After seeing a lot of posts on here (and making a few of them myself) I decided to try to help out and make a PSU guide for all on AT to see. Bear with me, it's not perfict, but i hope it can answer a few questions:
What PSU Brands are the Best?
Well, it's hard to say, as a lot of people have favorite brands and some that they will not buy from.
For example, u may ask about a PSU to someone who likes the brand, and they may say "sure, it's a great brand, so it must be a great PSU" and have it turn out to be total crap, while they may say "eww...it's not good because it's from a bad brand" and have it turn out to be a very good PSU.
Now, some of these are just my opinions too, but here are my top 6 PSU manufacturers:
1. PCP&C
2. Zippy/Emacs
3. OCZ
4. Fortron (Sparkle)
5. Enermax
6. Seasonic
Now, like i said, those are just my opinions on those companies, but as far as i know many people dont have problems with PSU's from those brands.
Now, here is a short list of still good PSU brands (IMO of course) as there are still some great companies that i couldn't include on my top 6 list (Top 6 doesnt sound as cool, but i put that in to get Zippy/Emacs up on top!). None of these are in a particular order in terms of performance/stability, as they are all usually great!:
-TTGI
-Cooler Master
-Antec
-Tagan *be forwarned though, that although they have some good PSU's, they're customer support seems to be lacking by recent rumors*
Now, some middle-of-the-road/decent brands. I guess i'd stay away from these, but that doesnt mean they are all crap:
-Thermaltake
Now, here's a list of PSU manufacturer's i would stay away from:
-Coolmax
-Aspire
-Raidmax
-Powmax
-Any thing without a brand name on it. Generic is just...bad (at least in every circumstance i've seen).
And now, to avoid further hate mail i've added a new category just for the Ultra:
**User Beware**
Now, some people have had great luck with the Ultra (X-Connect), while some have complained that it killed their/someone else's computer. Now, you may get lucky and get a great one, but you may also get one that kills your computer. So, i'm not saying they're all bad, i'm just saying that if you get a bad one dont say it's my fault for recommending it!
Ok, now understand that checking if a brand is ok can point you in the wrong direction.
So, lets say down the line Powmax makes an excellent PSU. Being i said stay away from the brand dont force yourself to if it is a good PSU. And in the same way lets say Fortron makes a crappy PSU, and being the manufacturer is on the list u think it must be good. So, just look at the specs and reviews to check if they are decent!
Also, remember that a lot of PSU's are made by the same company (rebranded). For example, some Fortron parts are in PCP&C PSU's. Here's a thread with some info on PSU rebranding
**So, with rebranding, i tried to put up a list of some of the PSU companies and their manufacturer's:
Fortron/Sparkle makes--> PCP&C, Zalman, Powerman, AOpen, Hi-Q
Enlight makes--> Thermaltake
Powmax makes---> Demon, Chiefmax, Chiefman
Topower---> OCZ, Tagan, TTGI/Super Flower, Raidmax
Channel Well---> Antec, Enermax, XClio
Wintech---> Ultra (many think that they are made by Powmax, which isnt true. Powmax buys them from Ultra and sells them or so i heard)
Youngyear---> Aspire, Logisys, and also new TTGI/Super Flower PSU's with high amp rating.
Sirtec---> High Power, Makes some Enlight and thus makes some TT PSU's (I didn't know how to add this in!)
Those are just a few, and hopefully i will be adding to that list!
*Now, i still have some to be added to the list, so if u would kinda PM me and let me know i'll try to get them in.*
What's the Worst that can happen if i get a bad PSU?
Well...um...you can fry everything in your computer. Sorry, but if you get something that is unstable, underpowered, etc. you could be asking for an early grave for your system. Just keep that in mind.
Ok, i found a PSU, but the amps and voltages on the rails dont make any sense to me
Fine, that's ok. It's easy to determine if a PSU has enough power on it's rails. Power supplies usually have a set amount of amps on each of the rails. However, the 12v rail is definitally the most important for a modern system.
Don't sell yourself short on the 12 volt rail amps. If you have a midrange system then you may be fine with 18-22 amps on the 12v rail, but either way i'd recommend more. Even 22 amps is low for a system with the lastest and greatest video cards. I should say that if you have a low end system then i would go with a 18-22amps at least on the 12v rail. If you have a midrange system i would recommend 22-25 amps on the 12v rail, while if you have a highend system i would recommend 25+ amps on the 12v rail.
