The Best Power Supplies For Gaming in 2021

Power supply (PSU) is the most overlooked part of any build even though it’s the most important one. Choosing the best power supply for your needs might seem straightforward but there’s a lot to unwrap there.
The buying advice will come later. First, let us show you the best power supplies you can get right now, ranging from relatively humble 500W models to beasts offering 1600W of power. If you like our best power supply for gaming guide, you can check out our CPU for gaming and gaming motherboard guides. They’re also great. Let’s begin.
Contents
Thermaltake Toughpower GX2 80+ Gold 600W
Quality Non-Modular Budget PSU

- Non-Modular Design
- 80 Plus Gold Certification
- Semi Passive Mode
- ATX Form Factor
- 600 W Power
Thermaltake makes surprisingly affordable power supplies that also offer great performance for the price. The Toughpower GX2 80+ Gold 600W features a non-modular design but at least the PSU comes with the 80 Plus Gold certification. The performance is fine and you can expect this PSU to behave in line with its specs.
This PSU is made for budget gaming builds but this doesn’t mean the Toughpower GX2 80+ Gold 600W is a slouch. It can power demanding CPUs and high-end GPUs. For instance, with this PSU you can run an R5 5600X and an RTX 3070 combo, which isn’t half bad for a budget PSU. Overall, this is an excellent budget PSU but if you want a simpler installation, go with a fully modular model.
- Great Price
- Solid Performance
- 80 Plus Gold Certification For A Budget PSU
- Non-Modular Design
Corsair RMX Series RM550x
The Best PC Power Supply In The 550 W Category

- Fully Modular Design
- 80 Plus Gold Certification
- Silent Operation Under Loads Up To 250 W
- ATX Form Factor
- 550 W Power
Corsair is known for its PC peripherals but the company also manufactures excellent PSUs. The Corsair RMX Series RM550x is an amazing power supply. In fact, if you don’t need anything more powerful this one’s the best power supply for a gaming PC you can get.
It features amazing performance, no matter how hard you push it. Efficiency is superb for an 80 Plus Gold PSU. This one is capable of trading blows even with 80 Plus Platinum models, which is a respect-worthy achievement. Load regulation is among the best in the class.
The Corsair RMX Series RM550x operates completely silent up to 250 W loads. Once the fan starts running expect the noise not to cross the 20 dBA limit, another excellent achievement. You can only hear clearly it under extreme loads, but that happens only during stress tests and not in real use.
Even the price isn’t too steep for what you get. Overall, if you need a regularly sized PSU in the 550 W category, look no further. The icing on the cake is the 10-year warranty offered by Corsair.
- Superb Load Regulation
- Excellent Performance
- Top-notch Efficiency
- Silent Operation Under Heavy Load
- 10-Year Warranty
- Price
NZXT C750
One Of The Best 80 Plus Gold 750W PSUs

- Fully Modular Design
- 80 Plus Gold Certification
- Semi Passive Mode
- ATX Form Factor
- 750 W Power
The NZXT C750 looks good (for a power supply) and it comes with excellent performance, good efficiency, fully modular design, and a 10-year warranty. The PSU has some downsides but they’re not game-breaking, aside from making noticeable noise under high loads. The PSU is fairly quiet under most conditions but the fan kicks into sixth gear when under high load, which can be loud enough to be distracting.
This shouldn’t bother you if you’re gaming with headphones or have an already loud CPU, GPU, or case fans but those looking for a quiet power supply should look elsewhere. The thing is, in the world where PSU prices are higher than ever the NZXT C750 is selling at a pretty competitive price, which makes it a great bang for the buck choice.
- Solid Performance
- Excellent Efficiency
- Fully Modular Design
- Competitive Price
- 10-Year Warranty
- Can Be Loud Under High Loads
be quiet! Straight Power 11 Platinum 650W
The Best Power Supply For Gaming PC If You Want A Silent PSU

- Fully Modular Design
- 80 Plus Platinum Certification
- Semi Passive Mode
- ATX Form Factor
- 650 W Power
be quiet! is known for its efficiently silent cases and fans and when it comes to power supplies, the company does not disappoint. The Straight Power 11 Platinum 650W is a quality power supply with excellent efficiency, full modularity, quality cables, and pretty solid performance. The best part about this PSU is that it’s completely silent most of the time.
Even when fully loaded the fan’s so quiet its noise is overshadowed by other fans in your PC. That said, while the PSU has high-quality parts, its overcurrent protection is set too high, which could damage your PC in case of a sudden power spike. If you live in an area with an unstable power grid, you should think twice before getting this PSU.
Everyone else should definitely consider getting this PSU if they want an efficient and quality made 650W power supply that’s exceptionally quiet. The only major downside, aside from high OCP, is the high price and five-year warranty period, which is lower than what other manufacturers offer in the same price bracket.
- Efficient
- Exceptionally Quiet
- Fully Modular
- 80 Plus Platinum Certification
- High OCP
- Expensive
EVGA Supernova 650 G5
Okayish Power Supply For The Money

