If like us, you enjoy spending your weekend sifting through hardware lists in the hope of finding new and exotic options, then you’re going to love this article. We’ve decided to put together what we believe is the definitive PSU hierarchy. I know, exciting stuff.
We split the list into specific tiers which have differing levels of efficiency, safety, and power output. We start with the most sought-after power supplies and work our way down to the most budget, last-resort options.
We will continuously be updating this list when future PSUs hit shelves. So, keep your eyes on this to see how new hardware options fair against the old firm.
What does PSU stand for?
PSU stands for power supply unit and pretty much does exactly what it says on the tin. It is the component that draws power from your wall socket and feeds that power to the rest of your system. Each component of your build is connected to the PSU – or a component which is – and gets its power from it.
Understanding the ratings
A question that we get all the time is; what are the PSU ratings and how important are they?
It’s a great question because not many people fully understand the importance of PSU ratings or what they even refer to. We do have a full article on the topic which you can find here. But for those wanting a short answer, PSU rating refers to how safe and efficient a PSU is.
By efficient, we mean how much power the PSU draws from the wall compared to how much power it gives you computer.
For example; if a PSU draws 650W from the wall, but only gives your computer 400W of power, that PSU is not very efficient. It also references to how safe the PSU is. A Titanium tier PSU is less likely to malfunction when compared with an 80+ bronze, for example.
Ultimately, the rating of your PSU is pretty important and something that should certainly be considered before any purchase.
PSU Hierarchy
Below is the complete PSU hierarchy. We have categorized all the power supplies into Tier’s to make comparing different options easier.
Let’s start from the best of the best:
Power supply units that fall under the Tier A+/A are by far the most reliable and power-efficient PSU’s on this list. Almost all the PSUs in this tier have been rated at 80+ platinum or titanium. They all have excellent features, wattage range and build quality that reflects there impressive price tags.
Tier A+/A
| PSU | PSU Rating | PSU Power |
|---|---|---|
| be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 | Platinum | 1200 Watts |
| Cooler Master MasterWatt Maker 1200 MiJ | Titanium | 1200 Watts |
| be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 | Platinum | 850 Watts |
| Seasonic PRIME Series | Platinum, Titanium | 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1300 Watts |
| Antec HCP Platinum | Platinum | 750, 850, 1000, 1300 Watts |
| Thermaltake Toughpower iRGB PLUS | Platinum and Titanium | 850, 1050, 1200, 1250 Watts |
| Corsair AXi Series | Platinum and Titanium | 1200, 1500, 1600 Watts |
| Bitfenix Whisper | Gold | 450, 550, 650, 750, 850 Watts |
| Be Quiet! Straight Power 11 | Gold | 450, 550, 750, 850, 1000 Watts |
| GIGABYTE AP850GM Aorus P850W Modular | Gold | 850 Watts |
| Enermax Platimax D.F. | Platinum | 500, 600, 750, 850, 1050, 1200 Watts |
| Bitfenix Formula Gold | Gold | 450, 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Mistel MX650 Fanless | Platinum | 650 Watts |
| Aerocool Project 7 | Platinum | 650, 750, 850 Watts |
| Corsair AXi/AX Series | Platinum | 760, 860 Watts |
| Corsair HX/HXi Series | Platinum | 750, 850, 1000, 1200 Watts |
| Corsair RMi/RMx Series | Gold | 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts |
| Corsair SF | Platinum | 450, 600 Watts |
| Corsair Vengeance | Silver | 650, 750 Watts |
| Corsair TX-M Series | Gold | 550, 650, 750, 850 Watts |
| Cooler Master V-series | Gold - Platinum | 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1200 Watts |
| FSP Aurum PT Series | Platinum | 850, 1000, 1200 Watts |
| Riotoro Enigma Series | Gold | 650, 750, 850 Watts |
| Cooler Master MasterWatt Maker Series | Platinum | 1200, 1500 Watts |
| Seasonic Focus Gold | Gold | 450, 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| NZXT E-series | Gold | 500, 650, 850 Watts |
| Seasonic Focus Plus Gold | Gold | 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts |
| Seasonic Focus Plus Platinum | Platinum | 550, 650, 750, 850 Watts |
| Seasonic SnowSilent Series | Platinum | 750, 1050 Watts |
| Seasonic X-Series | Gold | 650, 750, 850, 1050, 1250 Watts |
| Seasonic Platinum Series | Platinum | 660, 760, 860, 1050, 1200 Watts |
| XFX XTS Series | Platinum | 460, 520, 1000 Watts |
| LEPA G1600 | Gold | 1600 Watts |
| Silverstone Nightjar NJ600 | Titanium | 600 Watts |
| FSP Hydro PTM Series | Platinum | 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB Series | Platinum | 1200 Watts |
| EVGA G2 | Gold | 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1300, 1600 Watts |
| EVGA P2 | Platinum | 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1200, 1600 Watts |
| EVGA T2 | Titanium | 850, 1000, 1600 Watts |
| EVGA G1 1000 Watts | Gold | 1000 Watts |
| Super Flower Leadex | Gold, Platinum, Titanium | 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1300 Watts |
| XFX Pro Series | Gold and Platinum | 1000, 1050, 1250 Watts |
Dropping down to B Tier will still get you a bunch of power supply options with excellent wattage outputs and superb reliability. You will also experience a decent drop in price as well. Whereas the Tier A+/A PSUs are more suited to PC enthusiasts that run several GPUs, the Tier B PSU’s are more suited to top-level gaming computers.
