Anandtech's Best PC Power Supplies: Holiday 2017

[UsandThem]

https://www.anandtech.com/show/12056/best-psus

I'm sure this will spark some "lively" debate here, as it has in the comment section under the article.

Good read for those new to the differences in PSUs, but I will admit I would had some different choices. When it comes to PC components, PSUs have mail-in-rebates more often than not, and it does make it tough when those aren't calculated in. Then of course you have the manufacturer's prior reputation, customer support, and warranty length.

What would some of your choices be in the price brackets listed in the article?

 

[traderjay]

The 1000W Seasonic Titanium Prime Platinum is truly legendary! It never gets warm even under full load @_@. When I first powered my system up, I thought the unit was defective...

 

[UsandThem]

The 1000W Seasonic Titanium Prime Platinum is truly legendary! It never gets warm even under full load @_@. When I first powered my system up, I thought the unit was defective...

The Prime series is very nice in the high-end.

For the "value" models, I think either the EVGA G3 or Seasonic Focus Plus Gold (which often have a MIR) are tough to beat in the $60 - $ 80 range. They are fully modular, have excellent performance, and have 7-10 year warranties.

Then there is the Seasonic S12II Bronze units. Those almost always have a MIR, and can be had for as little as $23 (520w unit at Newegg right now). Those have 5 year warranties, but they aren't fully modular.

 

[EXCellR8]

...I think either the EVGA G3 or Seasonic Focus Plus Gold (which often have a MIR) are tough to beat in the $60 - $ 80 range. They are fully modular, have excellent performance, and have 7-10 year warranties.

still on my "to try" list... just a bit short on cash lately. I love the X series units but I've officially bought too many of them lol

 

[ElFenix]

i'm replacing my X with a focus plus gold. probably a step down as far as seasonic's lineup is concerned but also a newer platform with all the latest sleep states and whatnot.

 

[UsandThem]

I've been very happy with my platinum Focus Plus since I bought it. Quiet and it works great.

 

[DaveSimmons]

For my new Coffee Lake build I went with the Seasonic Prime Titanium 650 watt to replace my 6-year-old Seasonic X Gold. The Gold is still silently humming along, but I figure for a new build I might keep for another 6 years I might as well replace it "just in case."

I don't mind paying extra for a more efficient PSU since wasted power = wast heat = possible noise, and also I will often have a "work" PC on at the same time as this gaming PC. I've never tripped a circuit breaker, but keeping the total power draw from an outlet a little lower gives me peace of mind.

My pile of parts is staring at me accusingly but will be put together soon.

 

[UsandThem]

It's crazy to think 20-25 years ago when I bought a PSU, I'd just get it from the local PC shop, and they would grab one from the behind the counter, and it only had a clear plastic bag on it (no box). They were generic no-name units, and I never thought the wiser of it.

Then after I really got into building, if you cared about quality, you bought an Antec unit. Now, that company is a former shell of itself.

Now units come with up to 12 year warranties, come in boxes as nice as motherboards, with pouches, ties, and fancy cabling. Of course you pay a lot more than when about any generic unit was fine.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I remember years before Antec, PC Power & Cooling was one of the first branded PSUs you could buy where they emphasized quality over price. They didn't care much about "quiet" as a feature though

 

[Despoiler]

I own a Seasonic Prime Titanium. Simply stunning PSU. If you have the cash it's well worth it. I also put a Seasonic Focus Plus Gold in a rig I built for a friend. Also very nice and the price is excellent.

 

[Riok]

I mainly studied the 500w area, looking for a silent PSU. It looks like competition is hard and all products now have very good electric behavior and long guarantee. Seasonic is always at the top but many are high so I saw no reason to pay so much extra.

I got a Corsair RM550x for an i3 6320 and a GTX 1060. It has 10y warranty ! I have never heard the fan. I am not even sure it is working

Others on the short list were Be Quiet! Pure Power 10 600W and BitFenix Whisper M 550W. There is a good story here about choosing between thoose three: In search of a quiet PSU: Second Edition. With the R5 fans at minimun the slight heat the PSU produces (around 40°) is not affecting the rest of the case.

The last PSU I bough was an Antec Earthwatt 450. It still had enough juice for my built but I wasn't sure how to ugrade that little ...80mm fan ? so I had to change. It came with the sonata and at the time it was supposed to be quiet but it really wasn't.