables, allowing PC builders to route them as they wish. So, if you’re new to PC building, I suggest you lean towards this power supply to save some time.

❌Don't Buy It If

The 125mm long MOLEX connectors hinder you: It’s not a big issue, but if the 125mm MOLEX connectors aren’t long enough for your PC case, then you might want to either buy custom cables or look for another power supply.

What Makes It The Best 1200W PSU For Gaming ?

What makes the Seasonic Vertex GX-1200W Gold PSU the best 1200W PSU for gaming isn’t just its high-end performance. Rather, user-friendly features like soft-sleeved cables, a longer 12-year warranty, quiet operation, and tight load regulations played a crucial part in the PSU’s selection. I also love the plenty of SATA connectors the power supply offers, ensuring you don’t run out anytime soon.

Best Power Supply For RTX 4080

Performance: 10/10	Value: 8/10
Features: 9/10	Efficiency: 9/10

XPG Fusion 1600W Titanium

Best High-End Power Supply For Gaming PC

XPG Fusion 1600W Titanium Pictures From Our Review

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Pros

Supports multi-GPU with dual 12VHPWR connectors
Outstanding performance
Decent ripple suppression
12-year warranty period
Fully software controlled
Quiet operation
Tight load regulation at 12V and 5V

Cons

Expensive

Check Price

Read Our XPG Fusion 1600W Titanium Power Supply Review

Are you looking to go over and above the top with your new gaming PC? If so, you’ll need a lot of juice to power it, and that’s where the XPG Fusion 1600W Titanium power supply comes into play. With an 80+ Titanium and a Titanium Cybenetics rating, you get a super-efficient PSU that supports multi-GPU with its dual 12VHPWR connectors. You won’t need this power supply for most use cases, but it’s perfect for future-proofing your new gaming PC.

After installing it on our test build, the power supply gave some intriguing values. For example, the load regulation is extremely tight at 12V and 5V, making it perfect for extreme overclocking. Similarly, it is very impressive to see a 16mV ripple suppression on such a high-wattage PSU. To add on, the GaN MODFETs utilized in the power supply change the dynamic of PSU designs, making the XPG Fusion quieter, more efficient, and less prone to being bottlenecked, unlike high-wattage PSUs that are still using bridge rectifiers and MOSFETs.

PRO TIP: Using cable combs can help with cable management and improve the overall airflow within your chassis.

This is what I had to say after thoroughly testing and reviewing the XPG Fusion 1600W Titanium:

The XPG Fusion 1600W Titanium PSU, designed with Delta Electronics, offers top performance and innovation. Featuring GaN MODFETs, it supports multi-GPU setups with dual 12VHPWR connectors and full software control. It provides excellent voltage regulation and efficiency. Priced at $700, it’s perfect for enthusiasts seeking high-end technology and a 12-year warranty, but it may be too costly for average PC builders.

✅Buy It If

You want to future-proof your next PC build: If you’re shopping for a new gaming PC and want to future-proof it for the next couple of upgrades, I reckon the XPG Fusion 1600W Titanium power supply is the perfect fit. With a 1600W 80+ Titanium-rated power supply, you can easily run even the RTX 5090 without problems.

You want to run a multi-GPU setup: If you’re going to run a multi-GPU setup to play games and use the same PC for productivity tasks, then this PSU will prove useful. With its dual 12VHPWR connectors, you won’t have to worry about anything when it comes to running dual graphics cards.

❌Don't Buy It If

The $700 price tag is wasted on your use case scenario: I don’t recommend buying this power supply if your PC doesn’t cost at least thrice its price.

What Makes It The Best High-End PSU For Gaming?

The XPG Fusion 1600W Titanium power supply features high 1600W power, efficiently transferring throughout the PC. With tight 12V and 5V load regulations, you don’t have to worry about hiccups during overclocking. The power supply supports multi-GPU with its dual 12VHPWR connectors, is fully software-controlled, and has a decent 12-year warranty, making it the best high-end PSU for gaming.

Best Power Supply For RTX 4090

Performance: 10/10	Value: 7/10
Features: 9/10	Efficiency: 9/10

Corsair HX1000i Platinum

Best 1000W PSU For Gaming

Corsair HX1000i Platinum Pictures From Our Review

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Pros

Exceptional voltage ripple performance
iCUE software control feature
Hybrid fan mode
Top build quality
Lots of connectors provided

Cons

No 12VHPWR native connector
Efficiency could be better

Check Price

Read Our Corsair HX1000i Platinum Power Supply Review

Perfect for most PC builds, if you don’t want a lot of extra wattage on your power supply, the Corsair HX1000i Platinum will fit most of your needs. In our test results, the efficiency was measured at 92.79%, which is great but could be slightly higher to match its competition. Additionally, I love the top build quality of the PSU, ensuring you won’t be looking for something new for a long time.

Besides its efficiency and wattage, the HX1000i Platinum has much to offer with its exceptional voltage ripple performance. During our testing, the PSU’s ripple was 12mV at 100% load, second only to the Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W. Similarly, the temperatures were exceptionally low, with the junction temperature at 45.2°C. In conclusion, it’s a perfect PSU for most PC users. However, I would have loved a 12VHPWR native connector. You have a 12V-2×6 (12+4)-pin cable, so you must use an adapter for high-end NVIDIA GPUs.

This is how I described the PSU in my review:

The Corsair HX1000i PSU, part of the top-tier HXi series, offers a robust 1000W output and complies with ATX 3.0/3.1 specs. Its design features high-quality Japanese components and a quiet fluid dynamic bearing fan. The semi-digital platform allows performance monitoring via Corsair’s iCUE software. While it excels in voltage ripple control and comes with a solid warranty, it lacks a native 12VHPWR connector and has slightly lower efficiency compared to other Platinum-rated PSUs.

✅Buy It If

You want exceptional overclocking opportunities: If you’re buying any graphics card except the RTX 4090 and want to achieve decent overclocks, the Corsair HX1000i Platinum is the perfect choice because of its amazing ripple performance, which allows greater overclocks.

You have lots of storage drives: If you have many storage drives, the Corsair HX1000i Platinum can easily help house them with its 8x SATA and 8x MOLEX connectors. You can’t possibly need more connectors than that for gaming purposes.

❌Don't Buy It If

You prefer better efficiency from an 80+ Platinum PSU: Although the Corsair HX1000i Platinum has impressive efficiency, at 92.79%, some of its competition is even more efficient at the same price point. So, I don’t recommend buying this power supply if you prefer better efficiency.

What Makes It The Best 1000W PSU For Gaming?

The Corsair HX1000i Platinum offers impressive ripple performance, high-end build quality, decent fan control, and lots of connectors on top of its amazing performance, making it perfect for almost any PC build. Moreover, its decent price tag turns it into an even better deal, thus making it the best 1000W PSU for gaming.

Editor`s Note

Out of all the power supplies, I loved the Corsair HX1000i Platinum the most because it’s not only the sweet spot for most PC components but also provides impeccable performance and tight load regulations. The power supply is perfect if you have lots of storage drives, too. I also love the future-proofing aspect of this PSU and its decent pricing, which makes it even more attractive. If you don’t mind the slightly lower efficiency, you won’t regret purchasing this bad boy.

– Arsalan Shakil

Best Power Supply For RX 7900 XTX

Performance: 9/10	Value: 9/10
Features: 9/10	Efficiency: 9/10

Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum

Best 850W PSU For Gaming

Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum Pictures From Our Review

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Pros

Extremely efficient
Silent operation
Impressive voltage ripple performance
Sturdy build quality
High-quality flat cables
Low temperatures

Cons

Expensive

Check Price

Read Our Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum Power Supply Review

Okay, I get it — you don’t want to buy a high-end, all-frills gaming PC. What power supply best fits a mid-range PC, anyway? If upgrading to a 1440p gaming PC, the Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum is your best shot. It holds enough future-proofing capabilities to last you another upgrade and provides impeccable performance with its high-end capacitors.

For example, I loved the power supply’s efficiency the most because it was 93.38% efficient during our performance testing, almost topping our charts. On that same note, the PSU has an incredible voltage ripple performance at 14.4mV at 100% load. So, go all-out if you’re considering overclocking your mid-range PC components. Lastly, the low 40.8°C junction temperatures surprised me again. When it comes to efficiency, nothing is beating this power supply.

Here’s a summary of the power supply’s performance, efficiency, and pricing from its review:

The Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum is a high-performance, efficient power supply unit that stands out with its adherence to the latest ATX 3.1 specifications. It features the new 12V-2×6 GPU connector, improving safety and reliability. In our tests, the PSU delivered impressive results, showcasing excellent voltage regulation, high efficiency (up to 94.23%), and exceptional voltage ripple performance. The PSU’s robust build includes top-quality Japanese capacitors and efficient cooling, meaning quiet operation even under load.

✅Buy It If

You want to extract every performance from your PC: The Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum power supply is perfect for overclocking. Its incredible voltage regulation and ripple performance allow stable power even with high-end PC components.

You want quiet fans and the lowest temperatures: I loved this PSU’s extremely quiet fan, running at around 33dB(A) with max temperatures of 40.8°C. If you prioritize temperatures and noise levels, this PSU will provide both without compromising performance.

❌Don't Buy It If

You are concerned about future-proofing: Unfortunately, 850W is no longer the sweet spot for future-proofing. While you can easily run anything up to an RTX 4080 Super, running the latest RTX 5000 series and RX 9000 series GPUs will be difficult. So, I don’t recommend purchasing this PSU if you’re concerned about future-proofing.

What Makes It The Best 850W PSU For Gaming?

The Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum power supply is extremely efficient with an 80+ Platinum rating. Thanks to its voltage ripple and regulation performance, it provides incredible performance, topping almost all of our charts against its competition. Additionally, its quiet 135mm fan runs at 33dB(A), and the temperatures don’t exceed 40.8°C, ultimately making it the best 850W PSU for gaming.

Performance: 9/10	Value: 8/10
Features: 9/10	Efficiency: 10/10

Corsair SF1000L SFX Gold

Best SFX PSU For Gaming

Corsair SF1000L SFX Gold Pictures From Our Review

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Pros

Exceeds 80+ Gold efficiency
Superior performance to many full-ATX PSUs
Decent pricing
SFX-to-ATX adapter bracket provided
Impressive voltage ripple performance

Cons

Noisy after 50% load
High OCP triggering point on minor rails

Check Price

Read Our Corsair SF1000L SFX Gold Power Supply Review

Perhaps you don’t have enough desk space to build a normal-sized PC and are now opting for an ITX build. If so, the above power supplies may not be as helpful. That’s where the Corsair SF1000L SFX Gold comes into play. Featuring a smaller build, the PSU has decent 1000W power and exceeds its rated 80+ Gold efficiency. To boot, you also get an SFX-to-ATX adapter bracket, which ensures better future-proofing for upgrading to an ATX PC.

I wasn’t expecting the performance to be on par with its competitors, but boy was I wrong. During our testing, the PSU easily reached Platinum efficiency at 92.33%, crossing its 80+ Gold rating. Moreover, the voltage regulation on all rails was also very tight, ensuring stable power flow. The voltage ripple performance also blew our minds at 12mV at 100% load. The only thing that disappointed us was the higher noise above 45dB(A) at a 730W power output.

Here’s what I commented about the PSU in my in-depth review:

The Corsair SF1000L PSU is an SFL power supply that exceeds expectations with its performance and efficiency. Slightly larger than SFX PSUs, it offers better results under max load due to improved heat dissipation. It is designed for high-end, power-hungry builds, with impressive cable management and high quality internals. Despite its compact size, the SF1000L performs on par with or better than many full ATX PSUs, making it a top choice for small form factor cases.

✅Buy It If

You want optimal performance at a lower price: The Corsair SF1000L SFX Gold power supply offers top performance at a decent price point, making it attractive for all PC builders. It offers high performance in all areas and is compatible with ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0.

You plan on upgrading to an ATX PC later on: If an SFX PC isn’t on your list in the long term, this power supply will suffice because of its SFX-to-ATX adapter bracket, which allows PC builders to use it in ATX PC cases. This is a nice feature that many of its competitors are sleeping on, making this power supply even more attractive.

❌Don't Buy It If

You want lower noise levels: While the Corsair SF1000L SFX Gold power supply offers outstanding performance and features, its louder noise levels can be troublesome and annoying for gamers who prefer a quiet environment. The fan’s noise level exceeded 45dB(A) during our testing at a 730W power output. Some of its SFX competitors are dead silent, making this power supply a no-go if you wish not to hear any fan noises.

What Makes It The Best SFX PSU For Gaming?

The Corsair SF1000L SFX Gold power supply has extremely tight voltage regulation, and its ripple performance exceeds many ATX PSUs. Moreover, while it is 80+ Gold rated, its efficiency exceeded 80+ Platinum in our testing. Additionally, including an SFX-to-ATX adapter bracket improves the SF1000L’s value, making it the best SFX PSU for gaming.

WARNING: The power supply can get noisy after 50% load, which can get annoying in quiet environments. It can be avoided by lowering the fan curve, but it will cause temperatures to rise.

Performance: 9/10	Value: 9/10
Features: 9/10	Efficiency: 10/10

Included Cables Comparison

I have attached a table comparing the wattage and included cables of all the power supplies discussed in this article. You’ll be able to browse through the specifications based on your needs and requirements to make things easier for you.

Power Supply	Wattage (W)	ATX 24-Pin	EPS 4+4-Pin	12V-2×6 12+4 Pin	PCI-E 6+2-Pin	SATA	MOLEX 4-Pin
Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W Platinum	1200	1	2	1	3	8	4
Seasonic Vertex GX-1200W Gold	1200	1	2	1	3	16	3
XPG Fusion 1600W Titanium	1600	1	2	2	10	12	4
Corsair HX1000i Platinum	1000	1	2	1	4	8	8
Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum	850	1	2	1	2	8	6
Corsair SF1000L SFX Gold	1000	1	2	1	2	12	3

Our Test Results For The Best PSUs For Gaming

To back our recommendations, we have attached the test results of all our tested PSUs along with their competition for you to glance at. What better way is there to understand which power supply is perfect for you than by looking at practical numbers?

Benchmarks of the best power supply for gaming PC

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Power Supply Key Terms

Power supplies can have a lot of jargon surrounding them. To help you with your choices, I have mentioned a few key terms you’ll find when on the lookout for a decent unit:

Wattage: A power supply’s wattage represents its maximum power output capacity, which is measured in Watts (W). The dedicated wattage of a PSU determines its power delivery to components. Hence, it is crucial to match the PSU’s wattage with your PC’s to avoid any instability issues.
Efficiency: A power supply’s efficiency rating measures how effectively it converts AC power to DC power. Generally, these are the 80+ ratings in order: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium. We recommend looking for 80+ Gold and above-rated power supplies to ensure proper power draw.
12VHPWR Cable: Abbreviated as 12-Volt High Power Cable, this is a cable in ATX 3.0 power supplies that helps supply power to high-end NVIDIA GPUs like the RTX 4080 and RTX 4090. Before purchasing, you need to ensure your power supply supports your GPU’s power requirements and connectors.
ATX 3.0: One of the latest power supply standards (now the ATX 3.1), it handles the high power requirements of modern computers. This is especially true for top-tier graphics cards that require the 12VHPWR cables.
Voltage Ripple: It refers to the minute fluctuations or variations in the output voltage of a PSU. Voltage ripple is usually caused by AC-to-DC conversion. When on the lookout for a new power supply, ensure your unit’s voltage ripple at 100% load isn’t too high; otherwise, you may face instability issues.
Voltage Regulation: A power supply’s voltage regulation states how well it can maintain a constant output voltage even when its load changes. For example, the load can change when you plug in more devices or when there is a difference in the input voltage. Tighter voltage regulation equates to a more stable power draw, meaning better overclocking opportunities with the said PSU.

How We Picked The Best Power Supply For Gaming

We tested several power supplies to bring together the best power supply for gaming in 2024. Obviously, many factors need to be considered, and I have described a few to help you make your purchase decisions as well.