Remember, those are my recommendations. You will usually be fine if you have a 20amps PSU if you have a high end system if it's from a good manufacturer and it's a good PSU. So keep in mind the amps i have in the above paragraph are just what i recommend, not what you need.
However, remember that if you get a POS PSU that has 45amps on the 12v rail and a FSP (Fortron or Sparkle) PSU that has 30a, the Fortron will probably have a cleaner and more reliable power rail.
Ok, the rails check out to be fine and the PSU isnt on the avoid list for the manufacturers, so how many watts do i need for my system?
Here's a PSU wattage calculater you can use: Go for it!
Ok, here's another generator, seems better than the other one!
Just use that as a reference, as it reads that as full load if i'm not mistaken.
However, remember that great companies such as Fortron, PCP&C, and OCZ usually underrate their PSU's by a bit. So a 420w OCZ Powerstream might say that it only delivers 420w's of power, but it's max load is accually closer to 550w!
Are there any other ways to find out if a PSU is any good?
Well, the one i know of besides the rails/watts/brand is the weight. It can be a good indication of a good PSU. Heavier=better. However, this isnt always the case, there are always exceptions.
What's a dual rail PSU?
A dual rail PSU just means that the powersupply has 2x12v rails. It's kind of like there are 2 powersupplies in one. You may see that the PSU has 15amps on the 12v1, with another 15amps on the 12v2 rails. That just means that there are 15 amps on each 12v rail, which unlike some people think, cannot be combined!!!, though they can have the watts on each rail added together to find out the PSU's total wattage. I wouldnt recommend one i guess, as it seems like the single 12v units are stronger IMO, but that doesnt mean that they are bad. Some of them are just fantastic (Enermax Noisetaker's come to mind)!
A little thing writen up by a fellow AT'er comparing dual rail PSU's to normal single rail PSU's
What's this "modular" thing i'm hearing about?
Well, modular just means that the cables detach from the PSU if you're not using them. That means more airflow and less case clutter which is important to a lot of people, especially if you have a windowed case!
Ok, there are a lot of terms on the discriptions for the PSU's, so what do they mean?
Well, here's a short list of some PSU terms:
-Hold up time: This is the amount of time a PSU can supply the correct voltages if there is a power interuption. Lets say your PSU has a hold up time of 17ms, that means that if there is a problem with the power coming into the PSU it will still be fine if it lasts less than 17ms. 17ms is the minimum standard on ATX boards, and the higher=the better!
-PFC: It means Power Factor Correction. It pretty much tried to regulate the current coming into your PSU. In the USA it's not really needed, as we have a very well regulated power input from our walls, but in Europe it is needed as it's not all universal
-Adjustable Rails: It just means that you can adjust the voltages on your rails if it's too high/too low. Nice feature to have, especially if ur a tweaker.
-Efficiency: Efficiency has two primary effects heat ouput (wasted energy) and less AC draw. The more efficient a PSU is the less heat it will generate as wasted energy; it will also be cheaper to operate over the long term. **thanks for definition from Operandi!**
-Stability: Stability is the ability of a PSU to maintain output voltage close to the desired voltage, over the full range of PSU loading from idle to 100%. For example, a 430-watt PSU for which the ouput levels on the 12-volt rail vary from 11.95 to 12.05 volts over the full range of load (up to 430-watts output = 100% load) would be considered extremely stable (almost all PSUs do worse than this example). Stability of the 5-volt and 3.3 volt rails is also important, since not all system components are powered by the 12-volt rail. Stability is a crucial consideration in choosing a PSU, since stable output voltage prevents system components from being either under- or over-volted, which in turn can prevent system crashes, errors, and/or decreased component life. **thanks for definition from shira!**
**please correct me if i'm wrong on any of these!**
Ok, so if i want a PSU for $***, what do you suggest?
