12 best computer power supplies

While in the budget segment most power supply models still chew on old schemes with group stabilization of the adoption times of the ATX standard, Xilence successfully brings to market an inexpensive Performance A + line based on modern HEC architecture with a single 12 V channel and individual DCs -DC converters for 5 and 3.3 volts. As a result, these blocks hold the voltage perfectly even with a strong bias in the direction of 12 volts, which is critical for group stabilization: during the development of such schemes, no one thought that it would be necessary to supply more power to processors and video cards on a 12-volt line.

The division of models by power in this line is a bit strange, so we decided to include not the youngest 430-watt model, but a more powerful 530-watt model in the best block absorption rating of up to 500 watts.Let the power and just above the set threshold, it is better to let it be a little extra watts as a reserve.

This power supply has no removable cables, and the braid is only on the 24-pin connector harness: well, the manufacturer decided to focus on the stuffing, and not on the "beautiful". And the block came out worthy: “honest” certification of 80+ Bronze, confirmed on the Plug Load Solutions website (by the way, pay attention - the 630 W model is not much more expensive, but already has an official certificate of 80+ Silver according to this site), having all the necessary protections and active PFC. Two 6 + 2 connectors for powering video cards, 6 SATA and 3 "Molex" - the most versatile set, and the cable length is sufficient for midi-towers with a lower BP setting. On the 12 V line, the maximum current load is 44 A, that is, we have an “honest” 528 watts.

The power supply, as they say, is not wise - simple circuitry with group stabilization along the +12 and +5 lines (that is, with sensitivity to distortions in energy consumption), not a particularly resourceful 120-mm fan, simple accessories like Junfu capacitors ... But, anyway , on the case there is a marking of 80+ Bronze, and a 12-volt line can give up to 360 watts of power. If the system is assembled without claims for overclocking achievements or desired by all schoolchildren of the country "ultras in 4K", then this is quite enough.

BP cables are fixed, but braided. The reserve is good in length, especially for the main SATA- “tail” with 4 connectors, the closest one is at a distance of 550 mm from the unit, and the furthest one is already a meter away! Two more SATA connectors (both at a distance of 350 mm) are installed on cables terminating as ancient as Lenin's mummy with the FDD power connector (do you still remember the interpretation of this abbreviation?) And "Molex", respectively. In total, there are three “molexes” on two cables. There is also a cable for additional video card power.

Although the power supply of the power supply is small, due to the limited efficiency, it gives a maximum load of 90 W to global warming under maximum load. So the fan, forced to cool the radiators, comes to noticeable rumors after the bar has crossed the 200 W total load, and with the maximum power consumption of the system, its decibels are not comfortable in silence.

The power supply units from the FSP Group have one serious drawback - a high noise level under load. But you forget about this shortcoming after you look at the price tag. If you are building a low-end budget computer, the FSP Group ATX-500PNR is the best choice! This unit is guaranteed to work without any complaints for three or four years. However, it is not very noisy, if there is no high load. Available connectors are enough to connect a large number of components. Problems can arise only among those people who have assembled a set of hard drives, a couple of video cards and a sound card in a computer case. But such a power supply will not help them, since in this case a higher power is required.

Unit with partially modular cables: you can disconnect everything except 24-pin. Indeed, why should one shoot him? Well, the rest (video card power, peripherals) can already be connected on demand.

The total power of the four “virtual” 12 volt lines is 480 W, that is, the ratio to the total power was 0.96. An excellent indicator, and also stated and confirmed by Plug Load Solutions, compliance with the standard 80+ Gold. The operating voltage range at the input is from 100 to 240 V.

Inside the unit is made according to the most current scheme with DC-DC converters. As a result, we get excellent voltage stability on a 12-volt line (deviations - no more than 2%, and in a big way), while lines 5/3. 3 do not “float”, fully fitting the requirements of the ATX standard. With a load of up to 350 W, the power supply is absolutely silent - and given the fact that the current generation of video cards are quite economical, this makes it possible to rely on the fact that during games at maximum settings not the PSU will become the loudest node of the system. The temperature of the electrolytic capacitors keeps within the norm even after long-term operation at full power, which allows you to count on a good resource.

