Best Power Supply Units for Gaming

Updated October 2020

Why trust BestReviews?

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. Read more

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.Read more

Bottom Line

Pros

Cons

The best high-end power supply to buy when you need better performance and damage protection.

Pros

Runs efficiently near the high loads common with powerful gaming setups. Semi-modular design reduces the amount of cables lying around the inside of a computer.

Cons

The fan is quite noisy when running near the top limits of the power supply.

Best Bang for the Buck

Corsair

CX Series Power Supply

Check Price

Bottom Line

The best budget power supply capable of handling lighter gaming rigs running with budget or mid-range components.

Pros

Power supply runs cool under normal operating conditions or with games using low-to-medium settings. The fan runs more quietly than premium power supplies.

Cons

The power supply can suddenly drop power, resetting the computer during gameplay.

A good gaming-specific power supply with the capability to run more powerful components.

Pros

1,000-watt capacity is good enough for most modern mid-to-high end gaming rigs. Comes with internal LED lighting to accent the surroundings during gameplay.

Cons

Provided power cables are on the short side. May not be compatible with some full towers.

Thermaltake

Toughpower Grand Power Supply

Check Price

Bottom Line

The type of gaming power supply to choose when you want more accent and flair from the component.

Pros

Modular design simplifies the cable management and usage inside the computer. Comes with a customizable LED light for different lighting designs and accents.

Cons

Power supply is susceptible to boot loops, preventing the computer from reaching the operating system.

A good option to consider for a power supply that can handle long periods of gaming.

Pros

A high quality fan and bearings offer smooth, continuous running for long periods of gaming in a single setting. Comes in a range of power outputs to fit different gaming setups.

Cons

LED lights do not offer full customization and only come with a list of presets.

How we decided

We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers.

35 Models Considered

8 Hours Researched

2 Experts Interviewed

145 Consumers Consulted

Zero products received from manufacturers.

We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers.

Gaming rigs are expensive pieces of hardware, often built from the ground up, and are very power hungry. They need clean and consistent power to perform well, and a PSU can deliver the goods. It can also prevent a catastrophic burnout to your expensive gear. A reliable PSU will also stop system instability that causes games to crash and constant rebooting. The units should offer power at 3 volts, 5 volts, and 12 volts, referred to as rails. Plugs attach to the motherboard, CPU, GPU(s), SATA devices, and 5v Molex plugs. It’s worth paying up for a good unit that will run quietly and stay cool.

Other Products We Considered

The BestReviews editorial team researches hundreds of products based on consumer reviews, brand quality, and value. We then choose a shorter list for in-depth research and testing before finalizing our top picks. These are the products we considered that ultimately didn't make our top 5.

GAMEMAX

Power Supply 600W Semi Modular VP-600-M-RGB

Corsair

CV550, 550 Watt, Power Supply (CP-9020210-NA)

ROSEWILL

Computer Modular Power Supply 700w

Apevia

ATX-JP800W Jupiter 800W ATX Gaming Power Supply

EVGA

SuperNOVA 120-GP-0650-X1, 650 G+ Power Supply

Montech

Power Supply 650W 80+