Performance: The first thing you need to be wary of when searching for a power supply is its performance. By performance, I mean its voltage ripple, load regulation, efficiency, transient response, and more. A good power supply will be more stable. Hence, we only chose units with the highest performance because what’s the use of buying a high-end PC if you’re going to use a washed-up power supply?
Modularity: Although it’s not that important, a fully modular power supply helps tremendously with cable management because all of its cables can be detached. This way, you only need to plug in the cables you require and stash the others whenever necessary. The good thing is most decent power supplies these days are fully modular, so you won’t have to worry about much.
ATX 3.0/3.1 Compatibility: Most new graphics cards require ATX 3.0 compatibility. Even if AMD GPUs don’t have this requirement, it’s better to future-proof your system by purchasing a new power supply with the latest frills. Therefore, we only selected PSUs that match this compatibility requirement.
Build Quality: A good power supply will have a sturdy and decent build quality that matches its warranty period. Hence, in all of our power supply reviews, we do a teardown analysis to look at the internal components. A power supply is only as good as its capacitors and internals. Hence, we only chose the ones with the highest build quality.

FAQs

What is the wattage sweet spot for a modern PC build?

If you’re worrying about future-proofing, a 1000W power supply is currently the sweet spot. Otherwise, you can also run most hardware with an 850W PSU without facing any instability issues.

Can a gaming PC last 10 years?

Depending on how well you maintain it and your personal use case, a gaming PC can technically last 10 years. We recommend upgrading it once every three to four years. Still, you shouldn’t face any problems as long as you properly maintain it and re-apply thermal paste wherever possible.

Is it OK to buy a cheap power supply?

No. We never recommend cheaping out on a power supply. If you’re out of budget, then cheap out on another component, but don’t purchase a bad power supply. This is the backbone of your computer; all of the electricity passes through this component. If there are any issues, you can fry every component on your PC.

[Errors Troubleshooting Expert]

Arsalan Shakil (aka GuyThatDoesEverything on YouTube) is a PC Tech Enthusiast and Electronic Geek. With over 10+ years of experience in Electronics, he then decided to explore Software Engineering to design embedded products and automate existing hardware solutions.

When he started tearing down old cameras to understand how they worked, he was shocked (literally, when he got zapped by a flash discharge capacitor), giving him the power (debatable) to fall in love with videography/photography. He also started making some fun videos that later became YouTube tech reviews.

Skills:

10+ years of experience in Electronics design, embedded solutions, and prototyping
Majored in Software Engineering
Research paper publication in IEEE for Embedded Military Uniform & LoRa WAN wireless technology
Specialized in IoT Solutions
PC Enthusiast & PC Modder

In his local region, he’s known to expose cheap PSU brands, often claiming fake certification or false claims on the box. He’s a true nerd and needed some friends in his life. Then he met some guys who work at Tech4Gamers, and they also came out to be equal nerds who suggested he join Tech4Gamers as a Hardware Expert.

Best PSU For Gaming In 2024: Hands-On Tested With Benchmarks is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

Gamemax GX Rampage 1050W Platinum ATX 3.1 Review

Arsalan Shakil — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 05:11:35 +0000

Power Supplies were no fun back in the day, and with the pace at which the rest of the PC components & peripherals were getting all the modern updates and features, we hardly saw any brand wanting to show their cool tech ideas for power supplies specifically. This is one of the reasons we still have very few brands, especially OEMs, in the PSU business.

Knock knock! “Who’s there?”
PSU, “PSU who?”
PSU with the latest ATX 3.X specifications along with 12VHPWR connector.
“Hey! Come on in. We have been waiting for you for so long”

New ATX 3.X specifications proved to be a kind of special milkshake that finally started to bring all the PSU boys (brands & OEMs) to the yard! I know this is more of a silly joke, but believe me, I have not seen this much activity, energy, and willingness in brands and even the brands/OEMs we had not heard of before; all of a sudden every one of them dialed in their R&D to 11 and have started manufacturing 80 Plus Platinum rated PSUs!

Gamemax has long been in the ATX PSU business, and if I have to be honest, it really didn’t get that much traction because of its mediocre PSUs. But for the past couple of years, Gamemax has been pumping out some decent PSUs with 80 Plus Gold certifications.

This time around, Gamemax wants to show its real capabilities with even more challenging specifications set out by Intel for today’s insanely high power-demanding CPUs & GPUs combined, which demand upto 2x the rated power from the PSU! For that, Gamemax has launched two PSU lineups: Gamemax RGB-Smart and Gamemax GX Rampage, both of which are the latest ATX 3.X (3.0 & 3.1) and PCIe 5.X (5.0 & 5.1) compliant PSUs.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Arsalan Shakil is our power supplies expert who loves to put the latest PSUs through their paces and even take them apart.
20+ PSUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
180+ hours spent testing different power supplies for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test peripherals).

Key Takeaways

The Gamemax GX Rampage 1050W Platinum PSU delivers reliable power and efficiency, with quiet cooling and strong performance under load.
You should buy the GX Rampage 1050W if your main priority is top-notch efficiency without a high noise output.
The only reason to skip the GX Rampage 1050W Platinum is if you want a hybrid-fan mode.

[toc]

Here are the specifications:

Specification	Detail
80 PLUS Efficiency	Platinum
Modular	Fully
Total Power	1050W
Input Voltage	100-240V
Input Frequency	50-60Hz
Fan Size	135mm
Protection	OPP, OVP, OPP, OTP, SCP, UVP
Dimension (D x W x H)	160 x 150 x 86 mm

Packaging & Unboxing

I love the packaging. The green-black theme is one of my favorites, and it definitely adds a touch of aggression. There is no PSU picture at the box and very minimal branding, unlike some other manufacturers that paste a logo for every little feature at the front.

The back of the box has all the details about the PSU, including its power specs, dimensions, connector info, and more.

Opening the box, you’re greeted with a user manual. The PSU comes in protective foam, while the cables have their own pouch. So far, Gamemax is on point with the packaging.

Design

The PSU has a black-on-black theme with big grills for good airflow. It is pretty decent, and nothing to complain about. The power connector side is also standard.

The PSU side has more vents for improved airflow. This is something we don’t see very often. Of course, the PSU is fully modular, so you only have the plug in the key cables for improved cable management.

Cable & Connectors

Cables & Connectors

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Good job Gamemax! They have included gloves and a screwdriver, which is a nice touch. As for the cables, they are of an adequate length and shouldn’t cause an issue in a typical ATX build.

Connector	Quantity
Mainboard (24(20+4)Pin)	1x
CPU (8(4+4)Pin)	2
PCI-E (8(6+2)Pin)	4x
12V-2×6 (16(12+4)Pin)	1x
SATA (5Pin)	10x
Peripheral (4Pin)	3x
FDD (4Pin)	1x

12V-2×6 Connector (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Gamemax GX Rampage 1050W Platinum, being an ATX 3.1 & PCIe 5.1 compliant PSU, correctly uses a 12V-2X6 GPU power connector, which is an updated version of the 12VHPWR connector.

Teardown & Component Analysis

Unlike almost any other brand that is acquiring existing or well-known OEM platforms for their PSUs these days, Gamemax went quite bold, or I should say Gamemax’s parent company, Guangdong Sohoo Technology, maxed up their game this time and put their R&D to literally design and develop an in-house PSU platform to be used for their PSUs. I say it’s a bold move because it’s already very challenging for a new OEM to master a PSU platform, let alone with massive power spikes allowed per the new ATX requirements.

Sadly, HWBusters, guys behind Cybenetics (and whom I am hugely inspired), had recently tested Gamemax’s RGB-Smart PSU, which, though performed decently well, had its fair share of quirks. But It must be noted that the PSU I have today for the review, though seems to be from the same OEM and similar-looking platform, does have minor changes on its PCB (because it’s from the GX series and not from RGB-Smart), which kind of gives me hope that it just may survive and perform pretty good in our tests.

Teardown (Image By Tech4Gamers)

The platform looks very neat and has all of its components mounted/soldered on the front side of the PCB. The layout and intensive use of SMD components make this platform spacious and this will very easily benefit from having better airflow and keeping everything cooler inside.

Internals

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If you have been reading/watching PSU reviews then you must have seen casual aluminium heatsinks for major components standing tall with their fins spreading out in an effort to catch more air and cool down the components attached to it. Well, according to Gamemax, “We don’t do it here” as they are using SMD power components, that are surface mount devices soldered directly onto the PCB.

From the APFC MOSFETs and its Boost Diode to the Half-Bridge LLC MOSFETs (except for the two Bridge Rectifiers), all are soldered on the PCB and are surrounded by small heatsinks because SMD components also dump their heat onto the PCB’s copper planes.

Having SMD MOSFETs may reduce slight EMI and ripple noise and also have slightly better voltage regulation (if done correctly, of course), all of which we will see in our upcoming tests. It is important to note that this design still utilizes Active PFC topology on its primary side, which is surprising to see in an 80-plus platinum-rated PSU. Only a handful of PSUs I have tested managed to achieve a Platinum rating with this older topology, which is found vastly in Gold-rated PSUs.

Internals

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Primary transformer which is responsible for converting high voltage signal from the primary side to lower voltage rail i.e 12V which further gets chopped off into minor 5V & 3.3V via a DC-DC converter, has a rather small design for a 1050W rated PSU.
There’s a vertically mounted PCB for 12V rail MOSFETs surrounded by two large metal tabs acting as heatsinks.

Internals

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Gamemax to my surprise has used a high quality Japanese Electrolytic bulk capacitor on its primary side by Nichicon. I think this is the first time that I have seen a whopping 1000uF electrolytic bulk capacitor in a PSU, whereas in every PSU they use two capacitors having less capacitance value in parallel to double the final capacitance value and this also greatly reduces capacitor’s ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance).

The rest of the electrolytic as well as polymer capacitors are from a low-tier brand, Teapo, which isn’t bad compared to the ones that are being used by many brands these days in an effort to cut down the cost. There are only a handful of electrolytic capacitors and the majority of them are polymers. Polymer capacitors tend to have much better quality and lifespan as they have a much better temperature endurance than electrolytic ones, so there shouldn’t be any issues for this PSU to easily surpass its warranty period, which is 10 years!

I do think that Gamemax should change their marketing material where they talk about capacitors as “Main Japanese 105C Capacitors and Solid Capacitors”. This kind of misguides readers into thinking that Solid Capacitors (Polymer capacitors) are also from a Japanese manufacturer which isn’t the case here.

135mm FDB Fan (Image By Tech4Gamers)

There’s a 135mm fan which appears to be (but not sure) a Fluid Dynamic Bearing fan from a brand I couldn’t find any info online. The fan had an outer circular ring which is the first time I have seen it in a PSU.

PSU Load Testing

Voltage Regulation

Regulation Difference (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	12V Rail	5V	3.3V
20%	12.07V	5.08V	3.36V
50%	12.02V	5.07V	3.35V
70%	11.98V	5.07V	3.35V
90%	11.94V	5.07V	3.35V
100%	11.94V	5.07V	3.35V

Voltage regulation is good, and the PSU had no trouble keeping up with the maximum load. Having fewer capacitors inside didn’t have any effect on this test, which is really impressive.

PSU Efficiency

Average Efficiency (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	Efficiency	Power Factor
20%	90.32%	0.952
50%	93.28%	0.988
70%	93.33%	0.992
90%	92.73%	0.991
100%	92.10%	0.991

Though Gamemax GX Rampage 1050W easily reaches the Platinum level of efficiency, I have seen even Gold-rated PSUs achieving similar or even better results these days, so maybe there is a slight bit of tuning needed to be done for its efficiency.

Voltage Ripple Performance

Max Ripple (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	12V Ripple
20%	4.8mV
50%	6.4mV
70%	8.0mV
90%	16.0mV
100%	18.0mV

Similar to voltage regulation, having fewer filtering capacitors may cause significantly poor results in this test, but thankfully, Gamemax didn’t cut down on the use of polymer capacitors, which is considered an essential component for better voltage ripple performance.

I was really surprised to see sub 10mV results at even 70% of the load and only at 100%, which I saw 18mV, which is still very good. I even pushed this PSU to 1450W, which is 138.1% of its rated power, where it just tripped its OPP, and still, the voltage ripple was kept to a much lower value of less than 25mV. A very impressive job indeed!

Temperatures

Thermal Tests

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Thanks to its unique fan design and surface mount power components on the front of the PCB, the PSU ran very cool throughout different load variations. Also, the 135mm Fluid Dynamic Bearing fan was very quiet, only at max load it started to become slightly audible. Gamemax could have easily implemented a hybrid fan mode, considering the high efficiency and cooler operation of GX Rampage 1050W.

Should You Buy it?

Buy It If

✅ Quiet & Efficient: You want an efficient and quiet PSU that’s going to be easy on both your ears and power bills.

Don’t Buy It If

❌ Stranger danger: Though Gamemax GX Rampage 1050W performed exceptionally well in our tests, gamemax is still a brand that is not well-trusted in the PSU business, and I believe it does require some time to establish itself as a strong contender.

My Final Thoughts

Gamemax has spread its wings with the help of its parent company, Guangdong Sohoo Technology, which came out to be quite a capable OEM for the PSU. This OEM has potential to partner with other major brands and only in doing so can Gamemax gain the trust as well as market share for its PSUs. I am really surprised seeing the performance of Gamemax GX Rampage 1050W Platinum and I wish them the best!

The Gamemax GX Rampage 1050W Platinum PSU is a big improvement for the brand, showing they’ve stepped up their game from earlier models. With its ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 compatibility, it’s built to handle the hefty power demands of the latest CPUs and GPUs. The fully modular design, neat internal layout, and the use of quality components like the Nichicon capacitor highlight Gamemax’s focus on reliability. Plus, the PSU’s solid voltage regulation and low ripple performance under load make it a strong contender for high-performance builds.

That said, there are a few areas where it could be better. The lack of a hybrid fan mode feels like a missed opportunity, especially given how efficient and cool the PSU runs. Also, while it meets Platinum efficiency standards, some Gold-rated PSUs are hitting similar numbers, so there’s room for a bit more optimization. Overall, the Gamemax GX Rampage 1050W Platinum is a reliable and well-rounded option for power-hungry systems, and I am very exited to see what Gamemax comes up with next.

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Gamemax GX Rampage 1050W Platinum ATX 3.1 Review is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

MSI MEG Ai1300P Platinum ATX 3.1 Review: Another AI Gimmick?

Arsalan Shakil — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 11:05:12 +0000

MSI, with their MEG Ai1300P Platinum PSU, has now beefed up its muscles even more, proving its commitment to extremely high-quality and high-end PSUs to tackle the need for insanely high power requirements of current and upcoming generation of GPUs.

With the addition of MEG Ai1300P Platinum in MSI’s arsenal, MSI is now able to compete with some of the well-reputed PSU brands that offer a wide range of options for mid to high-end Gaming PC enthusiasts.

At this point, I have reviewed MSI MPG A850G PCIE5 & MSI MAG A1000GL PCIE5, both are based on the latest ATX 3.0/3.1 specs and performed exceptionally well in our tests. I expect the same or even better performance results for MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE Platinum PSU.

You may see the above-mentioned PSUs with ATX3.0 compliant stickers on their boxes, but their recent stock comes with ATX3.1 stickers on the box. It is important to mention that the changes in the newer ATX3.1 specs are only for the newer PCIe 5.1 GPU connector for better safety, and the other difference is lower Hold-up time, which, in a way, is a downgrade from the previous ATX 3.0 specs. So, any PSU that meets the ATX 3.0 specs is already an ATX 3.1 compatible PSU, as long as the manufacturer upgrades to the newer PCIe 5.1 GPU connector.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Arsalan Shakil is our power supplies expert who loves to put the latest PSUs through their paces and even take them apart.
20+ PSUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
180+ hours spent testing different power supplies for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test peripherals).

Key Takeaways

The MSI MEG Ai1300P Platinum is a powerful, fully modular PSU that combines premium build quality with impressive efficiency, designed for demanding gaming setups.
You should buy the MSI MEG Ai1300P Platinum if you want solid performance, absolutely silent noise profile, and customization options using a software.
You should skip the MSI MEG Ai1300P Platinum if the Platinum efficiency rating is an overkill for you and you’re good to go with an ATX 3.1 Gold PSU.