For $30-$50:Hmmm...this is a tough one, as there are very few decent powersupplies in this price range, but i will try:
-Sparkle 300w PSU-----$30.50
-Thermaltake 420w PSU (i know it's on the so-so list for the manufacturer's, but for a very entry level PSU without a big power sucking system it might be ok)-----$37.99
-E-Power 450w PSU-----$44.50
For $50-75:Ok, i'm sure the whole $30-50 was a fun read right? Now were getting into the more serious PSU's:
-Enermax 350w---$61.50
-Antec 380w True-----$64.00
For $75-100:Great, there are many nice PSU's in this category:
-Fortron 530w PSU *excellent!*-----$78.00
-Tagen 480w PSU-----$78.99
-Coolermaster 450w PSU (i know it looks like it has low 12v rails, but i've heard good things about it)-----$78.99
-Fortron 500w Blue Storm PSU-----$89.00
-OCZ Modstream 450w **modular!**-----$90.00
For $100+If you need the best or want the most features, these may appeal to you. However, most of the things in the lower category will suit your needs. So, being there are so many good ones in this category, i will just list a few of them!
-OCZ Powerstream 420w PSU-----$101.50
-OCZ Modstream 520w PSU **modular!**-----$120.00
-Antec 480w NeoPower PSU **modular!**-----$126.00
-OCZ Powerstream 520w PSU-----$140.00
There are more great PSU's out there that i didnt mention for each category, but that was just a show of what i recommend personally, but remember, you may hear a different opinion everywhere you go!
But i'm going for silence, so what do you think are some of the quieter (but still good performing) PSU's out there?
Here are just a few of the ones i know of and have heard good things about:
-That Antec Neopower above
-Any of the OCZ Modstreams
-The Fortron Blue Storm
-Pretty much any Seasonic PSU available
-The Enermax Noisetaker Series
I've been told that you sometimes need a good PSU to get a good overclock. Is this true?
Usually, yes! If you have more power/stable power coming through your 12v line there may be a better chance to get a higher overclock. If you have a good, stable, and clean power source you'll be better of when your overclocking than if you don't.
Thanks to:
-shira
-Operandi
-Zepper
-Krk3561
-render
-Mucker
-jonnyGURU
-Slaimus
-H]ard|Forums *thanks to member "computerpro3" for typing up a list of recommended PSU's
-www.bleedingedge.com PSU's guide
*****i would like to add a 12v v2.0 thing and a connector guide if you understand what i mean. I just hope this helps people with some things! Also, if there is something wrong or you would like to see added, just PM me please!!! I hope it's good enough to warrent a sticky!*****
What PSU Brands are the Best?
Well, it's hard to say, as a lot of people have favorite brands and some that they will not buy from.
For example, u may ask about a PSU to someone who likes the brand, and they may say "sure, it's a great brand, so it must be a great PSU" and have it turn out to be total crap, while they may say "eww...it's not good because it's from a bad brand" and have it turn out to be a very good PSU.
Now, some of these are just my opinions too, but here are my top 6 PSU manufacturers:
1. PCP&C
2. Zippy/Emacs
3. OCZ
4. Fortron (Sparkle)
5. Enermax
6. Seasonic
Now, like i said, those are just my opinions on those companies, but as far as i know many people dont have problems with PSU's from those brands.
Now, here is a short list of still good PSU brands (IMO of course) as there are still some great companies that i couldn't include on my top 6 list (Top 6 doesnt sound as cool, but i put that in to get Zippy/Emacs up on top!). None of these are in a particular order in terms of performance/stability, as they are all usually great!:
-TTGI
-Cooler Master
-Antec
-Tagan *be forwarned though, that although they have some good PSU's, they're customer support seems to be lacking by recent rumors*
Now, some middle-of-the-road/decent brands. I guess i'd stay away from these, but that doesnt mean they are all crap:
-Thermaltake
Now, here's a list of PSU manufacturer's i would stay away from:
-Coolmax
-Aspire
-Raidmax
-Powmax
-Any thing without a brand name on it. Generic is just...bad (at least in every circumstance i've seen).
And now, to avoid further hate mail i've added a new category just for the Ultra:
**User Beware**
Now, some people have had great luck with the Ultra (X-Connect), while some have complained that it killed their/someone else's computer. Now, you may get lucky and get a great one, but you may also get one that kills your computer. So, i'm not saying they're all bad, i'm just saying that if you get a bad one dont say it's my fault for recommending it!
Ok, now understand that checking if a brand is ok can point you in the wrong direction.