If you’re looking to build a decent gaming rig with several high-end components, then a Tier B PSU could be the one for you.
| PSU | PSU Rating | PSU Power |
|---|---|---|
| Cooler Master V Semi-Modular Series | Gold | 450, 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| EVGA GS | Gold | 550, 650 Watts |
| EVGA G1+ | Gold | 650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts |
| EVGA GQ | Gold | 650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts |
| EVGA G3 | Gold | 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts |
| Enermax Digifanless | Platinum | 550 Watts |
| Thermaltake Toughpower DPS G | Platinum and Titanium | 850, 1050, 1200, 1250, 1500 Watts |
| Thermaltake Toughpower Grand Series | Platinum | 650, 750, 850, 1050, 1200 Watts |
| Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB Series | Gold and Platinum | 650, 750, 850, 1050 Watts |
| FSP Hydro G | Gold | 850 Watts |
| FSP Dagger SFX | Gold | 600 Watts |
| Seasonic M12II | Bronze | 750, 850 Watts |
| Antec EarthWatts Green Series | Gold, Platinum | 350, 380, 450, 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Asus ROG Thor | Platinum | 650, 750, 850, 1200 Watts |
| Seasonic S12G | Gold | 450, 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Seasonic G-Series | Gold | 360, 450, 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Kolink Continuum | Platinum | 1050, 1200, 1500 |
| be Quiet! Pure Power 11 | Gold | 300, 350, 400, 500, 600, 700 Watts |
| Cougar GX-F Aurum | Gold | 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Corsair CX | Bronze | 430, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 750 Watts |
| Fractal Design Newton R3 | Platinum | 600, 800, 1000 Watts |
| Fractal Design Edison M | Gold | 450, 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Fractal Design Tesla R2 | Gold | 650, 1000 Watts |
| XFX XTR Series | Gold | 550, 650, 750, 850, 1050, 1250 Watts |
| XFX TS Series Gold | Gold | 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Gigabyte XP1200M | Platinum | 1200 Watts |
| Antec EDGE | Gold | 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Antec TruePower Classic | Gold | 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Rosewill Fortress | Platinum | 450, 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Rosewill Capstone | Gold | 450, 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1200 Watts |
| Rosewill Quark | Platinum | 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1200 Watts |
Tier B
| PSU | PSU Rating | PSU Power |
|---|---|---|
| Cougar GX-S | Gold | 450, 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| FSP Aurum CM | Gold | 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| FSP Hydro X | Gold | 650 Watts |
| Aurum Pro | Gold | 850, 1000, 1200 Watts |
| Super Flower Platinum King | Platinum | 450, 550 Watts |
| Riotoro Onyx | Bronze | 650, 750 Watts |
| Zalman EBT | Gold | 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1200 Watts |
| Enermax Revolution SFX | Gold | 650 Watts |
| Vivo 24K | Gold | 650 Watts |
| Fractal Design Integra M Series | Bronze | 450, 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Fractal Design Tesla R2 | Gold | 800 Watts |
| Rosewill Photon | Gold | 550, 650, 750, 850, 1050, 1200, 1250 Watts |
| Rosewill Lightning Series | Gold | 800, 1000, 1300 Watts |
| Rosewill Silent Night | Platinum | 500 Watts |
| Rosewill Tachyon | Platinum | 650, 750, 1000 Watts |
| EVGA BQ | Bronze | 750, 850 Watts |
| EVGA B3 | Bronze | 550, 650, 750, 850 Watts |
| Lian Li SFX-L | Platinum | 550, 750 Watts |
| XFX TS Series Bronze | N/A | 450, 550, 650 Watts |
| XFX Pro Series | Bronze | 550, 650 Watts |
| Deepcool DQST | Gold | 550, 750 Watts |
| Silverstone SFX | Gold | 650, 700, 800 Watts |
| Silverstone Gold Evolution Series | Gold | 1000, 1200 Watts |
| Silverstone Strider Titanium Series | Titanium | 600, 700, 800, 1100, 1300, 1500 Watts |
| Silverstone Strider Gold S Series | Gold | 550, 650, 750, 850, 1500 Watts |
| PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III | Bronze, Gold, Platinum | 400, 500, 600, 750, 850, 1200 Watts |
| PC Power & Cooling Turbo Cool | Gold | 860 Watts |
| SAMA Armor Gold | Gold | 550, 750 Watts |
| LEPA G Series | Gold | 1000, 1200, 1600 Watts |
| Thermaltake Smart Pro RGB Series | Bronze | 650, 750, 850 Watts |
| Thermaltake Smart Series | Bronze | 550, 650 Watts |
| Thermaltake EVO Blue Series | Gold | 650, 750, 850 Watts |
Tier D
| PSU | PSU Rating | PSU Power |
|---|---|---|
| Enermax Revolution X't II | Gold | 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Fractal Design Tesla R2 | Gold | 500 Watts |
| Silverstone Strider Plus | Silver | 600, 750, 850, 1000, 1500 Watts |
| Cougar LX | Bronze | 500, 600 Watts |
| Cooler Master MasterWatt Lite | White | 500, 600 Watts |