[toc]

Here are the specifications:

Specification	Detail
80 PLUS Efficiency	Platinum
Modular	Fully
Total Power	1300W
Input Voltage	100-240V
Input Frequency	50-60Hz
Fan Size	125mm
Protection	OPP, OVP, OPP, OTP, SCP, UVP
Dimension (D x W x H)	160 x 150 x 86 mm

MSI’s Confusing Naming Schemes

At the rate at which MSI has been getting many of its different variants’ PSUs manufactured, I think MSI itself seems to be having a hard time deciding how to come up with different naming schemes. Just to give you guys an example, MSI has its PSU lineups with the main name tags such as MEG, MPG, and MAG (Enthusiast/Flagship, Premium & Mainstream, respectively). If that’s not all, they also have similar letters at the end that confuse things, such as A850G & A850GL are two PSUs from completely different series where L in A850GL represents the Low-cost series.

MSI’s Ai1300P’s being from the MEG (Enthusiast/Flagship) series and having P (Platinium) in its name makes things slightly less confusing. That’s because I had to write all that so that you could finally understand these Massive Confusing Gibberish (MCG in short) naming schemes!

Packaging & Unboxing

The overall design of the box is very premium. A side profile of the PSU is printed and it matches the theme. However, there are way too many logos about the different features. Similarly, I think the “ATX 3.1 Ready” and “PCIe 5.1 Ready” text could have looked better.

At the back, you’ll find info about the cables, power specs, and other features like efficiency and Gaming Intelligence.

The power supply is packed in protective black foam, and MSI has opted for recyclable plastic inside, which is a nice bonus.

Design

I love how the PSU looks from the top. The contrast is very good and different from the other PSUs I have tested recently. The fan seems off centered, which is a bit weird, but overall the design is great.

The side design follows the same theme. It is simple, subtle, and gives off a premium feel.

Modular Connector Side (Image By Tech4Gamers)

The power supply’s fully modular design lets you plug in just the cables you actually need, helping keep everything tidy and making cable management a breeze.

Cable & Connectors

Cables & Connectors

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The cables come in a soft fabric pouch that feels nice to handle. They’re also long enough, so you won’t have any trouble during installation in an ATX build.

The 12VHPWR connector has a dual-color design that makes installation easier. If it’s inserted correctly, the yellow part won’t be visible, giving you a quick way to confirm it’s fully connected.

Connector	Quantity
Motherboard 24 (20+4) Pin	1x
CPU 4+4 Pin	1x
PCI 5.0 16 Pin	1x
PCIe 6+2 Pin	8x
SATA 15 Pin	16x
Molex 4 Pin	4x
FDD 4 Pin	1x

The recent outbreak of artificial intelligence has made the term AI mainstream, and now, many big brands’ marketing teams are working really hard to come up with unique and catchy terms. MSI didn’t seem to work that hard, I guess, as they have coined the term GI, Gaming Intelligence (I mean, it doesn’t sound that stupid if you consider the term Apple Intelligence).

I can’t seem to wrap my head around what part of Gaming Intelligence actually reflects the real intelligence in MEG Ai1300P, especially when I see the good old mini-USB connector still being used in 2024. I mean, you do get the feature of controlling and monitoring most of the PSU functionality on your PC and can adjust the fan curves and all, but that’s just it!

As I said in the introduction, MSI had first marketed this PSU for ATX 3.0. Later, when the new ATX 3.1 specs came in from Intel, the PSU brands only had to upgrade to a newer PCIe5.0 GPU connector, which is now referred to as a 12V-2×6 connector (previously known as 12VHPWR connector).

Quite weirdly, the sticker on the box has been upgraded to state newer ATX 3.1 specs but not the newer 12V-2×6 GPU connector! Though the new 12V-2×6 is a must at the GPU’s end and not the PSU because cables from the PSU’s modular end don’t get bent or twisted that much compared to the GPU’s end, but still when the Intel ATX 3.1 states that every brand must use 12V-2×6 from now on, MSI should also do the same.

Teardown & Component Analysis

MSI MEG Ai1300P Platinum is based on an upgraded platform from CWT, which is an already proven and extensively adopted platform by many well-known PSU brands for the latest ATX 3.0/3.1 specs, which I have also reviewed several times in the past.

PSU Teardown (Image By Tech4Gamers)

CWT has made slight changes in their platform mainly because MSI must have asked them to somewhat make use of “Ai” in Ai1300P. This slight change gives users a software-controlled feature for adjusting Fan Curves, Overcurrent Protection, Monitoring different power parameters, etc. MSI also decided this time to go with a Semi-digital platform, but I, being an absolute sucker for superior ingenuity and innovation, always desire to see a Fully digital PSU.

Internals

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MSI MEG Ai1300P Platinum uses Interleaved PFC, Full-Bridge & LLC resonant converter topology. Unlike other brands that directly opt for CWT’s traditional aluminum heatsinks, MSI is using its own uniquely designed aluminum heatsinks with a much larger surface area. There are individual uniquely shaped heatsinks attached to separate vital components for better heat dissipation.

Platinum-rated PSUs don’t usually have any trouble when it comes to high operating temperatures as they are extremely efficient in power conversion but the use of bigger heatsinks doesn’t stress the fan to spin up faster, and with this, the PSU brands can easily opt-in for Hybrid Fan Mode feature which MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 also has.

Main Primary Transformer (Image By Tech4Gamers)

The platform design is well-populated; MSI most likely wanted to keep the dimensions of this PSU not that big as we have seen slightly bigger dimension PSUs in the past with similar wattage ratings. The main primary Transformer is adequately sized for a 1300W figure, and on its side resides a vertical daughter board for 12V rail MOSFETs.

Large-size Transformers in >1000W rated PSUs usually tend to have slightly increased voltage ripples. Only a transformer that’s driven with extremely fast switching frequency (usually with the use of GaN MODFETs, as in a few recent PSUs) can have its size cut down in half (but the final cost doubles).

Internals

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Being a high-end offering from MSI, we don’t see any compromises in quality whatsoever. Extensive use of top-tier Japanese Electrolytic and Polymer capacitors can be seen throughout from Rubycon and Nippon Chemi-Con. Though the top-tier components couldn’t convince MSI to break the 10 year warranty barrier which a few brands have already started doing lately and providing 12 years of warranty.

120mm Hydro Dynamic Bearing (Image By Tech4Gamers)

MSI is using their in-house 120mm Hydro Dynamic Bearing fan. The fan only starts to spin when there’s high enough load on the PSU.

PSU Load Testing

PSU Testing (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Voltage Regulation

Percentage Difference In 12V Rail Regulation (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	12V	5V	3.3V
20%	11.96V	5.04V	3.30V
50%	11.86V	5.03V	3.29V
70%	11.82V	5.03V	3.29V
90%	11.78V	5.03V	3.29V
100%	11.77V	5.02V	3.28V

In our test of 20-100% load, 12V rail voltage drops from 11.96V to a much lower value of 11.77V. However, this is still well within specs, and considering the fact that in this test, we take voltage variations into account, which came out to be 0.19V, which is fine.

But still, I think MSI should tune this platform further to maintain better voltage regulation, especially on higher loads.

We can’t currently fully test power excursions in which massive amounts of power are drawn within the cycle of a few milliseconds; these lower voltage levels may have a serious issue on those high-power excursions.

PSU Efficiency

Average Efficiency (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	Efficiency	Power Factor
20%	92.65%	0.937
50%	93.97%	0.985
70%	93.75%	0.991
90%	92.49%	0.993
100%	91.93%	0.994

The efficiency numbers I saw during this test were good enough for MSI MEG Ai1300P to be crowned as a Platinum-rated PSU. But again, PSUs from other well-known brands having similar platforms from CWT performed really well in this test, even being only a Gold-rated PSUs.

Voltage Ripple Performance

Maximum Ripple (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	12V Ripple
20%	12.8mV
50%	14.4mV
70%	16.8mV
90%	17.6mV
100%	18.2mV

After reviewing many PSUs, the majority of which were from CWT, I found the voltage ripple performance of MEG Ai1300P to be only good and not exceptional, which I surely expected and wanted it to be.

Temperatures

Thermal Tests

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With heatsinks of more than adequate size and being a Platinum-rated PSU, MSI MEG Ai1300P kept it cool even when running at a Max 1300W load. The fan only kicked in when the load exceeded 650W. The PSU will remain fully silent even during light gaming sessions. MSI’s 120mm Hydro Dynamic Bearing fan was decently quiet.

Should You Buy it?

Buy It If

✅ You want Gaming Intelligence: MSI’s marketing gimmick of GI aside, if your PI (Personal Intelligence) predicts that in the future you will need to upgrade to the latest and greatest specs, then MEG Ai1300P can be the best pick for you.

✅ You like a software-controlled PSU: The option to tune and adjust PSU features & parameters can be handy for some, especially for the OCing enthusiasts who can increase the limit of OCP on the specific 12V rail responsible for providing power to the GPU(s).

✅ You prefer silent operations: The PSU remains absolutely silent and only starts spinning its fan when the load exceeds 650W.

Don’t Buy It If

❌ You don’t need excessive features: If your use case doesn’t require all the special and extra bells and whistles the PSU comes with.

❌ You’re a Gold digger: Many Gaming enthusiasts will be better off with the recent Gold-rated PSUs having ATX 3.0/3.1 specs, as long as they aren’t getting themselves into extreme OCing.

My Final Thoughts

MSI is committed to providing the best products to their users and with the addition of MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 in their widespread range of PSUs, MSI has now entered in the high-end Gaming Enthusiasts PSU club but still remains a few inches away from stealing the show.

The MSI MEG Ai1300P Platinum is a powerful and efficient PSU that offers solid performance for high-end gaming rigs, with premium build quality and attention to detail. Its modular design, combined with a well-implemented cooling system, keeps it running quietly during lighter loads, while maintaining stable performance across a range of power demands.

Despite its strengths, the PSU shows some room for improvement in voltage regulation, particularly under heavy loads, which might be a concern for users pushing their systems to the limit. The slight drop in voltage regulation and ripple performance holds it back from standing out as the best in its class. However, for most gamers and enthusiasts, the overall efficiency, quality components, and Platinum certification make it a strong and dependable choice for demanding setups.

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Coming Next: Enermax Revolution D.F.2 1200W Review

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Skills:

10+ years of experience in Electronics design, embedded solutions, and prototyping
Majored in Software Engineering
Research paper publication in IEEE for Embedded Military Uniform & LoRa WAN wireless technology
Specialized in IoT Solutions
PC Enthusiast & PC Modder

MSI MEG Ai1300P Platinum ATX 3.1 Review: Another AI Gimmick? is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

MSI MAG A1000GL PCIE5 Gold Review: The Best Value PSU Right Now?

Arsalan Shakil — Sat, 28 Sep 2024 14:32:15 +0000

Back in the day, the PC power supply market used to struggle a lot in terms of innovation, and more specifically, it lacked excessive features that would benefit manufacturers to market their PSUs with some unique aspects and attributes.

It was only when Intel introduced new ATX3.0/3.1 specifications with massive power excursions and a new 12VHPWR connector for power-hungry GPUs the PSU market saw a paradigm shift that made every major brand immediately jump on the hype train and started adding up the new and improved PSU designs into their product catalogs.

MSI was among the first reputable brands that quickly adapted to these new PSU standards by launching the first ATX 3.0 spec PSU, MSI MPG A850G, which I also reviewed earlier.

Several other brands since then have designed and manufactured their high-end PSUs with the help of well-known OEMs; the only remaining challenge was designing such PSUs in mid-range budget options.

MSI, with its MAG A1000GL PCIE5 PSU, is now trying to fill this mid-range budget-oriented gap, and in this review, we will see how well they have succeeded in doing that.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Arsalan Shakil is our power supplies expert who loves to put the latest PSUs through their paces and even take them apart.
20+ PSUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
180+ hours spent testing different power supplies for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test peripherals).

Key Takeaways

The MSI MAG A1000GL PCIE5 is a 1000W fully modular power supply featuring 80 PLUS Gold efficiency, ATX 3.1 compliance, and the latest PCIe 5.1 12V-2×6 connector for modern GPUs.
You should buy the MSI MAG A1000GL if you want a solid bang for the buck power supply that is going to last you for the next several years.
The only reason to skip the MSI MAG A1000GL is if the fan noise is a bit much for you, especially considering there is no hybrid mode, so the fan is on even at idle.

[toc]

Here are the specifications:

Specification	Detail
80 PLUS Efficiency	Gold
Modular	Fully
Total Power	1000W
Input Voltage	100-240V
Input Frequency	50-60Hz
Fan Size	135mm
Protection	OPP, OVP, OPP, OTP, SCP, UVP
Dimension (D x W x H)	150 × 150 × 86 mm

Packaging & Unboxing

The PSU comes in a cardboard box with logos and features printed all over it. There is a picture of the power supply’s design at the front, along with a mention of its dual-color 12V-2×6 connector (which helps with installation) and some other features. The “ATX 3.1 Ready” and “PCIe 5.1 Ready” text looks like an afterthought and doesn’t really fit the overall design.

You’ll find information about the cables and the power requirements at the back.

Box Side (Image By Tech4Gamers)

The side design contains pretty much the same details as the front. The ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 branding is much better here.

The power supply comes in black foam for protection, and MSI has used recyclable plastic inside, so there is a plus point.

Design

The front of the power supply is very basic. The fan blades are the same color as the grill. However, for the price, this is practically nitpicking, as long as the fan does the job well (will see in my tests).

At the side, there is a sticker pasted with a robotic design. While it looks good, it is misaligned. Come on, MSI, go easy on people like me with OCD.

Modular Connectors Side (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Of course, the power supply has a fully modular design, which makes it significantly easier to manage the cables.

Cable & Connectors

The cables come in a fabric pouch, which feels good to the touch. All the cables have an adequate length, so there will be no installation issues in an ATX build.

Connector	Quantity
Motherboard 24 (20+4) Pin	1x
CPU 4+4 Pin	2x
PCI 5.1 16 Pin	1x
PCIe 6+2 Pin	4x
SATA 15 Pin	12x
Molex 4 Pin	4x
FDD 4 Pin	1x

MSI MAG A1000GL comes equipped with the latest 12VHPWR connector, now referred to as the 12V-2×6 connector, which offers enhanced safety for GPU power delivery.

Also, MSI seems to be the only one with a unique design aspect for its 12VHPWR cable, in which a user can see whether he/she has correctly inserted the 12VHPWR connector into the GPU’s power connector. As long as the yellow part of the connector isn’t visible to the user, the connector is firmly and properly inserted.

Teardown & Component Analysis

Making the latest spec ATX3.0/3.1 PSUs cheaper poses a greater challenge because with great power excursions (allowing a PSU to provide 200x their rated power for 0.1ms) comes even greater responsibility (of maintaining 12V regulation without dropping too low).

Back then, manufacturers used to cut down on the number of components to save cost, but in doing so for the latest PSUs these days, significantly drop their performance which can result in a PSU not meeting its ATX3.0/3.1 specification. So the only option left is to cut down on the quality of components by using lesser known brands’ MOSFETs and especially Capacitors that have the most prominent impact on the final price of the PSU. This can also hit the performance if a platform isn’t designed properly.

Top Teardown (Image By Tech4Gamers)

MSI has opted for CWT for its MAG 1000GL PCIE5’s platform. I think at this point, after reviewing dozens of PSUs, I have gained this ability to know that a PSU’s OEM is CWT just by its smell (jk though, the weird smell coming out of every PSU box, especially from their cables, is making me really sick!).

CWT’s massive design improvements lately have made them the most adopted OEM for the latest spec PSUs.

Primary Side Heatsinks (Image By Tech4Gamers)

We get to see smaller but adequate heatsinks, separate for every major component: two Bridge Rectifiers, APFC Boost section, and two MOSFETs that make up Half-Bridge. The LLC converter then reduces the power losses generated by those Half-Bridge MOSFETs.

Internals

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The main Transformer’s contact points are soldered directly to a vertical PCB which contains 12V rail MOSFETs, this slightly reduces power losses and makes it easier for those MOSFETs to receive adequate air flow and to cool down properly.

Internals

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This is where we see how MSI has achieved a significant reduction in cost by utilizing low-tier (but not low-quality) Electrolytic and Polymer capacitors in MAG A1000GL PCIE5 PSU.

High-end PSUs inadvertently use top-of-the-line Japanese electrolytic and polymer capacitors. Here, we see a mix of Chinese (ChengX) and Taiwanese (Teapo) capacitors.

It’s good to see MSI is using Teapo branded Electrolytic bulk capacitor on the primary side, and ChengX is only being used on the secondary side. The capacity of Teapo’s capacitor is apparently quite low for a bulk capacitor, but because MAG A1000GL PCIE5 is an ATX3.1 compliant PSU, the hold-up time has now been reduced to lower levels compared to what was previously allowed in ATX3.0 specifications, an 820uF seems to be more than enough.