So, lets say down the line Powmax makes an excellent PSU. Being i said stay away from the brand dont force yourself to if it is a good PSU. And in the same way lets say Fortron makes a crappy PSU, and being the manufacturer is on the list u think it must be good. So, just look at the specs and reviews to check if they are decent!
Also, remember that a lot of PSU's are made by the same company (rebranded). For example, some Fortron parts are in PCP&C PSU's. Here's a thread with some info on PSU rebranding
**So, with rebranding, i tried to put up a list of some of the PSU companies and their manufacturer's:
Fortron/Sparkle makes--> PCP&C, Zalman, Powerman, AOpen, Hi-Q
Enlight makes--> Thermaltake
Powmax makes---> Demon, Chiefmax, Chiefman
Topower---> OCZ, Tagan, TTGI/Super Flower, Raidmax
Channel Well---> Antec, Enermax, XClio
Wintech---> Ultra (many think that they are made by Powmax, which isnt true. Powmax buys them from Ultra and sells them or so i heard)
Youngyear---> Aspire, Logisys, and also new TTGI/Super Flower PSU's with high amp rating.
Sirtec---> High Power, Makes some Enlight and thus makes some TT PSU's (I didn't know how to add this in!)
Those are just a few, and hopefully i will be adding to that list!
*Now, i still have some to be added to the list, so if u would kinda PM me and let me know i'll try to get them in.*
What's the Worst that can happen if i get a bad PSU?
Well...um...you can fry everything in your computer. Sorry, but if you get something that is unstable, underpowered, etc. you could be asking for an early grave for your system. Just keep that in mind.
Ok, i found a PSU, but the amps and voltages on the rails dont make any sense to me
Fine, that's ok. It's easy to determine if a PSU has enough power on it's rails. Power supplies usually have a set amount of amps on each of the rails. However, the 12v rail is definitally the most important for a modern system.
Don't sell yourself short on the 12 volt rail amps. If you have a midrange system then you may be fine with 18-22 amps on the 12v rail, but either way i'd recommend more. Even 22 amps is low for a system with the lastest and greatest video cards. I should say that if you have a low end system then i would go with a 18-22amps at least on the 12v rail. If you have a midrange system i would recommend 22-25 amps on the 12v rail, while if you have a highend system i would recommend 25+ amps on the 12v rail.
Remember, those are my recommendations. You will usually be fine if you have a 20amps PSU if you have a high end system if it's from a good manufacturer and it's a good PSU. So keep in mind the amps i have in the above paragraph are just what i recommend, not what you need.
However, remember that if you get a POS PSU that has 45amps on the 12v rail and a FSP (Fortron or Sparkle) PSU that has 30a, the Fortron will probably have a cleaner and more reliable power rail.
Ok, the rails check out to be fine and the PSU isnt on the avoid list for the manufacturers, so how many watts do i need for my system?
Here's a PSU wattage calculater you can use: Go for it!
Ok, here's another generator, seems better than the other one!
Just use that as a reference, as it reads that as full load if i'm not mistaken.
However, remember that great companies such as Fortron, PCP&C, and OCZ usually underrate their PSU's by a bit. So a 420w OCZ Powerstream might say that it only delivers 420w's of power, but it's max load is accually closer to 550w!
Are there any other ways to find out if a PSU is any good?
Well, the one i know of besides the rails/watts/brand is the weight. It can be a good indication of a good PSU. Heavier=better. However, this isnt always the case, there are always exceptions.
What's a dual rail PSU?
A dual rail PSU just means that the powersupply has 2x12v rails. It's kind of like there are 2 powersupplies in one. You may see that the PSU has 15amps on the 12v1, with another 15amps on the 12v2 rails. That just means that there are 15 amps on each 12v rail, which unlike some people think, cannot be combined!!!, though they can have the watts on each rail added together to find out the PSU's total wattage. I wouldnt recommend one i guess, as it seems like the single 12v units are stronger IMO, but that doesnt mean that they are bad. Some of them are just fantastic (Enermax Noisetaker's come to mind)!
A little thing writen up by a fellow AT'er comparing dual rail PSU's to normal single rail PSU's
What's this "modular" thing i'm hearing about?
Well, modular just means that the cables detach from the PSU if you're not using them. That means more airflow and less case clutter which is important to a lot of people, especially if you have a windowed case!
Ok, there are a lot of terms on the discriptions for the PSU's, so what do they mean?
