To know how much power your PC needs, go to your graphics card manufacturer’s website and check theRecommended PSUsection. This should give you a safe estimate of your build’s power requirement.
For instance, AMD recommends using a 700-watt power supply with itsRadeon RX 7700 XT.
While this will give you a general idea ofwhat power supply you need, this should only be your first estimate. You have to consider factors like future proofing andhow much headroomyou want as well.
So, afterward, you should also useonline power supply calculatorslike PCPartPicker to get more precise figures.
These calculators are equally helpful if you do not have plans tointegrate a GPUinto your build.
Know Your PC Components
I am pretty sure you’ve already decided on the components that will go into your build. Like theCPU,motherboard,graphics card, and other stuff.
To start, ensure you know the exactmodel name and manufacturerof the components. Only then, you may start calculating thePSU wattage.
Use PCPartPicker to See the Estimated Wattage
While there are multiple PSU calculators available online, PCPartPicker is everyone’s all-time favorite.
Their easy-to-use interface and component availability are what make them desirable for most of the PC builders.
As you may see, my estimated wattage is 461 watts. But that does not mean I can settle for 500 watts PSU. There’s something more you should know.
Leave Sufficient Headroom
If you run a PSU without leaving sufficient headroom, orcloser to its maximum capacity, thepower supply efficiencydramatically decreases.
This not only causespower supply overheatingbut is equally responsible forbuzzingandclicking noise.
That’s why you should always leave enough wiggle room whilechoosing a PSU. Typically, between 20% to 30%.
Having headroom is equally beneficial if you have plans for overclocking orfuture-proofing your computer. This can also counter thetransient spikes, seen in some high-end CPUs and GPUs.
In my case, the estimated wattage was around 461 watts. Headroom-wise, a 550W PSU would be enough here. It would also allow me toallocate more of my budgetfor other parts.
However, I opted for a 650W power supply instead as I may upgrade to a 7800 XT in the future.
Well, now that you know how much power your PC needs, you may go through the collection of the best500W, 600W,650W,700W, 750W,850W,1000W, and1200WPSUs prepared by our review team.