Also, all the electrolytic capacitors are 105C rated, which is very good. 85C-rated capacitors would have cost even less, but they have significantly less lifespan, especially when used in high ambient temperatures, so MSI isn’t cheaping out that much.

135mm FDB Fan (Image By Tech4Gamers)

PSU Load Testing

MSI MAG A1000GL PCIE5 – PSU Testing (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Voltage Regulation

Regulation Difference Of 12V (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	12V	5V	3.3V
20%	12.10V	5.06V	3.36V
50%	12.00V	5.06V	3.35V
70%	11.95V	5.05V	3.35V
90%	11.93V	5.05V	3.35V
100%	11.92V	5.05V	3.35V

I have seen budget-oriented PSUs struggling in my voltage regulation test, dropping the 12V rail much lower, but MAG A1000GL performed really well and maintained its 12V throughout the test.

PSU Efficiency

Average Efficiency (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	Efficiency	Power Factor
20%	90.62%	0.953
50%	93.14%	0.983
70%	92.91%	0.986
90%	92.07%	0.988
100%	91.65%	0.989

Though we have seen slightly higher power efficiency numbers in some of the latest CWT platforms used in major brands PSUs these days, still with an average efficiency of 92.08%, MAG A1000GL has no problem maintaining an 80 Plus Gold efficiency rating.

Voltage Ripple Performance

Max Ripple (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	12V Ripple
20%	7.2mV
50%	14.4mV
70%	13.6mV
90%	14.4mV
100%	15.2mV

Voltage ripple performance is surprisingly good, especially for its price point. MSI’s extensive use of Polymer capacitors resulted in this impressive performance.

Temperatures

Our Thermal Test Results

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Having no Hybrid Fan mode makes the fan spin all the time, resulting in cooler operation throughout the max-rated load. Max’s hottest point was reported to be as high as 45.9C on its back. There’s a noticeable fan noise when the PSU is hit with 70% load.

Should You Buy it?

Buy It If

✅You want an affordable and reliable PSU: This mid-range budget-oriented option is not gonna hit hard on your wallet, nor is it going to make you upgrade your PSU in the future, as 1000W is more than enough for even an RTX4090.

✅You Like ease of mind: A massive 10-year warranty at this price point is really impressive.

Don’t Buy It If

❌You want silent operation: MSI MAG A1000GL’s noise levels may upset a few individuals who aren’t that much into Rock n Roll/loud music.

My Final Thoughts

MSI has been doing really well for its latest spec high-end PSUs lately; now, with their MAG A1000GL PCIE5 PSU, MSI is targeting mid-range budget PC Gamers with no compromises in performance.

The MSI MAG A1000GL PCIE5 is a great option for anyone who wants modern features without paying top dollar. It supports ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1, so it’s perfect for newer, more demanding GPUs. Even though it uses mid-tier capacitors, MSI included Teapo capacitors on the primary side, which helps keep performance solid. The 135mm fan does a good job of managing heat, although the lack of hybrid fan mode means you have to keep up with slightly higher noise levels

With an average efficiency of 92%, a 1.49% difference in voltage regulation (across 12V rail), and a maximum ripple of just 15.2mV, the A1000GL packs remarkably good performance. In short, if you’re building a high-end gaming or creative setup but don’t want to overspend, this PSU is definitely worth considering.

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MSI MAG A1000GL PCIE5 Gold Review: The Best Value PSU Right Now? is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 Gold ATX 3.0 Review: Built To Last

Arsalan Shakil — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 16:50:09 +0000

There are still a few companies in the PC industry that have stayed true to their superior quality without getting diluted with all the extravagant features, marketing gimmicks, and bells & whistles that we get to see in almost every brand these days; Seasonic is surely the one among those.

Seasonic is also one of the handful of brands that designs and manufactures their own PSUs, unlike others who rely mainly on several different OEMs and their engineering.

Seasonic’s Vertex GX series is their first lineup that tackles the new and aggressive ATX 3.0/3.1 specifications for modern power-hungry CPUs & GPUs. Though Seasonic has now upgraded this exact series for ATX 3.1 specs because we received this unit quite a while back, our unit comes with slightly older ATX 3.0 specs listed on the box.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Arsalan Shakil is our power supplies expert who loves to put the latest PSUs through their paces and even take them apart.
20+ PSUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
180+ hours spent testing different power supplies for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test peripherals).

Key Takeaways

The Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 is a great power supply that runs quietly, handles heavy loads well, and is built to last with solid quality and a long warranty
You should buy the Vertex GX-1200 if you want a reliable power supply that will last you for several years to come without any performance hiccups.
The only reason to avoid the Season Vertex GX-1200 is if you don’t want to spend big bucks on a gold-rated power supply. After all, there are some competitors that beat it in our tests.

[toc]

Here are the specifications:

Specification	Detail
80 PLUS Efficiency	Gold
Modular	Fully
Cable Type	Braided Pattern
Total Power	1200W
Input Voltage	100-240V
Input Current	15-7.5A
Input Frequency	50-60Hz
Fan Size	135mm
Operating Temperature	0 – 50°C
MTBF	100,000 hours
Protection	OPP, OVP, UVP, OCP, OTP, SCP
Dimension (D x W x H)	160 × 150 × 86 mm

Packaging & Unboxing

Unlike most other PSUs I have tested, the Vertex GX-1200’s box does not have the PSU’s picture on the front. Other than that, we get a good-looking black-gray theme with a big emphasis on 10 years warranty (rightly so). At the back, you’ll find an efficiency graph and some information about the key features like ATX 3.0 compatibility, voltage regulation, modular design, and its 135mm FDB fan.

Opening the box greets us with some documents. There is an installation manual, a 12VHPWR connector guide, and a flyer about entering a $50 Steam eGift competition. Apart from that, the power supply is protected with black foam, along with a nylon bag for the cables.

Design

The fan grill of the PSU is focused quite a lot on airflow with big cutouts around it. On the other side, we get our typical power connector and a hybrid mode switch. This gives you the option to either have the fan turned on at all times or have it only spin when the PSU load increases, meaning on idle, the PSU will be completely silent.

Alongside the Seasonic Vertex logos at the side, there is also a beautiful embossing. At the back, you can go through the power requirements and other specs of the power supply.

Cable & Connectors

The braided cables feel both premium and durable. All cables are of adequate length, and there shouldn’t be any installation problems, but I have to give a shout-out to the four SATA cables. At 950mm (95cm), these cables are very long. It is good to see Seasonic has included a PSU jumper, this way, you don’t have to connect the power supply to a PC (for testing).

Connector	Details
Motherboard 24 (20+4) pin	1x 610mm
CPU 4+4 Pin	2x 650mm
12V-2×6 12+4 pin	1x 700mm
PCIe 6+2 pin	3x 750mm
SATA	4x 950mm
SATA 3.3V	1x 550mm
4P Molex	1x 690mm

As stated in the beginning, our review unit is ATX 3.0 compliant, and now there’s a new intel ATX spec in town, ATX 3.1. This new spec is kind of confusing as it’s a slightly downgraded version of the previous ATX 3.0 specifications because intel now allows for a minor decrease in hold-up time, which now allows manufacturers to use less expensive bulk capacitors which eventually reduces the final cost of the unit (for them at least). This way, all the ATX 3.0 compliant PSUs can automatically be ATX 3.1 ready.

The only major difference in the newer ATX 3.1 specifications is the use of an improved 12VHPWR connector, which is now referred to as a 12V-2×6 connector (maybe this way, people will forget all those burnt 12VHPWR connector/cable issues). Our review unit, being of an older spec, comes with an older 12VHPWR connector, but the new version of the Vertex GX series now comes with an improved 12V-2×6 connector. We highly recommend our viewers get this PSU with this new connector by ensuring that ATX 3.1 & PCIe 5.1 tags are on the box.

Teardown & Component Analysis

When you see a PCB in its famous green color and a clean layout accommodated by shiny aluminum heatsinks separated for each primary and secondary section, you have probably spotted a Seasonal platform.

Top Teardown (Image By Tech4Gamers)

In 2024 when there’s a massive change in PSU specs (in the form of ATX 3.X specs) and where every major brand is now trying to compete in this market with every possible minor innovation, especially for improved efficiency and superior performance gains, we have been seeing a few leading OEMs adopting to advanced topologies like Interleaved PFC and even Totem-Pole Bridgeless topology, Seasonic seems to lack in this innovation and still relying on quite an older design, not only for their Gold rated PSUs, but also for their Platinum ones.

I was disappointed with this, especially considering the high price tag of Seasonic GX-1200, but I still have decent enough hopes for its actual performance.

Traditional design/topology aside (APFC, Full-Bridge, LLC & DC-DC), Seasonic uses top-tier components throughout this platform, justifying its 10 years of warranty claim (but still not justifying its high price tag). From the APFC’s MOSFETs & Boost Diode to the main transformer switching MOSFETs and the secondary side’s 12V MOSFETs, all are from reputable and industry-leading manufacturers.

Internals

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The platform utilizes separate and more than adequate aluminum heatsinks for the Primary and Secondary side components, making the use of Hybrid Fan Mode much easier to achieve. 12V rail MOSFETs are all mounted on the top layer of the PCB, and a small but well-spread aluminum heatsink soaks up their heat.

Internals

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Using top of the line Japanese Electrolytic as well as Polymer capacitors from brands like Nippon-Chemicon, Nichicon & Rubycon make Vertex GX-1200 a “buy once and forget the rest” kind of investment for the PC enthusiasts.

Internals

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Just like its superior performance, Seasonic is also known for its silent operation, hence why Vertex GX-1200 comes with a Hybrid Fan Mode which in our testing, made the fan spin when the load exceeded 400W.

Thanks to a 135 mm Fluid Dynamic Bearing fan from Hong Hua, this PSU will run absolutely silent even when running a decent load.

PSU Load Testing

Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 Gold Testing (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Voltage Regulation

Percentage Difference In 12V Rail Regulation (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	12V	5V	3.3V
20%	12.16V	5.07V	3.34V
50%	12.11V	5.07V	3.33V
70%	12.09V	5.07V	3.33V
90%	12.10V	5.07V	3.33V
100%	12.07V	5.06V	3.33V

Voltage regulation is superb even when the load is dialed all the way to the max 1200W! If we hadn’t seen test results of the current offerings from other PSU brands or OEMs then we would have certainly been amazed seeing these numbers.

PSU Efficiency

Average Efficiency

Load in %	Efficiency	Power Factor
20%	91.67%	0.927
50%	93.53%	0.961
70%	93.33%	0.97
90%	92.07%	0.975
100%	91.53%	0.977

Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 is a very efficient PSU that even slightly exceeds Gold efficiency numbers.

Voltage Ripple Performance

Maximum Ripple (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	12V Max Ripple
20%	17.6mV
50%	10.4mV
70%	12.8mV
90%	13mV
100%	15.2mV

Voltage ripple performance has been really good throughout our tests. Because of the in-house engineering, Seasonic has had a stronghold in this test for years, but now many OEMs have caught up and improved their design so well that it has become hard for us to get impressed with even 17.6mV of voltage ripple.

Now these numbers are still pretty impressive and can easily handle OCing of the highest-end CPU & GPU combos, but with such a high price tag, competitors seem to be getting a better advantage.

Temperatures

Our Thermal Test Results

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Thanks to Seasonic’s unique and wider fan grill design, which not only allows unhindered airflow when the fan is spinning but also helps keep the PSU cool when the PSU is in Hybrid Fan Mode. We still saw a massive temperature rise on the back of the PSU (where the 12V rail MOSFETs are present), reaching 66.4C! Though it does come under a concerning level considering the fact that Seasonic has a thermal pad layer underneath, which helps in soaking up the heat of all those 12V rail MOSFETs to the PSU chassis, it doesn’t sound that bad then.

Should You Buy it?

Buy It If

✅You believe in the name Seasonic. Seasonic is considered the most prestigious PSU brand, and you can always count on it when it comes to reliability.

✅Better Future-Proofing: Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 will be suitable for the most high-end Gaming PCs of the current and future generations, even when you dial the OC to the max.

✅10 Years of Warranty: When a brand that has existed for several decades boasts such warranty numbers, trusting them blindly is pretty much a common drill at this point.

Don’t Buy It If

❌Expensive for Gold rating: Being only a Gold-rated PSU with its performance matching or even getting beaten by similar spec PSUs that cost less, we find Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 to be a rather expensive pick.

My Thoughts

Seasonic, which has been a dominant PSU brand in the PC industry for decades, now enters the latest ATX 3.0/3.1 spec PSU market with its improved Vertex GX series and with the tough competition from other competing brands/OEMs, surprisingly found themselves in a very tough and not that impressive position.

Seasonic must consider the fact that other competing brands have all caught up with the advancement in PSU design and now are adapting to new technologies & topologies, Seasonic has got to do the same and make use of their super capable engineering resources.

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Skills:

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Majored in Software Engineering
Research paper publication in IEEE for Embedded Military Uniform & LoRa WAN wireless technology
Specialized in IoT Solutions
PC Enthusiast & PC Modder

Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 Gold ATX 3.0 Review: Built To Last is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

These Are The Best PSU For RTX 4080 [After Hands-On Testing]

Dr. Usman Saleem — Sat, 14 Sep 2024 10:11:53 +0000

There is no doubt that the RTX 4080 is a one-of-a-kind graphics card. It offers remarkable 4K RT gaming performance, especially thanks to DLSS, and the GPU nails rendering and other productivity tasks like no other. However, given its high power consumption, it is very important to get the right PSU that can comfortably power this beast. Well, to help you out, my team and I have spent the last several weeks testing a variety of power supplies, and we have finally outlined the best options for the RTX 4080.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Usman Saleem is our hardware tester who loves to put all the latest GPUs, CPUs, RAM, and PSUs for a spin.
20+ PSUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
180+ hours spent testing different power supplies for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test peripherals).

Here’s a quick look at our selections, alongside a brief comparison of their specs:

CPU

XPG CyberCore II 1000W

Corsair SF1000L SFX Gold

MSI MAG A1000GL

Looks

Award

Best Overall PSU For RTX 4080

Best Compact PSU For RTX 4080

Best ATX 3.1 PSU For RTX 4080

What We Liked

Super-efficient, ATX 3.0 support, Satisfactory ripple performance

Efficiency performance fits Platinum criteria, Superb voltage regulation, Reasonably priced

Great all-round performance, 10-year warranty

What We Disliked

Pricey, May get too noisy under heavy loads

Noise can be an issue

Cables can be hard to work with

Form Factor

ATX

SFX-L

ATX

Wattage

1000W

Efficiency Rating

80 PLUS Platinum

80 PLUS Gold

Modularity

Full Modular

ATX 3.0

Amazon

Newegg

CPU

XPG CyberCore II 1000W

Looks

Award

Best Overall PSU For RTX 4080

What We Liked

Super-efficient, ATX 3.0 support, Satisfactory ripple performance

What We Disliked

Pricey, May get too noisy under heavy loads

Form Factor

ATX

Wattage

1000W

Efficiency Rating

80 PLUS Platinum

Modularity

Full Modular

ATX 3.0

Amazon

Newegg

CPU

Corsair SF1000L SFX Gold

Looks

Award

Best Compact PSU For RTX 4080

What We Liked

Efficiency performance fits Platinum criteria, Superb voltage regulation, Reasonably priced

What We Disliked

Noise can be an issue

Form Factor

SFX-L

Wattage

1000W

Efficiency Rating

80 PLUS Gold

Modularity

Full Modular

ATX 3.0

Amazon

Newegg

CPU

MSI MAG A1000GL

Looks

Award

Best ATX 3.1 PSU For RTX 4080

What We Liked

Great all-round performance, 10-year warranty

What We Disliked

Cables can be hard to work with

Form Factor

ATX

Wattage

1000W

Efficiency Rating

80 PLUS Gold

Modularity

Full Modular

ATX 3.0

Amazon

Newegg

Last Updated:

September 14, 2024: We have tested and reviewed several more power supplies for the RTX 4080 and included some really good options in our recommendation.

I highly recommend checking out our PSU Watts Calculator, a tool to help you find the right PSU for your PC based on all of your components.