- Fully Modular Design
- 80 Plus Gold Certification
- Semi Passive Mode
- ATX Form Factor
- 650 W Power
EVGA Supernova 650 G5 is a solid 650 W PSU that features 80 Plus Gold certification. The PSU looks nice. As is the case with the be quiet! Pure Power 11 600W, this one also features brightly colored fan cover.
When it comes to performance, this PSU is a solid competitor but not the best in the class. The semi-passive mode makes the PSU completely silent up until 20 percent load. From there, the fan turns on and it can become really loud when under heavy load. Under 80 percent load expect 35 to 40 decibels, which is a steep noise level for a power supply.
Efficiency is very good and completely justifies the rating. Load regulation is tight, one of the best in the class. The PSU handles variable loads – usual scenario in real-world usage – really bad. Overall, this is an okay PSU for the money but it suffers from low overall performance and a really noisy fan. At least EVGA offers a 10-year warranty, which is always nice to have.
- 10-Year Warranty
- Tight Load Regulation
- Very Noisy
- Bad Variable Load Handling
- Performance Is Below Par
Cooler Master MasterWatt 650
The Best 650-Watt Power Supply In The Budget Category

- 80 Plus Bronze Certification
- Semi-Modular Design
- Semi-Passive Mode
- ATX Form Factor
- 650 W Power
The Cooler Master MasterWatt 650 is an affordable PSU for those who need a reliable Power supply for a low price. This power supply has 80 Plus Bronze certification. Low price point also means semi-modular design and uninteresting design. Cooler Master offers a 5-year warranty with this PSU, which is okay for a budget model.
When it comes to efficiency, this PSU shows excellent efficiency for its 80 Plus Bronze rating. The semi-passive mode works for loads up to 15 percent. When under medium and heavy loads the fan never goes above 35 decibels. Under normal loads you can expect the noise to be in the 30-decibel range, which is a satisfying result.
The PSU if fitted with low-grade capacitors, which could become an issue in the long run. Load regulation is good for the price, just know that higher-priced models can deliver much tighter load regulation. Overall, this is an excellent budget PSU that should be powerful enough for almost any configuration.
- Solid Performance For The Price
- Quiet
- Average Load Management
- Low-Grade Capacitors
ASUS ROG Strix 750
Superb 750W Power Supply With One Tiny Flaw

- Fully Modular Design
- 80 Plus Gold Certification
- Semi Passive Mode
- ATX Form Factor
- 750 W Power
The ASUS ROG Strix 750 is a superb 750W power supply based on an efficient Seasonic platform that also comes with excellent performance. The added bonus is almost zero noise, no matter the stress. This is an excellent choice for high-end builds, especially if you’re a silent PC type of person.
The PSU looks better than most other models and it comes with a selection of magnetic stickers, which can be applied to the side of the PSU. The ROG Strix 750 is fully modular, and the quality of the included cables is pretty high. The only major downside is the price, which is pretty high, especially for an 80 Plus Gold PSU.
- Excellent Performance
- High Efficiency
- Virtually Inaudible, No Matter The Stress
- Unique And Attractive Design
- Pricey
Seasonic Prime PX-850
The Best Gaming Power Supply For Most Configurations

- 80 Plus Platinum Certification
- Fully Modular Design
- Semi-Passive Mode
- ATX Form Factor
- 650 W Power
If you’re looking for the best power supply for your machine, look no further than the Seasonic Prime PX-850. 850 W is more than enough even for the Core i9-9900K + RTX 2080 Ti combo. So, even if you get more power-hungry CPU or GPU in the future, this PSU will be able to power them.
This PSU features 80 Plus Platinum certification and its performance and efficiency are on par with the rating. In other words, both are brilliant. Its max load surpasses the rated specs by 82 W so you can be sure it will run like a charm even under extreme loads.
The semi-passive fan mode doesn’t really work, but that doesn’t matter. Yes, fans are spinning even under light load but they are practically silent until the load reaches about 450 W. Under heavy loads fans stay below the 35-decibel limit, which is a solid result for an 850 W PSU.
Seasonic Prime PX-850 also comes with amazing load regulation that is probably the best in the class. Finally, Seasonic offers a 12-year warranty for this model, which is another huge plus. A brilliant PSU in every regard. It is expensive but the price is definitely worth it.
- Fantastic Efficiency
- Marvelous Load Regulation
- Superb Performance
- 12-Year Warranty
- None really
EVGA Supernova 1000 PQ
The Best 1000 W Power Supply

