Picking The Right Power Supply: What You Should Know

Features
By , published

How does a power supply work? Why is it important to choose a sufficiently powerful and efficient model? We guide you through discussions of efficiency and tips for getting the best deal before we go on to explain why less can be more in the PSU market.

If You Don't Like Our Advice, Buy A Fire Extinguisher

Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

So, What Did We Learn Today?

  1. Choosing the right capacity is often more effective than chasing a higher efficiency rating and ending up with the wrong PSU.
  2. Buying too big just to be on the safe side is counter-productive; it only makes sense if you actually need the reserves.
  3. Affordable 80 PLUS Gold and Bronze power supplies make sense in systems with a large power window.
  4. Don’t blindly believe the wattage numbers on the box. Be smart, think logically, check the numbers and do the math yourself.
  5. Stay away from offers that are too good to be true. You can’t get a good 500W power supply for 40 bucks. That “bargain” might just blow up in your face. Literally.

Don't Say We Didn't Warn You!

Consider this image a warning that’s only partly tongue-in-cheek. We hope our analysis helped clear up some common misconceptions and maybe even gave you a new perspective on the mundane world of power supplies. They may generate less excitement than CPUs and graphics, but cutting corners on power to save some money could cost you a lot more in the long run.


MORE: Best Power SuppliesMORE: How We Test Power Supplies
MORE: Who's Who In Power Supplies
MORE: All Power Supply Content

TOPICS
Aris Mpitziopoulos
Aris Mpitziopoulos
Contributing Editor

Aris Mpitziopoulos is a contributing editor at Tom's Hardware, covering PSUs.