[toc]

Related: Best CPU For RTX 4080

Top 3 PSUs for RTX 4080

Here are my recommended PSUs for the RTX 4080:

Best Overall: XPG Cybercore II 1000W
Best ATX 3.1: MSI MAG A1000GL
Best Compact: CORSAIR SF1000L

XPG CyberCore II 1000W

Best Overall PSU For RTX 4080

XPG CyberCore II 1000 Pictures From Our Review

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Pros

Super-efficient
ATX 3.0 support
8-industrial protections
10-year warranty
Satisfactory ripple performance

Cons

Pricey
May get too noisy under heavy loads
Stiff, hard-sleeved cables

Check Price

At 1000 watts, the CyberCore II has more than enough juice to power your RTX 4080 system. Its semi-digital design meant it showed top-notch voltage regulation numbers in our testing. Not only that, the ripple performance was more than satisfactory owing to the all-Japanese capacitor design. The interleaved PFC ensures minimum power loss during AC to DC conversion, and so the PSU does its best to ensure power savings.

The PSU showed amazing efficiency as we tested it under different loads, and has earned the Cybenetics and 80+ Platinum ratings. Talking noise, it has a NIDEC 120mm fan and does well under low and moderate loads but tends to get a bit noisy under heavy loads; it has earned the Cybenetics A- rating. Lastly, protection from over-current, over-voltage, and other mechanisms, and a 10-year warranty, make this powerhouse (pun intended!) a complete package!

After putting the PSU to the test, here’s what reviewer Abdul Hannan said:

XPG CyberCore II 1000W is a reliable choice for modern PC builders and gamers like myself. Its efficiency and adherence to Intel’s ATX 3.0 design guide ensure compatibility with the latest hardware while delivering stable power output, which is crucial for smooth performance during intense gaming sessions or demanding workloads.

Buy It If

✅You want the best safety: The CyberCore II has built-in protections against 8 different electrical phenomena, including overcurrent and overvoltage.

✅You’re seeking excellent efficiency: Its high-quality capacitors help it to one of the top positions on our power efficiency charts across different loads.

✅ATX 3.1 support is important: The PSU comes with an ATX 3.0 connector, but support for the latest ATX 3.1 design is available.

Don't Buy It If

❌Budget is an issue: The PSU ticks all the boxes efficiently; the only problem is, of course, its $230 price tag.

What Makes It The Best Overall Power Supply For RTX 4080?

There is almost no department where the XPG CyberCore II let me down (the only let-down being slightly high noise output under heavy load). It has a full 1000 watts available for the 12V rail, is backed by excellent efficiency ratings, and stood its ground under our intensive testing. We also get plenty of safety features and a 10-year warranty for complete peace of mind. If you have $230 to spare for your PSU, this is the unit to get.

WARNING: Be sure you’re ready for the challenge of working with the PSU’s hard-sleeved cables, as cable routing and management could be a hassle.

Read Our XPG CyberCore II 1000W Review

Performance: 9.6/10	Build Quality: 9/10
Efficiency: 9.6/10	Value: 9/10

Corsair SF1000L SFX Gold

Best Compact PSU For RTX 4080

Corsair SF1000L

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Pros

Efficiency performance fits Platinum criteria
Superb voltage regulation
Reasonably priced
ATX 3.1 design

Cons

Noise can be an issue

Check Price

The SFX-L form factor-based SF1000L SFX Gold is small but left behind many ATX units in our tests. Designed by Great Wall, it showed us very impressive efficiency, and the DC supply was extremely smooth. The voltage regulation is also solid. For example, the 12V rail supplied 12.05V under 20% load and 12.03V under 50% load in our tests!

While this unit is rated at 80+ Gold, it qualifies for both the 80+ and Cybenetics Platinum ratings according to our tests, so you’re technically getting more than what you’re paying for. Things did get a bit noisy under full load, understandable given its form factor. Like the above unit, we have Japanese capacitors capable of lasting very long, while the warranty being offered by Corsair is 7 years.

The Corsair SF1000L SFX performed beyond our PSU expert Arsalan Shakil‘s expectations:

The Corsair SF1000L PSU is an SFL power supply that exceeds expectations with its performance and efficiency. Slightly larger than SFX PSUs, it offers better results under max load due to improved heat dissipation. It is designed for high-end, power-hungry builds, with impressive cable management and high quality internals.

Buy It If

✅You need ATX performance in SFX-L form factor: The SF1000L SFX beat many ATX units in our list and even exceeds its Gold efficiency ratings.

Don't Buy It If

❌Noise is a problem: Due to its low-profile design, the PSU tends to become noisy under high loads.

What Makes It The Best Compact Power Supply For The RTX 4080?

Don’t be deceived by its compact design. The SF1000L is one of our favourite PSUs thus far and is a top performer. The unit is beautifully engineered, and its performance was more than satisfactory in all our tests, ranging from efficiency to voltage regulation and temperatures. It’s also priced fairly, at $179. Just be aware that the fan noise may become noticeable under heavy loads.

PRO TIP: Want a compact PSU in an ATX case? Use the SFX-to-ATX bracket.

Read Our Corsair SF1000L SFX Gold Review

Performance: 9.5/10	Build Quality: 9/10
Efficiency: 9.5/10	Value: 9.5/10

MSI MAG A1000GL

Best ATX 3.1 PSU For RTX 4080

MSI MAG A1000GL

Pros

Great all-round performance
10-year warranty
Adequate price
Runs quiet

Cons

Cables can be hard to work with

Check Price

MSI’s recently launched A1000GL can provide nearly the entire 1000 watts for your power-hungry components. It also offers smooth and reliable performance, outputting a clean and stable power supply. The PSU passed our tests efficiently, showing excellent regulation at different load levels and performing at its rated efficiency, too. We also tested its vampire power and were impressed with the low consumption.

Of course, you also get ATX 3.1 support and the new PCIe 5.1 connector to support GPUs like the RTX 4080, with 3x power excursion support. The 80+ Gold efficiency is good enough, and the PSU comes with various protection mechanisms, a 10-year limited warranty, and a design based on Japanese capacitors. Its noise efficiency is also top-notch.

Buy It If

✅You’re looking for a fairly-priced ATX 3.1 PSU: The MSI MAG A1000GL offers plenty of power for a powerful RTX 4080 build, with ATX 3.1 support, all at a fair $169 price tag.

Don't Buy It If

❌You’re looking for easier cable management: Its full modularity helps, but the thick and stiff cables can be troublesome to set up in a PC build that’s not an open-air one like ours.

Editor`s Note

For those looking for the ATX 3.1 design, the MAG A1000GL is one of the best PSUs out there. The performance is excellent in all departments and I was thoroughly impressed by it, particularly with its load regulation and ripple performance.

– Dr. Usman Saleem

What Makes It The Best ATX 3.1 PSU For The RTX 4080?

Other than the hard-to-work-with cables, I had absolutely no issues with the power supply. Among the ATX 3.1 PSUs in our list, the MAG A1000GL stood tall in nearly every test. Moreover, you can’t go wrong with its 80+ efficiency and impressive noise performance. The protection mechanisms and the 10-year limited warranty should, for sure, should instil your confidence in this solidly built unit.

Performance: 9.5/10	Build Quality: 8.5/10
Efficiency: 9.4/10	Value: 9.5/10

Our Test Results

Take a look at how these power supplies performed in our dedicated tests to judge their reliability, efficiency, and stability:

Benchmarks Of Our Recommendation

1 of 3

Our Strategy For Selecting The Top PSUs

To round up our top three options, we were really hard at work to thoroughly test and compare different power supplies. Throughout our testing and reviews, we evaluated every PSU over four factors:

Performance: Our main focus for these power supplies was on performance. We wanted to recommend only those options that offer the most stable and reliable performance for any RTX 4080 build. As such, we ran several tests to judge the maximum ripple and difference regulation to get an idea of performance.
Efficiency: We also tested the average efficiency of these power supplies to check if the match the manufacturer’s claim or not. That’s why all of the PSUs we have recommended offer top notch efficiency.
Safety & Reliability: We also compared different power supplies on the basis of the safety features they offer and how reliable are their internal components. To do so, we spent hours tearing down these PSUs and having our team of experts take a look.
ATX 3.0 Compatibility: Of course, this goes without saying that ATX 3.0 (and 3.1) compatibility was a huge deciding factor for us. The last thing you would want is to get a high-end power supply and still use an adapter for your RTX 4080.

FAQs

What PSU does an RTX 4080 need?

NVIDIA recommends a 750W PSU as the minimum for the RTX 4080. It is recommended that the PSU be compatible with the ATX 3.0 standard, but you can use older PSUs with adapters as well.

Is a 750W PSU enough for an RTX 4080?

A 750W PSU is the minimum that is recommended by NVIDIA for the RTX 4080. Depending on your PC’s configuration, you may need to get a higher-capacity PSU.

What size PSU for RTX 4080?

The ideal range of PSU for the RTX 4080 is between 850W and 1000W. You can get away with a 750W PSU as well, but that does not leave a lot of headroom for expansion.

Do I need a new PSU for RTX 4080?

You do not necessarily need a new PSU for the RTX 4080 if you already have a PSU of 750W or higher. However, you will need to use adapters for the PCIe cable. An ATX 3.0 PSU is recommended for RTX 40-series GPUs.

Dr. Usman Saleem

[Reviews Specialist]

Usman Saleem brings 8+ years of comprehensive PC hardware expertise to the table. His journey in the tech world has involved in-depth tech analysis and insightful PC hardware reviews, perfecting over 6+ years of dedicated work. Usman’s commitment to staying authentic and relevant in the field is underscored by many professional certifications, including a recent one in Google IT Support Specialization.

8+ years of specialized PC hardware coverage
6+ years of in-depth PC hardware analysis and reviews
Lead PC hardware expert across multiple tech journalism platforms
Certified in Google IT Support Specialization

Get In Touch: usman@tech4gamers.com

These Are The Best PSU For RTX 4080 [After Hands-On Testing] is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

Our Tried & Tested Best PSU For RTX 4090 [Expert Picks]

Sameed Hussain — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 18:12:58 +0000

Power supplies are one of the most essential pieces of hardware in a PC. Although most power supplies are hidden in the chassis, your PC wouldn’t work without proper wattage being supplied to it. Graphics cards, out of every component, require the most wattage. When we tested the RTX 4090, we were very surprised by its high power requirements. As such, if you’re planning to get yourself this flagship beast, you need to make sure you have the right PSU for the job. To help you out, my team and I have put to test over a dozen power supplies to round up the best options for 4090.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Sameed Hussain has a great experience of not just testing core components like CPUs and graphics cards, but he also has plenty of knowledge about testing different power supples.
20+ PSUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
180+ hours spent testing different power supplies for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test peripherals).

Take a look at my selection below, all compared with each other:

CPU

Seasonic VERTEX GX-1200

ENERMAX PlatiGemini 1200W

XPG CyberCore II 1000W

Looks

Award

Best Overall PSU For RTX 4090

Best ATX 3.1 PSU For RTX 4090

Best Budget PSU For RTX 4090

What We Liked

Soft sleeved cables, Tight load regulation, Quiet operation

High power density in a compact design, Suited for extreme overclocking, Semi-silent fan

Extremely efficient, Decent pricing, Silent operation

What We Disliked

High OCP on minor rails

Slightly expensive

No Hybrid Fan mode, Hard sleeved cables

Form Factor

ATX 3.0

ATX 3.1

ATX 3.0

Wattage

1200W

1000W

Efficiency Rating

80+ Gold

80+ Platinum

Modularity

Full Modular

Amazon

Newegg

Review

CPU

Seasonic VERTEX GX-1200

Looks

Award

Best Overall PSU For RTX 4090

What We Liked

Soft sleeved cables, Tight load regulation, Quiet operation

What We Disliked

High OCP on minor rails

Form Factor

ATX 3.0

Wattage

1200W

Efficiency Rating

80+ Gold

Modularity

Full Modular

Amazon

Newegg

Review

CPU

ENERMAX PlatiGemini 1200W

Looks

Award

Best ATX 3.1 PSU For RTX 4090

What We Liked

High power density in a compact design, Suited for extreme overclocking, Semi-silent fan

What We Disliked

Slightly expensive

Form Factor

ATX 3.1

Wattage

1200W

Efficiency Rating

80+ Platinum

Modularity

Full Modular

Amazon

Newegg

Review

CPU

XPG CyberCore II 1000W

Looks

Award

Best Budget PSU For RTX 4090

What We Liked

Extremely efficient, Decent pricing, Silent operation

What We Disliked

No Hybrid Fan mode, Hard sleeved cables

Form Factor

ATX 3.0

Wattage

1000W

Efficiency Rating

80+ Platinum

Modularity

Full Modular

Amazon

Newegg

Review

Last Updated:

September 11, 2024: With the release of ATX 3.1, we tested more power supplies, and a couple of them performed exceptionally well for the RTX 4090. Therefore, we have included them.

You can also use our PSU Watts Calculator to get a list of power supplies that fit your PC build based on wattage.

Related: Best CPU For RTX 4090

Best PSU For RTX 4090

Here’s a list of the best power supplies for RTX 4090 that I will be covering today:

Best Overall: Seasonic VERTEX GX-1200
Best ATX 3.1: ENERMAX PlatiGemini 1200W
Best Budget: XPG CyberCore II 1000W

Seasonic VERTEX GX-1200

Best Overall PSU For RTX 4090

Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 Pictures From Our Review

1 of 4

Pros

Soft sleeved cables
Tight load regulation
Quiet operation
High build quality
12-year warranty period
Plenty SATA connectors

Cons

High OCP on minor rails
Lower efficiency

Check Price

If you want an RTX 4090 GPU, your most comfortable and future-proof wattage requirements should be around 1,200W. In that sense, the Seasonic VERTEX GX-1200 PSU is a great option. The PSU offers an incredibly sleek design, 100% cable modularity, and comes with soft-sleeved cables for easy installation and routing. Moreover, its 80+ Gold certification is efficient enough to allow decent overclocking possibilities without any hiccups.

Regarding its performance, the load regulation of the PSU stayed consistent and tight because the temperatures didn’t rise. Unlike most PSUs that may croak during transient spikes, the GX-1200 handled them well during my testing, especially when the RTX 4090’s spikes require up to 1.3x more power. The only thing I disliked about the PSU was the higher OCP on the minor 5V and 3.3V rails, which went at 140.4% and 138.8%, respectively.

After testing the Vertex GX-1200, Arsalan Shakil, our PSU expert, praised the power supply for its consistent and reliable performance. Here’s what he said:

The Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 is a high-quality, reliable PSU that handles demanding systems with ease. It’s fully modular, efficient, and operates quietly with a hybrid fan mode, making it a great choice for anyone looking to power a modern setup. The PSU is well-built with top-tier Japanese components, and the 10-year warranty adds peace of mind. It’s a solid performer, though its price might be a bit steep compared to some newer options on the market.

Buy It If

✅ You don’t want transient spikes to hinder your gaming sessions: If you’re worried that the RTX 4090’s transient spikes with an overclock will frequently restart your PC, then I recommend buying the Seasonic VERTEX GX-1200 because of its tight load regulation and ability to easily handle spikes.

Don't Buy It If

❌ You prefer a higher efficiency power supply: I don’t recommend the Seasonic VERTEX GX-1200 PSU if you’d rather have a higher efficiency one. For its price, you may find an 80+ Platinum PSU without losing too many features, such as the higher SATA connectivity.

What Makes It The Best Overall PSU For RTX 4090?

The Seasonic VERTEX GX-1200 easily handles frequent power spikes, comes with soft-sleeved cables, has tight load regulation, features 16 SATA connectors, and offers a 12-year warranty period without asking you to break your piggy bank, making it the best overall PSU for the RTX 4090.

Read Our Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 Gold Review

Editor`s Note

I believe the Seasonic VERTEX GX-1200 is an amazing fit with the RTX 4090 GPU. The power supply is extremely efficient, easy to build with, and has a greater warranty period because of its high build quality. If you want a PSU that has all the good tidbits of the best high-end power supplies without requiring nearly as much money, this one hits the mark.

