Best PC power supply 2017: top PSUs for your PC

If you’re building a new PC, buying the best PC power supply is absolutely the most important thing you can do, and should be your first priority. We know, we know, it’s tempting to skimp on your PSU so you can pick up one of the best graphics cards, but we assure you – if you’re trying to build the best PC, you will certainly fail without one of the best PC power supplies. Without a PSU that you can rely on, all of those shiny PC components that you just spent a fortune on could be losing out on performance, or even damaged by a faulty PSU.

You don’t want to deal with a failing power supply, trust us. They’re a nightmare waiting to happen, and you might not even notice the symptoms before it’s too late. They could be as minute as some lost power efficiency, or as noticeable as having your PC straight up power down when you’re in the middle of something. Just do yourself a favor, invest in one of the best PC power supplies to avoid all of these issues. You don’t want to deal with a fire because your PSU exploded.

Don’t let all this gloom-and-doom trip you up too much though, there are plenty of great power supplies on the market. Which really is fortunate, because everyone needs one that they can count on. There are high-end PSUs that can feed juice to even the best gaming PCs, or if you’re a little light on cash, there are plenty of good PC power supplies that will fit your budget. You can even get power supplies that are virtually silent if you don’t want noise distracting you. Whatever your needs are, check out the best pc power supplies that the editorial team at TechRadar has tested and approved of.

The Corsair RM750x tops our list for one simple reason: it’s the most well-rounded power supply on the market. On top of a 10 year warranty and an 80 Gold Plus efficiency rating, the Corsair has a fully modular cabling system. That means you only need to install the cables you need. Not having unused cables in your case is great for air-flow and for those who appreciate the value of good cable management.

When you’re trying to keep the price of your PC similar to that of a console, you don’t want to blow a lot of your budget on a power supply. That’s where more economical options like the EVGA 500 B1 come in handy. This PSU is essentialist without neglecting the needs of its audience. For less than $50 USD, you can expect 500 watts of power transmitted through several SATA cables and two PCIe slots. A three-year warranty is merely icing on the cake.

Power supply fans seem to run the loudest, and unlike case fans, they aren't quickly swappable. Fortunately the Straight Power 10 line up runs nice a quiet. Options range from 400w to 700w, and they're SLI and Crossfire certified. They also have a modular design, letting you use only the cables you absolutely need to use. It's also low-profile, freeing up even more space inside your computer tower.

Power supplies can occupy a ton of space in your desktop tower, however time has allowed for the units to get smaller while the power they emit only expands in magnitude. The Silverstone SX550 is almost half the size of other power supplies, so that you can better facilitate cables and airflow inside your computer. This makes it notably ideal for micro ATX and mini-ITX builds, though you could slide it into a mid- or full-size tower as well if you deem it necessary.

This is an absolute monster of a power supply. This is for the serious builder who plans on powering multiple graphics cards, cooling systems, and perhaps a small village in rural North Dakota. It has the highest possible 80 Plus Titanium efficiency rating, and is fully modular so you only need to add the cables required by your build. If you have the money to go big, this is the power supply to get.