| Cooler Master GM Series | Bronze | 450, 500, 650, 750 Watts |
| Cooler Master GX - CM Storm Edition | Bronze | 450, 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Rosewill Capstone G | Gold | 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1200 Watts |
| EVGA BQ | Bronze | 500, 600, 650, 750 Watts |
| Thermaltake Toughpower Gold Series | Gold | 550, 750, 650, 850, 1000, 1200, 1500 Watts |
| Thermaltake Paris | Gold | 650 Watts |
| Antec Neo Eco Series | Bronze | 520, 550, 620, 650 Watts |
| Xilence Performance X Series | Gold | 550, 650, 750, 850, 1050, 1250 Watts |
| Antec High Current Gamer Series | Bronze | 520, 620, 750, 850 Watts |
| Inwin Classic Series | Bronze | 500, 600 Watts |
| Seasonic M12II | Bronze | 520, 620 Watts |
| Seasonic ECO | Bronze | 430 Watts |
| Seasonic S12II | Bronze | 350, 430, 520, 620 Watts |
| Corsair Gaming Series | Bronze | 600, 700, 800 Watts |
| be Quiet! Power Zone | Bronze | 650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts |
| be Quiet! Straight Power 11 | Gold | 450, 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts |
Tier C
Tier C PSUs lend themselves more towards the majority of the mainstream gamers who want a functional build with reliable components. PSUs in this tier offer decent wattage, good power efficiency, and are affordably priced.
When we get to Tier D, we start to approach the lesser recommended, yet still usable, power supplies that currently occupy the market. These PSUs fall under the “working but not offering any features” bracket.
The efficiency levels of these PSUs naturally takes a hit, but nothing too crazy. PSUs in this tier would still serve their purpose, however, they aren’t anywhere near as desirable as other options above.
Tier E
We finally come to Tier E, or what I like to call, the buy at your own risk section. This is where all the budget PSU’s can be found.
If you’re a PC enthusiast or gamer, these PSU’s will no doubt give you cold sweats just looking at them. You aren’t necessarily taking a huge risk by opting for one of these, but you are handcuffing what components and abilities your build will be able to achieve.
For me, I’d steer well clear. But here they are anyway!
| PSU | PSU Rating | PSU Power |
|---|---|---|
| Enermax NaXn | White | 450 Watts |
| Silverstone SFX | Bronze | 300, 450 Watts |
| Antec Basiq Series BP | White | 350, 430, 500, 500 Watts |
| Rosewill Glacier | Bronze | 500, 600, 700, 850, 1200 Watts |
| EVGA B1 | Bronze | 450, 500, 600, 700 Watts |
| XFX XT | Bronze | 400, 500, 600 Watts |
| FSP Raider Series | Silver | 450, 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| OCZ Fatal1ty | Bronze, Gold | 550, 750, 1000 Watts |
| Silverstone Essential Series | Bronze, Silver, Gold | 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750, |
| EVGA W1 | White | 430, 500, 600 Watts |
| Corsair VS Series | White | 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650 Watts |
| Cooler Master B2 Series | White | 400, 500, 600, 700 Watts |
| LEPA MX-F1 | White, Bronze | 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650 Watts |
| Rosewill Hive | Bronze | 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts |
| Rosewill ARC M | Bronze | 550, 650, 750 Watts |
| Fractal Design Integra R2 | Bronze | 500, 650, 750 Watts |
| NZXT HALE 82 V2 | Bronze | 550, 700 Watts |
| Thermaltake Smart Series | Bronze | 750, 1000, 1200 Watts |
| Thermaltake Toughpower Standard Series | Silver | 1000, 1200 Watts |
| Thermaltake Litepower Series | Non-Rated | 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 650 Watts |
| Antec VP Series | White | 450, 550, 630 Watts |
| Bitfenix BPA | White | 400, 500, 600 Watts |
| FSP Hexa | White | 500, 600, 700 Watts |
| Cooler Master Elite Series | Non-Rated, White | 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600 Watts |
| Thermaltake TR2 Series | White, Bronze, Gold | 350, 430, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 850 Watts |
| EVGA N1 | Non-Rated | 400, 550, 650, 750 Watts |
Final Words
There you have it, the complete PSU hierarchy in all its glory. Choosing the right one for your needs can be a tricky process, but hopefully, this list will make that task a little bit easier.
A few things to keep in mind when looking at buying a new PSU are as follows:
- Think about reliability
- Think about Power efficiency
- Think about Safety
- Think about Cost
Answering these questions before looking for a new PSU will make the whole process a lot easier in the end.
Have we missed out any power supply’s that you feel are worthy of our hierarchy? If so, leave us a comment in the section below and we’ll add it to the list!
We have created a PSU Calculator tool that helps find the perfect PSU for your setup.