– Sameed Hussain

Performance: 10/10	Value: 9/10
Features: 9/10	Future-Proofing: 9/10

ENERMAX PlatiGemini 1200W

Best ATX 3.1 PSU For RTX 4090

ENERMAX PlatiGemini 1200W Pictures From Our Review

1 of 4

Pros

High power density in a compact design
Suited for extreme overclocking
Semi-silent fan
Dust Free rotation feature
Extremely efficient
Features ATX12VO standards

Cons

Slightly expensive

Check Price

Power supplies are prone to receiving the fewest innovations out of all PC components. However, the ENERMAX PlatiGemini 1,200W PSU has changed the dynamic by featuring ATX12VO, something Intel has been trying to turn mainstream for some time. The smaller package yet a higher 80+ Platinum efficiency make it a feast for the eyes.

Although it’s a bit expensive, the power supply is suited for extreme overclocking, making it a perfect addition to the RTX 4090. Moreover, because it’s a modular PSU, you won’t face any cable management issues, and the sleeved cables will last a long time. I also loved the semi-silent fan with a dust-free rotation feature, ensuring that the PSU lasts much longer than its 10-year warranty period. Additionally, because it’s an ATX 3.1 PSU, you won’t have to worry about the 12VHPWR cables melting.

PRO TIP: Using cable combs will help take your cable management game to the next level.

Our hardware reviewer, Arsalan Shakil, was blown out of his mind by the efficiency and performance of the power supply. Here’s what he wrote in his review:

The Enermax PlatiGemin 1200W Platinum takes the crown with its robust build, top-tier efficiency, and exceptional performance. It has a fully modular design, premium mesh-sleeved cables, superior voltage regulation, and excellent thermal management.

Buy It If

✅ You plan on overclocking to the max: The ENERMAX PlatiGemini 1,200W PSU has an astounding power excursion of up to 235%, making it perfect for extreme overclocking. The PSU also has superb voltage regulation and ripple performance, making it more efficient than others.

✅ ATX12VO excites you: Although it’s nowhere close to becoming mainstream and has many compatibility issues if you don’t want to upgrade your PSU for a very long time, and the ATX12VO feature seems exciting, then this PSU provides everything you’ll need for at least the next 10 years.

Don't Buy It If

❌ The high price bothers you: Even though it’s a perfect power supply with not much to complain about, its slightly higher price may not warrant its purchase for consumers who don’t want to dive into extreme overclocking or don’t want to pay more for the ATX12VO feature.

What Makes It The Best ATX 3.1 PSU For RTX 4090?

The ENERMAX PlatiGemini 1,200W PSU is a breath of innovation for a PC component that doesn’t get many improvements. By featuring ATX12VO, outstanding efficiency, voltage regulation, and ripple performance, it’s certainly the best ATX 3.1 PSU for the RTX 4090 currently.

Read Our ENERMAX PlatiGemini 1,200W PSU Review

Performance: 10/10	Value: 8/10
Features: 9/10	Future-Proofing: 10/10

XPG CyberCore II 1000W

Best Budget PSU For RTX 4090

XPG CyberCore II 1,000W Pictures From Our Review

1 of 4

Pros

Extremely efficient
Decent pricing
Silent operation
Long cables
Loads of connectors

Cons

No Hybrid Fan mode
Hard sleeved cables

Check Price

Don’t want to spend much on a higher wattage PSU without losing any features? Well, the XPG CyberCore II 1,000W PSU offers just that and much more while sparing the price tag. For example, you get an 80+ Platinum rating from an ATX 3.0 PSU, silent fans, and efficient load regulation. I also loved the PSU’s overall sleek design and fully modular cables. While the cables are exceptionally long because they’re hard-sleeved, routing them can be challenging in certain PC cases.

Besides that, the XPG CyberCore II has loads of connectors, featuring 8 SATA, 6 PCI-E 6+2, and 4 MOLEX 4-pin connectors. You’ll face no shortage of connectors for all your storage devices, so don’t shy away from getting as many drives as you wish. Moving to its performance, although it’s not as efficient, the PSU provides decent overclocking potential, even for high-end GPUs. It’s an essential powerhouse for a demanding gaming PC.

WARNING: The PSU’s hard-sleeved cables may pose a challenge while cable routing and management, especially in smaller PC cases, so ensure you’re using an E-ATX chassis if you want to buy this PSU.

Of course, Abdul Hannan, one of our hardware reviewers, felt similarly while testing the PSU on his test bench and stated the following:

XPG CyberCore II 1000W is a reliable choice for modern PC builders and gamers like myself. Its efficiency and adherence to Intel’s ATX 3.0 design guide ensure compatibility with the latest hardware while delivering stable power output, which is crucial for smooth performance during intense gaming sessions or demanding workloads.

Buy It If

✅ You don’t want to overspend on an ATX 3.1 PSU: If you don’t want to overspend on an ATX 3.1 power supply but want stable performance and efficiency for the RTX 4090, the XPG CyberCore II PSU will fit your bill perfectly. During our testing, the 12VHPWR cable easily sustained 600W of load at a voltage level of 11.88V.

Don't Buy It If

❌ Hard-sleeved cables will give you a difficult time with cable routing: I don’t recommend purchasing this power supply if you’re fairly new to cable management and cable routing, as the hard-sleeved cables can be difficult to move around, especially because they’re longer than usual.

What Makes It The Best Budget PSU For RTX 4090?

The XPG CyberCore II 1,000W PSU has a Platinum A- Cybenetics rating, has compatibility for loads of connectors, provides outstanding load efficiency, and doesn’t cost as much as many of its competition, providing similar features. All of these points make it the best budget PSU for the RTX 4090 GPU.

Read Our XPG CyberCore II 1000W PSU Review

Performance: 9/10	Value: 10/10
Features: 8/10	Future-Proofing: 8/10

Our Test Results Of These PSUs

To back our recommendations, we have tested more than a dozen power supplies. You can check the test results of some of them:

Our Test Results

1 of 3

Important PSU Terms

Efficiency Rating: These ratings showcase the output percentage guaranteed for your PSU. Ratings go from Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium.
12VHPWR Cable: Abbreviated as 12-Volt High Power Cable, this is the latest cable with ATX 3.0 power supplies.
Voltage Ripple: Voltage ripple refers to the small fluctuations or variations in the output voltage of a power supply, usually caused by the AC-to-DC conversion process
Voltage Regulation: Voltage regulation is about how well a power supply maintains a constant output voltage, even when the load changes (like when you plug in more devices) or when the input voltage varies.
ATX 3.0: It is the latest power supply standard that handles the high power needs of modern PCs, especially for top-tier graphics cards, offering better efficiency and safety features.

How We Selected These PSUs For RTX 4090

Testing Our PSUs

1 of 3

The RTX 4090 is no doubt a beast, and to make sure my recommended PSUs for it are up to mark, my team and I tested a bunch of different power supplies. We paid extra attention to their performance (max ripple, regulation, efficiency), as well as stability under stress tests. These are the key factors we focused the most on during our testing:

Performance: The initial step in our testing process for power supplies focuses on their performance. We use specialized equipment to checkk the max voltage ripple, difference in regulation, and average efficiency across all rails for each PSU. This approach helps us determine which power supply is the most stable and suitable.
Modularity: While choosing the power supplies, I made sure all of the power supplies were 100% modular. Unlike non-modular PSUs with pre-attached cables, modular power supplies allow you to plug in cables as per your needs.
ATX 3.0 Compatibility: Because we were recommending power supplies for the RTX 4090, our power supplies should be ATX 3.0 compatible. Otherwise, connecting the GPU with the cables would be another hassle.
Internals: We disassembled each power supply to inspect the internal components closely. The quality of a PSU heavily relies on its capacitors and other internal parts, which are crucial for its overall performance

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a new PSU for the RTX 4090?

It depends. There’s almost no need to upgrade if you have a high-wattage ATX 2.0 PSU, presumably over 1,000W. However, if you’re using a lower-wattage PSU, upgrading for better performance and future-proofing is better.

How much power does a 4090 use?

If we include the transient spikes, an RTX 4090 can reach up to 630 watts. It should be noted that this will only happen for a few miliseconds, and the GPU actually consumes around 400W during high-performance gaming and productivity tasks.

Is 850W PSU enough for 4090?

You can go ahead with an 850W PSU for a 4090, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The primary reason is that you’ll probably be using a flagship CPU with the mighty 4090, and that’s where an 850W PSU may fall short. Plus, people don’t really change PSUs every few years, so it is best to future proof as well.

Sameed Hussain

[Hardware Expert]

With a major in Computer Science, Sameed is a tech enthusiast who puts his passion for gadgets into words and creates informative blogs. From comparing different hardware to reviewing the best RAMs, motherboards, and graphics cards for your next build, Sameed has covered a wide spectrum of topics that have given him a special insight into every nook and cranny of the tech world. Sameed is also a certified expert at Computer Hardware & Networking.

Get In Touch: sameed@tech4gamers.com

Our Tried & Tested Best PSU For RTX 4090 [Expert Picks] is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

The 5 BEST PSU For RX 7900 XTX In 2024 [Tested & Compared]

Nauman Siddique — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 16:40:12 +0000

Coming with 6144 streaming processors and 2499 MHz of boost clock speed, the RX 7900 XTX is one of the best gaming graphics card from AMD. It packs exceptional performance and offers great value for money, making it the perfect choice for gamers. With a TDP of 355W, AMD recommends at least an 800W PSU to go along with the RX 7900 XTX. Therefore, if your old PSU is below said wattage, then you should definitely consider upgrading just to be on the safe side. In this guide, I will walk you through several best power supplies for the RX 7900 XTX.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Nauman Siddique is our hardware expert who has been testing graphics cards, motherboards, CPUs, and PSUs for more than a decade.
20+ PSUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
180+ hours spent testing different power supplies for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test peripherals).

Well, take a look at my recommendations for the best PSU for RX 7900 XTX compared with each other:

CPU

XPG CyberCore II 1000

Seasonic Vertex GX-1000

Corsair RM850e

Corsair SF1000L

MSI A1000G

Looks

Award

Best Overall PSU For RX 7900 XTX

Best ATX 3.0 PSU For RX 7900 XTX

Best Budget PSU For RX 7900 XTX

Best Compact PSU For RX 7900 XTX

Best Value PSU for RX 7900 XTX

What We Liked

Very efficient, Silent fans, Plenty of SATA connectors

Future-proof, Japanese Capacitors, High Capacity

Very Affordable, Great Performance, ATX 3.0

Great efficiency, Solid performance, Good pricing

Bang for the buck, 1000W capacity, ATX 3.0

What We Disliked

Hard sleeved cables, No Hybrid Fan mode

Expensive

No Japanese Capacitors

Noisy at 50% load

Not Platinum Efficiency

Form Factor

ATX

SFX

ATX

Wattage

1000W

850W

1000W

Efficiency Rating

80 PLUS Platinum

80 PLUS Gold

Modularity

Full Modular

ATX 3.0

Amazon

Newegg

CPU

XPG CyberCore II 1000

Looks

Award

Best Overall PSU For RX 7900 XTX

What We Liked

Very efficient, Silent fans, Plenty of SATA connectors

What We Disliked

Hard sleeved cables, No Hybrid Fan mode

Form Factor

ATX

Wattage

1000W

Efficiency Rating

80 PLUS Platinum

Modularity

Full Modular

ATX 3.0

Amazon

Newegg

CPU

Seasonic Vertex GX-1000

Looks

Award

Best ATX 3.0 PSU For RX 7900 XTX

What We Liked

Future-proof, Japanese Capacitors, High Capacity

What We Disliked

Expensive

Form Factor

ATX

Wattage

1000W

Efficiency Rating

80 PLUS Gold

Modularity

Full Modular

ATX 3.0

Amazon

Newegg

CPU

Corsair RM850e

Looks

Award

Best Budget PSU For RX 7900 XTX

What We Liked

Very Affordable, Great Performance, ATX 3.0

What We Disliked

No Japanese Capacitors

Form Factor

ATX

Wattage

850W

Efficiency Rating

80 PLUS Gold

Modularity

Full Modular

ATX 3.0

Amazon

Newegg

CPU

Corsair SF1000L

Looks

Award

Best Compact PSU For RX 7900 XTX

What We Liked

Great efficiency, Solid performance, Good pricing

What We Disliked

Noisy at 50% load

Form Factor

SFX

Wattage

1000W

Efficiency Rating

80 PLUS Gold

Modularity

Full Modular

ATX 3.0

Amazon

Newegg

CPU

MSI A1000G

Looks

Award

Best Value PSU for RX 7900 XTX

What We Liked

Bang for the buck, 1000W capacity, ATX 3.0

What We Disliked

Not Platinum Efficiency

Form Factor

ATX

Wattage

1000W

Efficiency Rating

80 PLUS Gold

Modularity

Full Modular

ATX 3.0

Amazon

Newegg

Last Updated:

September 9, 2024: After testing several more PSUs, we have picked the XPG CyberCore II 1000 and the Corsair SF1000L as some of the top choices for RX 7900 XTX.

Make sure to check our PSU Watts Calculator – a dedicated tool to help you find the right power supply for your build.

[toc]

Best PSU for RX 7900 XTX

Following are the best PSU for RX 7900 XTX:

Best Overall: XPG CyberCore II 1000
Best ATX 3.0: Seasonic Vertex GX-1000
Best Budget: Corsair RM850e
Best Compact: Corsair SF1000L
Best Value: MSI A1000G PCIE5

XPG CyberCore II 1000

Best Overall PSU For RX 7900 XTX

XPG CyberCore II 1000 Pictures From Our Review

1 of 4

Pros

Very efficient
Silent fans
Plenty of SATA connectors
Long cables
Impressive pricing

Cons

Hard sleeved cables
No Hybrid Fan mode

Check Price

When looking to purchase a power supply for the RX 7900 XTX, the sweet spot is around 1,000W. Seeing that, the XPG CyberCore II 1,000W PSU is a perfect mixture of features and pricing. It features an 80+ Platinum rating, plenty of connectors, and is fully modular. I also love the power supply’s low pricing, making it even more attractive for the RX 7900 XTX GPU. Although ATX 3.0 isn’t a requirement for the graphics card, it’ll ensure future-proofing for your next GPU upgrade.

As I mentioned earlier, one of the XPG CyberCore II PSU’s most attractive features is its numerous connectors. For example, you get 8 SATA, 6 PCI-E 6+2, and 4 MOLEX 4-pin connectors to power everything your PC needs. The PSU is also extremely efficient. At 100% load, it had a 16mV voltage ripple during our testing, allowing outstanding overclocking opportunities with the RX 7900 XTX. Implementing digital controllers also helps make it more efficient at higher loads.

Abdul Hannan, one of our hardware testers, was wowed by the power supply’s impressive load regulation and efficiency. This is what he commented while reviewing the product:

XPG CyberCore II 1000W is a reliable choice for modern PC builders and gamers like myself. Its efficiency and adherence to Intel’s ATX 3.0 design guide ensure compatibility with the latest hardware while delivering stable power output, which is crucial for smooth performance during intense gaming sessions or demanding workloads.

Buy It If

✅ You want to achieve stable overclocks: If you want to overclock your RX 7900 XTX GPU without facing any crashes due to power limits, I recommend buying the XPG CyberCore II 1,000W power supply because of its amazing reliability and efficiency, especially for overclocking scenarios.

Don't Buy It If

❌ You’re not used to hard-sleeved cables for routing and management: I don’t recommend buying the XPG CyberCore II power supply if you’re new to cable management and cable routing because the hard-sleeved cables on this PSU can be tricky to install, especially because they’re much longer than usual.

What Makes It The Best Overall PSU For RX 7900 XTX?

The XPG CyberCore II 1,000W power supply offers value and performance thanks to its high build quality, silent fans, loads of connectors, and impressive efficiency ratings. With a lower voltage ripple, it’s also ideal for greater overclocking possibilities, making it the best overall PSU for the RTX 7900 XTX GPU.

Editor`s Note

The XPG CyberCore II 1000 power supply is one of my favorites because there’s almost nothing to dislike about this PC component. It works well, is super efficient, allows extreme overclocking even with flagship CPUs and GPUs, has plenty of connectors, and comes with silent fans. You can’t go wrong with this power supply.