- 80 Plus Platinum Certification
- Semi-Modular Design
- Semi-Passive Mode
- ATX Form Factor
- 1000 W Power
If you need a 1000 W power supply for your workstation or dual RTX 2080 Ti system, the EVGA Supernova 1000 PQ is an excellent choice. The PSU features 80 Plus Platinum Certification and its efficiency is in line with the rating. The performance is also excellent.
The semi-passive mode is on until the 30-percent load. Even after the fan starts spinning the PSU is virtually silent, with notable noise coming only during stress tests. Load regulation is tight and in line with all other specs.
Stuff we don’t like is the semi-modular design despite the pretty high price. And yes, the price is too high. The 10-year warranty period is always welcome. Overall, this is a superb 1000 W power supply with a steep price.
- Great Efficiency
- Great Performance
- Silent
- 10-Year Warranty
- Pricey
- We Would Like Fully-Modular Design At This Price Point
Corsair AXi Series AX1600i
The Best Power Supply Around And Best Corsair Power Supply

- 80 Plus Platinum Certification
- Fully Modular Design
- Semi-Passive Mode
- ATX Form Factor
- 1600 W Power
The Corsair AXi Series AX1600i is the top of the line PSU with enough power to run a small town. But seriously, if you want absolutely the best and most powerful power supply, this is the one to get. It can power practically any configuration. The model comes with 80 Plus Platinum certification and it features the best specs you’ll see in this list.
Load regulation is as tight as it gets, with deviations in the measurement error range. Efficiency and performance are also superb. Every other measurement is also either the best or among the best compared to other high-end PSU models.
The semi-passive mode is superb. Fans aren’t running until the load goes over 600 W. Under medium and high loads, the noise is extremely low. The PSU reaches 20 decibels under 1.3 KW load, which is a praiseworthy result. Even under max load the noise barely reaches 35 decibels.
Overall, the Seasonic PRIME 1300 is a godlike PSU with amazing performance and efficiency, as well as perfect measurements in every department. It’s also extremely silent and operates under very low temperatures. The PSU comes with a 10-year warranty and it truly is the best power supply for 99.9 percent of users.
- Superb Performance
- Ultra-Tight Load Regulation
- Exemplary Load Regulation
- 10-Year Warranty
- None really
How To Choose A Power Supply

Yes, picking a power supply is as exciting as watching paint dry. But you’ll have to consider several things before you find the perfect power supply for your needs. The road to the best power supply is relatively short but it features a couple of nasty potholes you should avoid.
Calculate The Power Output You Need
This is the first thing you should do. You need to have a clear picture of how much power you need. The OuterVision Power Supply Calculator is an excellent PSU calculator that offers a wide selection of components. Once you calculate how much power you need, add about 50 W more, just in case.
Make Sure To Include Future Upgrades
PSU isn’t a component we change regularly so it’s best to include future upgrades into your power calculation. Because chances are, you’ll have the same PSU for years and years.
The best way to do this is to select CPU and GPU that use more power than your current choices, to introduce a couple extra SSDs to the calculation, to add more RAM sticks. You get it.
Continuous Power Isn’t The Same As Peak Power
Most PSU manufacturers advertise peak power as their rated power. For instance, a 500 W PSU is capable of providing a peak power of 500 watts but only for a short duration. Its continuous power is probably around 450 W.
This is why it’s important to get a power supply that is capable of delivering more power than you need. If you need, for instance, 400 watts of power go for at least 500 W PSU.
Make Sure That The PSU Has 80 Plus Certification
The 80 Plus certification program is the most popular way to rate PSU efficiency. If a PSU doesn’t have at least 80 Plus Bronze certificate, don’t even consider it. The great middle-ground are power supplies with 80 Plus Gold certification.
Those with 80 Plus Platinum stamp are extremely efficient. And, to be honest, the 80 Plus Titanium rating is mostly for bragging rights. You don’t actually need something as efficient as that. Below you can find the full 80 Plus rating system:

Image Source: TechSpot
Make Sure The PSU Fits Inside Your Case
Not all PSUs measure the same. There are 2 main form factors: ATX and SFX. An ATX PSU should fit inside all mid, mATX, and full tower cases. SFX form factor is made for small form factor (m-ITX) machines. Remember that if you want to build a small form factor PC.
SFX power supplies can fit into regular PC cases but this isn’t recommended. Their cables are shorter and you won’t be able to reach your components if you place a SFX PSU into a regular case.
Finally, Make Sure The PSU Has All Connectors You Need
The last thing you should consider are connectors found on the PSU. You should find all connectors listed in official specs of any PSU. Your motherboard needs either a 20-pin or 24-pin connector. Your CPU power connector comes in 4-pin and 8-pin flavors.
The graphics card is using 6-pin and 8-pin connectors. Finally, there are 4-pin Molex connectors and SATA power connectors. Remember that you can use splitters to connect additional components, just remember to not go above your PSU power limit.
Shame you didn’t mention compatibility with UPS’ with a simulated sine wave. Some active power factor correction PSUs work well, others don’t