A compact SFX power supply unit will become primarily interesting for small-sized assemblies, where savings on overall dimensions can already give a plus to proper organization of air flow and cable management. At the same time, he is not deprived of the possibilities and quality - after all, and the certificate is 80+ Gold and a seven-year warranty from the manufacturer.

Opening the package, we find the cloth bags that are traditional for the Corsairs - the unit itself is hidden in one, but the second is a set of cables (there are no fixed ones on the unit). Previously, there was a nice bonus in the form of a proprietary 32 GB flash drive, also equipped with hardware data protection, but now it’s unlikely to be lucky to find such a complete set.

The seven-blade fan is not a “hundred-twelve” fan, but a 92-millimeter one. But you should not be afraid of the increased noise - the unit is quiet, the losses for heating at maximum power do not exceed 50 watts. Therefore, the high performance of the fan is not required, and only under full load it reaches a noise level of about 30 dB, and up to 350 W, it practically “whispers” 22-23 dB.

And finally, "delicious" - if you calculate the maximum load on a 12-volt line, the same 450 watts will come out, as indicated on the case. That is, in virtually all the lines he can pull out and 500 W without problems, the manufacturer clearly indicated the value in the specifications with a margin (most likely, for the sake of beautiful “100%” of 12 V, marketers do not sleep). Overload protection is activated at a power of 570 watts.

Zalman's “Five Hundreds” can proudly demonstrate the “bronze” certification mark and 456 watts of power on a 12-volt line: well, you can safely load this power supply unit. Therefore, the manufacturer decided not to waste time on trifles and put as many as two additional power cables for video cards, although one can argue with that - one more powerful card will still be better than two weak ones in SLI with the same current load. Up to 5 SATA devices can be powered, and the cables are long enough for Midi-Tower cases and, possibly, can be easily extended in full-sized cases - up to 500 mm connectors closest to the SATA connector.

The fan is the usual 120-millimeter noise for such units: on a heavy load, it already makes itself felt almost 50 decibels. This is not surprising, because the power supply unit consumes under heating 90 W, if you give the maximum load, and these watts need to be accelerated around the room. The minimum speed (and, accordingly, the lowest noise level) the fan keeps up to 200 W of power consumption.

Against the background of the leader of the ranking of the best new power supply from Corsair does not look so impressive - still "platinum", and not "titanium." But given the fact that in the 12-volt line, he can give even more by 1 amp, and costs much less, someone will forgive him more heat and noise of the fan at peak load. At lower loads, the PSU is absolutely silent - as soon as the radiators cool down, the fan shuts off completely.

In terms of switching capabilities, the HX750 is clearly designed for overclocking fans - this is clearly hinted at by two 4 + 4 pin connectors to power the processor, plus to this - 4 6 + 2 connectors for video cards: you will obviously have the opportunity to turn your PC into a home heater for the winter. It's funny, but one of the removable cables still has a 3.5 ”drive power connector - I think many readers of this article do not even remember what it is.

Add to this a ten-year warranty - Corsair makes a serious bid for leadership in its segment.

Before entering the market, Sea Sonic PRIME Titanium confidently held the title of the quietest 750-watt power supply, and now it will be a good option to build a low-noise PC with high power consumption.

The 80 Plus platinum certificate promises low heating of the power circuits, which is confirmed by the low fan speed: it is simply impossible to hear it, even with the quietest cooling of the processor and video card. The main power harness is non-removable, and even the power supply of the periphery can be assembled at will with complete harnesses. But it must be remembered that in the power supply in the out-of-box state there are four independent lines of 12-volt power supply, the maximum load on two of them is 25 A each, and two more “pull” to 30 — take this into account when configuring the wiring. In the extreme case, you can use overclocking key - in this case, all the power lines are combined, allowing you to issue all 750 watts into a bundle. To do this, you will have to take one of the slots for expansion cards on the back of the case - instead of a plug, a plate with a switch and a control LED is inserted into it, which is connected to the power supply unit with wires. This may be more convenient for someone than a switch located on the Corsair HX750, which also unites the + 12V lines.