– Nauman Siddique

Read Our XPG CyberCore II 1000W Review

Performance: 8/10	Value: 9/10
Features: 8/10	Efficiency: 9/10

Seasonic Vertex GX-1000

Best ATX 3.0 PSU For RX 7900 XTX

Seasonic Vertex GX-1000 Pictures From Our Review

1 of 4

Form Factor: ATX | Wattage: 1000W | Efficiency Rating: 80 PLUS Gold | Modularity: Full Modular | ATX 3.0: Yes

Pros

Future-proof
Japanese Capacitors
High Capacity
Durable

Cons

Expensive

Check Price

First off, the power supply is ATX 3.0 compatible, meaning that it has an additional 12VHPWR cable that can provide up to 600W of power. One thing about the RX 7900 XTX and the rest of the Radeon 7000-series graphics cards is that they are not ATX 3.0 compatible, unlike NVIDIA’s RTX 4000-series. However, getting an ATX 3.0 compatible PSU is really good for future-proofing. Furthermore, the Seasonic Vertex GX-1000 has nailed the efficiency rating admirably with its 80 PLUS Gold certification.

Looking inside the PSU, the Seasonic Vertex GX-1000 uses the well-known Japanese 105°C Aluminum Capacitors. Japan knows how to make the most reliable and durable capacitors, and that’s why their capacitors are considered the benchmark for reliability. The Seasonic Vertex GX-1000 also relies on a 135mm Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) fan for cooling. An FDB fan generates less heat and noise when compared to a conventional ball-bearing fan. Furthermore, it also consumes less power while providing optimal cooling.

Buy It If

✅You want top-performance and future-proofing: The Seasonic Vertex GX-1000 can handle an extreme gaming PC with the RX 7900 XTX easily. Plus, its ATX 3.0 compatibility, massive 1000W capacity, durable build quality, and 10-year warranty make it very future-proof, and that’s what I liked the most about it.

Don't Buy It If

❌You are on a budget: The power supply comes with a heavy price tag. However, it is completely worth it because this investment will last you for years to come.

What Makes It The Best ATX 3.0 PSU For RX 7900 XTX?

You can get other ATX 3.0 power supplies in this budget as well. But none of them feature the reliability, durability, and support of Seasonic, and that’s what makes the Seasonic Vertex GX-1000 the Best ATX 3.0 PSU For RX 7900 XTX.

Read Our Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 Gold Review

Performance: 9/10	Value: 8/10
Features: 8/10	Efficiency: 8.5/10

Corsair RM850e

Best Budget PSU For RX 7900 XTX

Corsair RM850e Pictures From Our Review

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Form Factor: ATX | Wattage: 850W | Efficiency Rating: 80 PLUS Gold | Modularity: Full Modular | ATX 3.0: No

Pros

Very Affordable
ATX 3.0
Solid Performance

Cons

No 12VHPWR native connector
A Bit Noisy

Check Price

Since the RX 7900 XTX has a recommended wattage of 800W, the minimum best PSU for it should have a wattage capacity of 850W. Hence, with the Corsair RM850e, you won’t have any wattage issues at all. The PSU is also ATX 3.0 compliant, although it does not include a 12VHPWR connector. This should not be that big of a deal because the 7900 XTX does not require the connector to begin with. On the upside, our test results showed great efficiency at 92.11% and a max ripple of just 14.4mV, both very impressive figures.

Another way Corsair made the RM850e so affordable is by skipping the famous Japanese 105°C Capacitors. It can be offputting if you compare the RM850e with other (expensive) power supplies. But Corsair has not entirely cheaper out on the internals. The capacitors are still quite reliable and industrial-grade, ensuring that the PSU works at its best for a long time. After all, the PSU has an MTBF of 100,000 hours, which translates to around 11.4 years.

Arsalan Shakil, our expert in power supplies, tested the Corsair RM850e, and this is what he said in his review:

The Corsair RM850e is an affordable ATX 3.0 PSU perfect for budget-conscious gamers, delivering solid performance and reliability. While it uses non-Japanese capacitors and a rifle-bearing fan, it still offers impressive efficiency and acceptable voltage regulation. Its compact, fully modular design makes it versatile for ATX builds.

Buy It If

✅You don’t plan on spending too much: The best thing about the RM850e is its price. The PSU is very affordable when put next to some other 850W power supplies in the market. Yet, it offers decent power for the RX 7900 XTX with utmost reliability and durability.

Don't Buy It If

❌You are not a fan of PSU noise: Given that it’s an 850W PSU, you may hear it a bit more than other high-wattage power supplies, but it is not a deal breaker.

What Makes It The Best Budget PSU For RX 7900 XTX?

You can easily get other power supplies in the same price range as the Corsair RM850e. But none of them offers the same feature set as the RM850e without compromising on reliability, and that’s what makes the Corsair RM850e the Best Budget PSU For RX 7900 XTX.

Read Our Corsair RM850e Review

Performance: 8/10	Value: 9/10
Features: 8/10	Efficiency: 7.5/10

Corsair SF1000L

Best Compact PSU For RX 7900 XTX

Corsair SF1000L

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Pros

Exceeds 80+ Gold efficiency
Superior performance
Impressive overclocking performance
High build quality
Remarkable pricing

Cons

Noisy at 50% load

Check Price

If you’re looking for a compact power supply to match the RX 7900 XTX, the Corsair SF1000L might be your best bet due to its impeccable efficiency, decent 1,000W capacity, high build quality, low pricing, and impressive overclocking performance. I loved the PSU’s modularity and the fact that you can use an SFX-to-ATX bracket if you change your chassis in the future.

Honestly, there’s not much to dislike about this power supply except for its noise levels. Not only does it have a Standard+ Cybenetics rating, but even during our testing, the power supply had a noise level of 41.62dB(A) at 115V AC input. Besides that, the voltage regulation is very tight, and although it’s rated 80+ Gold, it reached Platinum-level efficiency on our test bench. However, its outrageous voltage ripple performance makes it truly stand out, going up to 12.0mV at 100% load, making it ideal for extreme overclocking.

Our PSU expert, Arsalan Shakil, was in absolute awe while testing the power supply. Here’s what he commented in his review:

The Corsair SF1000L PSU is an SFL power supply that exceeds expectations with its performance and efficiency. Slightly larger than SFX PSUs, it offers better results under max load due to improved heat dissipation. It is designed for high-end, power-hungry builds, with impressive cable management and high quality internals.

Buy It If

✅ You want an affordable SFF PSU that won’t croak: If you’re looking for a decently-priced SFF power supply that fits perfectly with the RX 7900 XTX, has a high build quality, and won’t cause problems even if you overclock a lot, then I recommend purchasing the Corsair SF1000L power supply.

Don't Buy It If

❌ You want silent operation: I don’t recommend purchasing the Corsair SF1000L if you want silent operation because this PSU makes a lot of noise even at 50% load. During our testing, it went up to 41.62dB(A) at 115V AC input, making it considerably louder than its competitors.

What Makes It The Best Compact PSU For RX 7900 XTX?

The Corsair SF1000L is one of the best SFF power supplies I have tested, providing outstanding efficiency well beyond its 80+ Gold rating. Moreover, it has a high build quality, impressive overclocking possibilities, and a low price. Also, the SFX-to-ATX bracket makes it a game changer, making it the best compact PSU for RX 7900 XTX.

PRO TIP: If you’re using an ATX chassis, don’t forget to install the SFX-to-ATX bracket so the cables don’t fall short.

Read Our Corsair SF1000L PSU Review

Performance: 9/10	Value: 8/10
Features: 7/10	Efficiency: 8.5/10

MSI A1000G PCIE5

Best Value PSU for RX 7900 XTX

MSI A1000G PCIE5 Pictures From Our Review

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Form Factor: ATX | Wattage: 1000W | Efficiency Rating: 80 PLUS Gold | Modularity: Full Modular | ATX 3.0: Yes

Pros

Bang for the buck
1000W capacity
ATX 3.0

Cons

Not Platinum Efficiency

Check Price

Coupled with the 1000W wattage, the MSI A1000G PCIE5 also boasts an efficiency rating of 80 PLUS Gold certification. Therefore, the MSI A1000G offers high capacity with great efficiency at the same time. Furthermore, it is also ATX 3.0 compatible, solidifying its position as a future-proof PSU. While these three features alone give the MSI A1000G a phenomenal value, this is not it. The power supply also uses the infamous Japanese 105°C Capacitors to offer unparalleled reliability and durability. Speaking of durability, the 10-year warranty also goes a long way because you are going to use a whopping 1000W PSU for many years.

To ensure optimal temperatures, the A1000G uses a 135mm Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) fan to keep the power supply from overheating. The fan also comes with a Zero RPM Mode, which means that the fan will only begin spinning when the TDP is above 40%. While the Zero RPM Mode is a good feature that offers low noise and energy saving, you can disable it by pressing the button on the back.

Buy It If

✅You want great value: The best thing about the MSI A1000G is how much value it offers for the price. The power supply is filled to the brim with extensive features and high wattage capacity.

Don't Buy It If

❌You want even more efficiency: While the 80 PLUS Gold efficiency is good, it would have been even better to see the Platinum rating.

What Makes It The Best Value PSU for RX 7900 XTX?

For the money, the MSI A1000G comes with a 1000W capacity, an 80+ GOLD certification, Japanese capacitors, ATX 3.0 compatibility, and a 10-year warranty. These features make the MSI A1000G the Best Value PSU for RX 7900 XTX.

We have also tested its 850W variant:

Read Our MSI MPG A850G Review

Performance: 9/10	Value: 8/10
Features: 8/10	Efficiency: 8/10

Our Test Results

To make sure our recommended products are truly the best, we tested their ripple performance, difference in regulation, and average efficiency. Check out our test results here:

Benchmarks Of Our Recommendation

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PSU Key Terms

Following are the key PSU terms that you should always keep in mind whenever you’re looking for a power supply:

Wattage: PSU wattage represents the maximum power output capacity, measured in watts (W). It determines the power delivery to your components, so it’s crucial to match it with your system’s requirements.
Efficiency: PSU efficiency measures how effectively it converts AC power to DC power. Opting for higher efficiency ratings like 80 Plus Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Titanium can reduce energy wastage and lower electricity bills.
Form Factor: PSU form factor refers to its physical size and mounting compatibility. It’s important to choose a PSU that matches the supported form factor of your computer case to ensure a proper fit.
Modularity: PSUs come in modular or non-modular variations. Modular PSUs feature detachable cables, offering flexibility and improved cable management. On the other hand, non-modular PSUs have fixed cables, which can be more cost-effective but may lead to cable clutter. There are also semi-modular PSUs; they have the important connectors fixed to the PSU, while the less important cables can be detached.
Protection Features: PSU protection features include safeguards against overloading, overvoltage, and short circuits to prevent potential damage to your components. It’s essential to select a PSU that comes with these protective measures for added safety.
Fan Type and Noise Level: PSU fan type refers to the cooling mechanism used, while noise level indicates the operating sound. Considering both factors ensures efficient cooling and a quieter system overall.

Do You Need A New PSU For RX 7900 XTX?

The answer to this question is fairly simple. The minimum recommended PSU for the RX 7900 XTX is 800W. Therefore, if your old PSU has a lower wattage, then you should consider upgrading your PSU to prevent potential damage to your RX 7900 XTX.

While you can get away with a 700W or 750W PSU for an RX 7900 XTX, I would not recommend going down this route as it possesses risks. When I tested the RX 7900 XTX, its maximum power draw during gaming was somewhere between 350W to 360W. But its 20ms power spikes were crossing 450W. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you go for at least an 850W PSU with plenty of protective features to comfortably run your RX 7900 XTX.

Related Read: How To Check Insufficient Power Supply

How We Picked The Best PSU For RX 7900 XTX

Our Testing

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To bring together the best PSU for RX 7900 XTX, I tested a bunch of top-tier power supplies and evaluated them over a series of factors. Whenever you’re in the market for power supplies, it is highly recommended that you always consider these factors as they will help you make the right choice.

Performance: Of course, the first thing we test in all our power supplies is their performance. As such, we used special tools to test the voltage ripple, regulation, and efficiency of every PSU across different rails. This gave us a clear picture of which PSU is more stable and good to go for the 7900 XTX
Reliability & Durability: We also took apart every PSU to get a look inside its components. A power supply is only as good as its capacitors and other internals, and that’s what matters the most. Furthermore, its fan’s quality and bearing should also be high-end because the fan can break down earlier than the actual PSU.
Modularity: If a PSU is fully modular, all of its cables can be detached. This way, you only need to use and plug in the cables, and the extra connectors can live in the box. A fully modular PSU not only eases up the cable management, which ultimately makes your build look cleaner, but it also improves the airflow because there aren’t a bunch of messy cables hanging out in your rig.
ATX 3.0 Compatibility: While the RX 7900 XTX is not ATX 3.0 compatible, it is always good to have an ATX 3.0 compatible PSU for future-proofing. The next generation of AMD graphics cards, just like the current gen NVIDIA GPUs, will likely use the PCIe 5 cable. Therefore, the next time you upgrade your GPU, there is a high chance you will need an ATX 3.0 compatible PSU. Therefore, I included a few ATX 3.0 power supplies in my list as well.

FAQs

What power supply do I need for RX 7900 XTX?

You need a well-built 850W power supply for the RX 7900 XTX, like the EVGA Supernova 850 P6, which also comes with 80 PLUS Platinum Certification for improved efficiency.

How much power does RX 7900 XTX use?

In my tests, the RX 7900 XTX drew around 350W during normal gaming and around 360W with Ray Tracing enabled.

Is 850W PSU enough for RX 7900 XTX?

Yes, AMD recommends an 800W PSU for the RX 7900 XTX. Therefore, an 850W PSU is enough for the RX 7900 XTX.

Do you need an ATX 3.0 PSU for RX 7900 XTX?

No, the RX 7900 XTX is not ATX 3.0 compatible. Hence, you don’t need an ATX 3.0 PSU for your RX 7900 XTX. However, it is good to go for an ATX 3.0 PSU for future-proofing.

Nauman Siddique

[Hardware Reviewer & Editor]

Meet Nauman Siddique, a highly experienced computer science graduate with more than 15 years of knowledge in technology. Nauman is an expert in the field known for his deep understanding of computer hardware.

As a tech tester, insightful reviewer, and skilled hardware editor, Nauman carefully breaks down important parts like motherboards, graphics cards, processors, PC cases, CPU coolers, and more.

15+ years of PC Building Experience
10+ years of first-hand knowledge of technology
7+ years of doing in-depth testing of PC Hardware
A motivated individual with a keen interest in tech testing from multiple angles.
I majored in Computer Science with a Masters in Marketing
Previously worked at eXputer, EnosTech, and Appuals.
Completed Course in Computer Systems Specialization From Illinois Tech

Get In Touch: nauman@tech4gamers.com

The 5 BEST PSU For RX 7900 XTX In 2024 [Tested & Compared] is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum: Quiet, Efficient, and ATX 3.1

Arsalan Shakil — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 05:34:48 +0000

I don’t expect our readers to be older than 30, but those who are and have been into building computers will surely remember Silverstone for their super weird & innovative product lineups ranging from excessively feature-packed PC Cases, Fan Speed Controller bays, PSU Acoustic Covers (for reducing PSU fan noise), External Cooling Fan brackets (for mounting fans outside of the case) and even a AA battery powered Emergency Power Bank, to name just a few!

So, for the company that has an “I got everything that you don’t even need” attitude, you really don’t expect them not to make the best PSUs. And that’s exactly what Silverstone has been doing lately for almost all of their PSU lineups, making them among very few top-rated brands who are targeting every PSU segment, ranging from 80 Plus White to 80 Plus Platinum along with full ATX & SFX PSUs.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Arsalan Shakil is our power supplies expert who loves to put the latest PSUs through their paces and even take them apart.
20+ PSUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
180+ hours spent testing different power supplies for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test peripherals).

Until now, we have tested Silverstone’s Hela 1200R Platinum and SFX Extreme 850R, and they both performed really well in our tests, especially their SFX Extreme for their tiny but efficient platform. We expect the same level of performance from Hela 850R.

Key Takeaways

The Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum is a top-tier, efficient power supply that runs quietly and is built to meet the latest ATX 3.1 standards, making it perfect for high-performance PC builds.
You should buy the SilverStone HELA 850R Platinum if you plan to build a mid-range PC and want to squeeze every bit of performance out of it.
You should not buy the SilverStone HELA 850R Platinum if your power requirements exceed 850W. To check, you can use our in-house PSU watts calculator tool.