Well, here's a short list of some PSU terms:
-Hold up time: This is the amount of time a PSU can supply the correct voltages if there is a power interuption. Lets say your PSU has a hold up time of 17ms, that means that if there is a problem with the power coming into the PSU it will still be fine if it lasts less than 17ms. 17ms is the minimum standard on ATX boards, and the higher=the better!
-PFC: It means Power Factor Correction. It pretty much tried to regulate the current coming into your PSU. In the USA it's not really needed, as we have a very well regulated power input from our walls, but in Europe it is needed as it's not all universal
-Adjustable Rails: It just means that you can adjust the voltages on your rails if it's too high/too low. Nice feature to have, especially if ur a tweaker.
-Efficiency: Efficiency has two primary effects heat ouput (wasted energy) and less AC draw. The more efficient a PSU is the less heat it will generate as wasted energy; it will also be cheaper to operate over the long term. **thanks for definition from Operandi!**
-Stability: Stability is the ability of a PSU to maintain output voltage close to the desired voltage, over the full range of PSU loading from idle to 100%. For example, a 430-watt PSU for which the ouput levels on the 12-volt rail vary from 11.95 to 12.05 volts over the full range of load (up to 430-watts output = 100% load) would be considered extremely stable (almost all PSUs do worse than this example). Stability of the 5-volt and 3.3 volt rails is also important, since not all system components are powered by the 12-volt rail. Stability is a crucial consideration in choosing a PSU, since stable output voltage prevents system components from being either under- or over-volted, which in turn can prevent system crashes, errors, and/or decreased component life. **thanks for definition from shira!**
**please correct me if i'm wrong on any of these!**
Ok, so if i want a PSU for $***, what do you suggest?
For $30-$50:Hmmm...this is a tough one, as there are very few decent powersupplies in this price range, but i will try:
-Sparkle 300w PSU-----$30.50
-Thermaltake 420w PSU (i know it's on the so-so list for the manufacturer's, but for a very entry level PSU without a big power sucking system it might be ok)-----$37.99
-E-Power 450w PSU-----$44.50
For $50-75:Ok, i'm sure the whole $30-50 was a fun read right? Now were getting into the more serious PSU's:
-Enermax 350w---$61.50
-Antec 380w True-----$64.00
For $75-100:Great, there are many nice PSU's in this category:
-Fortron 530w PSU *excellent!*-----$78.00
-Tagen 480w PSU-----$78.99
-Coolermaster 450w PSU (i know it looks like it has low 12v rails, but i've heard good things about it)-----$78.99
-Fortron 500w Blue Storm PSU-----$89.00
-OCZ Modstream 450w **modular!**-----$90.00
For $100+If you need the best or want the most features, these may appeal to you. However, most of the things in the lower category will suit your needs. So, being there are so many good ones in this category, i will just list a few of them!
-OCZ Powerstream 420w PSU-----$101.50
-OCZ Modstream 520w PSU **modular!**-----$120.00
-Antec 480w NeoPower PSU **modular!**-----$126.00
-OCZ Powerstream 520w PSU-----$140.00
There are more great PSU's out there that i didnt mention for each category, but that was just a show of what i recommend personally, but remember, you may hear a different opinion everywhere you go!
But i'm going for silence, so what do you think are some of the quieter (but still good performing) PSU's out there?
Here are just a few of the ones i know of and have heard good things about:
-That Antec Neopower above
-Any of the OCZ Modstreams
-The Fortron Blue Storm
-Pretty much any Seasonic PSU available
-The Enermax Noisetaker Series
I've been told that you sometimes need a good PSU to get a good overclock. Is this true?
Usually, yes! If you have more power/stable power coming through your 12v line there may be a better chance to get a higher overclock. If you have a good, stable, and clean power source you'll be better of when your overclocking than if you don't.
Thanks to:
-shira
-Operandi
-Zepper
-Krk3561
-render
-Mucker
-jonnyGURU
-Slaimus
-H]ard|Forums *thanks to member "computerpro3" for typing up a list of recommended PSU's
-www.bleedingedge.com PSU's guide
*****i would like to add a 12v v2.0 thing and a connector guide if you understand what i mean. I just hope this helps people with some things! Also, if there is something wrong or you would like to see added, just PM me please!!! I hope it's good enough to warrent a sticky!*****