[toc]

Here are the specifications:

Color	Black (lead-free paint)
Max. DC Output	850W
Power density	439W per liter
Combined +3.3V & +5V	120W
Combined +12V	849.6W
Input Voltage	90 ~ 264 Vrms
Input Frequency Range	47Hz ~ 63Hz
PFC	Active PFC (PF>0.9 at full load)
Efficiency	≥89% & <91% overall efficiency
MTBF	100,000 hrs
Operating temperature	0°C ~ 50°C
Protection	OCP, OPP, OVP, OTP, SCP, UVP
Cooling System	Silent 135mm FDB fan
Noise Level	0 dBA minimum
Certification	Cybenetics Platinum
Form factor	ATX (PS2)
Dimension	150 mm (W) x 86 mm (H) x 150 mm (D)
Weight	2.56 kg

Editor`s Note

We actually received Silverstone Hela 850R quite a while ago, and unfortunately, it couldn’t survive during our initial testing phase. Silverstone was kind enough to send us another unit, which now comes with the latest ATX 3.1 specs (compared to the previous unit we received which was ATX 3.0 compliant).

– Arsalan Shakil

Packaging & Unboxing

The front of the box has a big ATX3.1 Compatible logo alongside 12V-2×6 Ready and Cybernetics Platinum logos. There is a picture of the power supply unit itself, showcasing its front and modular side.

At the back, you will find the power specifications, some efficiency graphs, pictures of the different included connectors, and more.

As far as protection goes, SilverStone has got your back. The PSU is tucked away in black foam, which means any rattling or shaking during shipment won’t do any damage. You’re greeted with a multilingual manual, and the connectors come in a separate box.

Design

I personally really love the design of the fan grill. The wintery styling gives a very different vibe from the more aggressively themed PSUs I usually test.

At the power side, there is the typical on/off button as well as the Semi Fanless Switch, turning this switch on will keep the fans off until a set temperature is met, so you don’t get any fan noise when the PC is idling or at low loads.

The other side of the PSU has the standard PSU branding as well as a big Cybenetics Platinum logo. At the back, you’ll find all the power specifications, model information, and more specs.

Cable & Connectors

There are no missing cables, and the length is adequate. The modular connectivity makes the PSU easy to cable manage as you don’t have to plug in all the cables. Here is the list of all connectors:

Cable Type	Quantity
24 / 20-Pin motherboard connector	1
8 / 4-Pin EPS / ATX 12V connectors	2
12+4-Pin 12VHPWR connector	1
8 / 6-Pin PCIe connectors	5
SATA connectors	8
4-Pin Peripheral connectors	6
4-Pin Floppy connectors	2

As per the latest ATX 3.1 specs, PSU manufacturers are required to use an improved version of the 12VHPWR GPU connector, now referred to as 12V-2×6. This greatly reduces the chances of a burnt GPU connector when the cable is not fully inserted due to user error. It’s good to see Silverstone actually making this important change instead of just pasting an ATX 3.1 sticker on the box and calling it a day.

Teardown & Component Analysis

As we stated before, this is the 2nd Hela 850R that we have received, and even though it’s now of the latest ATX 3.1 compliant PSU, we don’t see any change in the platform design whatsoever compared to the one we received earlier.

That’s because all of the ATX 3.0 PSUs automatically fit to receive ATX 3.1 compliance due to ATX 3.1 being a slight downgrade, especially during the hold-up time. The only major change in this latest specification is the use of a new and improved 12VHPWR GPU connector, which is now referred to as a 12V-2×6 connector, which the Silverstone Hela 850R now comes equipped with.

Internal Layout (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Unlike Silverstone Hela 1200R which uses CWT’s latest ATX 3.X platform, Hela 850R is using a different OEM, High Power. Though CWT and High Power share many similarities in terms of design, a stand alone Primary Transformer without its vertical MOSFETs daughter board gives us a clear indication for it being not from the CWT.

Though the design seems to be quite conventional, High Power has tuned this platform so well that having only an Active PFC, Full-Bridge + LLC topology (which is mostly found in Gold-rated PSUs) makes this a Platinum-rated PSU. It’s really good seeing different OEMs trying to up their game in order to compete in the latest spec PSU market.

Silverstone has opted for more than adequate heatsinks for a mere 850W platform, using separate aluminum heatsinks for Bridge Rectifiers, APFC, and Half-Bridge MOSFETs. This approach, coupled with Platinum efficiency, should help maintain better temperatures and quieter operation.

Unlike most of the platforms we have seen from CWT, where the primary Transformer is directly soldered to a vertical PCB that houses 12V rail MOSFETs for reduced power losses, High Power’s design due to Hela 850R lower rated wattage, using all the 12V rail MOSFETs on the back of the PCB. Two small heatsinks are mounted near the Transformer to dissipate the heat generated from those MOSFETs soldered on the back. This may or may not add up to a slight decrease in voltage regulation and increase voltage ripple, we will see it in our test later.

Internals

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Just like Silverstone Hela 1200R, Hela 850R also uses top-of-the-line Japanese Electrolytic as well as Polymer capacitors from Rubycon & FP-CAP, respectively. Silverstone has gone to a different OEM, but they are still not compromising on the quality.

Fan Teardown (Image By Tech4Gamers)

The fan is 135mm Fluid Dynamic Bearing from Globe Fan. Silverstone Hela 850R does offer Semi-Hybrid Fan mode, where the fan only spins when a decent amount of load is extracted from the PSU.

PSU Load Testing

SilverStone Hela 850R Platinum – Testing (Image By Tech4Gamers)

12V & Minor Voltage Rails Regulation

Difference Regulation (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	12V	5V	3.3V
20%	12.08V	5.02V	3.31V
50%	12.04V	5.01V	3.31V
70%	12.01V	5.01V	3.31V
90%	11.99V	5.01V	3.30V
100%	11.97V	5.00V	3.29V

Voltage regulation is kept tight, and its performance is on par with that of similarly rated PSUs.

PSU Efficiency

Average Efficiency (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	Power Factor	Efficiency
20%	0.929	92.39%
50%	0.981	94.23%
70%	0.99	93.75%
90%	0.996	93.29%
100%	0.998	93.23%

High Power has impressed me once again with its well-tuned platform. They have significantly reduced the cost of their platform by using conventional conversion topology but still manage to achieve a high level of efficiency. If High Power also keeps up with the same secret sauce for the platforms higher than 850W, we will be seeing a lot fewer PSUs using CWT platforms, especially when the brands are really looking to keep the cost down for their latest spec PSUs.

Voltage Ripple Performance

Max Ripple (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	Voltage Ripple
20%	8.8mV
50%	9.6mV
70%	10.4mV
90%	12.8mV
100%	14.4mV

I gotta be honest: I really didn’t have high hopes when I was performing this test on a High Power OEM platform because I have seen some really impressive Voltage Ripple performance from other major OEMs, especially from CWT, but oh boy, I did indeed underestimate High Power!

Hela 850R has exceptional voltage ripple performance results throughout different load variations. I am pretty sure we will most likely be seeing many other major brands going with High Power for their latest PSUs.

Temperatures

Thermal Test Results

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Thanks to its impressive efficiency, the PSU remained cooler throughout our testing, where the maximum hottest point was reported to reach only 40.8C.

The fan started to kick in when the load exceeded 370W. Users will have an absolute quieter experience with Hela 850R when they aren’t pushing the PSU while gaming or any other power demanding task.

Should You Buy it?

Buy It If

✅You are building a mid-range gaming PC: The Silverstone Hela 850R checks all the boxes for your next mid-range PC build.

✅You want to extract every bit of performance: Thanks to its impressive voltage regulation and ripple performance, users will have no issues in dialing up the OC to max.

Don’t Buy It If

❌You are concerned about future-proofing: 850W is no longer a sweet spot for the latest Gen systems. With the increasing power demands of current Gen and upcoming Processors and GPUs, a minimum of 1000W is becoming a recommended PSU these days.

My Thoughts

Silverstone Hela 850R, with its extremely high efficiency and overall performance paired with the most recent ATX 3.1 specs, can surely be the best pick for your mid-range Gaming PC.

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Coming Next: Corsair RM850e Gold ATX 3.0 PSU Review

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Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum: Quiet, Efficient, and ATX 3.1 is a post from Tech4Gamers - All About Technology And Gaming News

Corsair HX1000i Platinum ATX 3.0 Review: High-End With A Few Hiccups

Arsalan Shakil — Sat, 13 Jul 2024 11:32:29 +0000

When I started seeing several brands launching their latest and greatest PSUs recently, I was surprised not to find Corsair among them. Corsair is one of the handful of well-known PSU brands that don’t fully rely on whatever gets provided by the OEM. Corsair has their own dedicated engineers and they work closely with OEMs for further fine-tuning the existing PSU platform. Knowing that Corsair has its market share in almost every type of PSU that exists, both in terms of budget and different form factors, Corsair surely had a long course meal to cook this time for its power-hungry customers.

Corsair recently sent us freshly baked HX1000i, HX1200i, RM850e, and SF1000L PSUs for testing and reviews, with the extra toppings of ATX 3.0/3.1 as per the current PSU market taste. It’s really good to see Corsair catering for a wider audience with these many SKUs.

HXi series currently stands as a top-of-the-line PSU from Corsair that complies with the latest ATX 3.0/3.1 specification and comes in 1000W & 1200W variants. It will be interesting to see how this new lineup compares against its competitors.

Why Trust Tech4Gamers

Arsalan Shakil is our power supplies expert who loves to put the latest PSUs through their paces and even take them apart.
20+ PSUs tested and reviewed by our team of hardware experts (Tech4Gamers Team).
180+ hours spent testing different power supplies for our reviews.
Objective testing criteria (See how we test peripherals).

Key Takeaways

The Corsair HX1000i Platinum ATX 3.0 offers reliable and stable performance. Plus, the support for iCUE makes monitoring easy.
You should buy the HX1000i Platinum ATX 3.0 if you want to future-proof your build and you plan to push your components to the limits with overclocking.
You should not buy the HX1000i Platinum it falls outside your budget and your PC doesn’t really need such a high-end PSU.

[toc]

Here are the specifications:

Cybenetics Efficiency	Platinum
Cybenetics Noise	A
ATX12V Version	3.1
Continuous Power	1000 Watts
Fan Bearing Technology	Fluid Dynamic Bearing
Fan Size MM	140mm
Modular	Fully
MTBF Hours	100,000 hours
PSU Form Factor	ATX
Zero RPM Mode	Yes
80 PLUS Efficiency	Platinum
Warranty	10 Year
Weight	3.71 KG

Packaging & Unboxing

Understandably, the HX1000i comes in the same packaging as I saw during my HX1200i’s testing. We get the Cybenetics, iCUE, and 10-year warranty logos, and of course, now it has the ATX 3.0 branding as well.

The back has the dimensions of the PSU, some more logos, and the key features listed in different languages. There are also graphs to show the efficiency and noise levels.

There are no complaints regarding the protective measures of the PSU. It has a nice foam packing that keeps everything safe and secure. The accessories come in their separate box.

Design

The design is rather decent. I like the accent color of the fan that makes it pop up against the black shroud. There is plenty of room for ventilation (in the form of triangular cut-outs).

The PSU sides have a simple HX1000i logo and the back has the power specs listed.

Cable & Connectors

Corsair Link Cable (Image By Tech4Gamers)

The overall quantity and length of included cables are more than enough for any ATX build. The 24-pin ATX connector is sleeved while the rest are flat. I would have liked more sleeved cables but it is not that big of a deal. The included Corsair Link Cable plugs into the USB-C port at the connector side of the PSU (Image below).

Here is the list of all connectors:

Cable Type	Quantity
ATX Connector	1
EPS Connector	2
SATA Connector	8
PATA Connector	8
PCIe Connector	5

The lack of a native 12VHPWR is a big letdown. It was the same situation with the HX1200i Platinum and RM850e Gold that I tested. While the overall design and build quality of the PSU is top-notch, including support for native 12VHPWR would have made things a lot better.

Teardown & Component Analysis

Internal Layout (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Similar to other PSUs from Corsair, the HXi series is also using the platform from CWT which looks very similar to what I have previously seen when testing XPG Cybercore II 1000W PSU. CWT has made slight modifications as requested by Corsair in order to extract as many performance numbers as possible.

Being a Platinum-rated PSU, we get to see the use of Interleaved PFC which offers higher efficiency numbers compared to standard APFC used in Gold. This platform from CWT offers Semi-digital functionality for Interleaved PFC and 12V rail conversion, the rest of the voltage rails i.e. 5VSB, 3.3V and 5V are generated via traditional analog conversion.

PRO TIP: With the use of Digital Controllers & Microcontrollers, the HXi series also offers software-controlled options via iCUE link software, which allows its users to monitor power analytics as well as control individual voltage rails. Users can also adjust fan curves to their better liking.

Internals

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All the Primary side components; Interleaved PFC MOSFETs and their Boost Diode along with the main Transformer switching MOSFETs, arranged in a half-bridge topology, are all mounted on a single but wide-spread aluminium heatsink.

The main transformer which delivers 12V rail is being driven with the help of LLC topology in an effort to reduce switching losses. The Transformer is directly soldered to the PCB on which 12V rail MOSFETs are soldered to further improve conversion efficiency. Minor voltage rails are being generated via a DC-DC converter board mounted vertically to save up some space.

Internals

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Being the best offering from Corsair, CWT has used high-quality components including top-of-the-line Japanese Electrolytic as well as Polymer capacitors from Nippon-Chemicon, Nichicon and United-Chemicon. Having such high-class components in a PSU can easily surpass 10 years of warranty duration.

Teardown Of The 140mm Fan (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Unlike many other PSU brands that use Hong Hua’s fan in their PSUs, Corsair settles onto their own Fluid Dynamic Bearing fan for quieter operation. Corsair HX1000i offers hybrid fan functionality where the fan only spins when the load reaches specific levels.

PSU Load Testing

Testing The HX1000i (Image By Tech4Gamers)

12V & Minor Voltage Rails Regulation

Difference In Regulation (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	12V	5V	3.3V
20%	12.09V	5.08V	3.31V
50%	12.03V	5.07V	3.30V
70%	11.98V	5.07V	3.30V
90%	11.98V	5.07V	3.30V
100%	11.98V	5.07V	3.30V

Voltage regulation could be better. Though Intel with the new ATX specifications allows 12V rail to drop further than what was allowed previously, and HX1000i’s voltage drop is nowhere close to those lower allowed limits, but still, tighter voltage regulation reflects better design PSU especially when it is a Platinum-rated.

PSU Efficiency

Average Efficiency (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	Efficiency	Power Factor
20%	92.72%	0.968
50%	93.73%	0.992
70%	92.99%	0.996
90%	92.40%	0.997
100%	92.12%	0.998

HX1000i’s efficiency performance was not on par with the Platinum PSUs we have tested so far. A semi-digital PSU should perform better in this test. Corsair and CWT should further tune this platform for higher efficiency.

Voltage Ripple Performance

Max Ripple (Image By Tech4Gamers)

Load in %	Voltage Ripple
20%	7.2mV
50%	10.4mV
70%	11.2mV
90%	11.8mV
100%	12mV

Corsair with its high-end PSUs is known for sweeping out the competition in this specific test. Extremely lower voltage ripples (under 10mV) require intensive re-engineering and modifications which Corsair has achieved in the past for their AXi series PSUs that have sadly been long discontinued.

This time around though, HX1000i clearly manages to live up to the same old tradition with its exceptional voltage ripple results.

Temperatures

Thermal Performance

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PSU performed pretty silently throughout and the fan only started spinning at around 640W. Temperatures were well controlled with the max hottest point on the back only hitting 45.2C.

Should You Buy It?

Buy It If

✅You want an investment that can last: 1000W PSU these days should be a minimum investment to handle the most power-demanding components of current and upcoming generations. With Corsair HX1000i’s 10 years of warranty, your money will be well spent on.

✅You are into extreme OC: With its exceptional voltage ripple performance and individual 12V control over iCue software, overclockers will not have much trouble in reaching the top score charts with HX1000i.

Don’t Buy It If

❌A 1000W PSU is an overkill for your PSU: If you won’t be pairing an extremely high-end system with this PSU then you may find it excessive for your use.

My Thoughts

Corsair once again tried to get on top with its semi-digital HXi series PSUs with the latest ATX 3.0/3.1 compliance and though HX1000i did achieve better results than some of the competitors and managed to maintain exceptional voltage ripple performance still I was expecting better results in other tests as well.

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