PSU Tier List 2020 – Complete Power Supply Unit Hierarchy
A PSU is much like that glossary at the end of a chapter, which is always ignored. But, if you have plans to redesign your gaming gear and you don’t know where to begin, and then simply search for the best PSUs online. You will realize that there are several models available made by hundreds of manufacturers.
With a variety of different options, there comes a question: Which one should you go for? Are they all the same, or is there any difference between them? What is the best PSU Tier List in 2020? Well, as you’ve always ignored the PSU hierarchy, you need to know the basics about it.
In this article, we will discuss all the details about the PSU hierarchy, where to buy one, and, most importantly, which are the best PSUs available in the market.
If you are interested in learning more about hierarchies then be sure to check our other Hierarchy Guides.
The Ideal PSU Tier Guide
Are you in search of a compatible PSU with your PC and are confused about the required features of a good PSU? Then it is important for you to know about the PSU Tiers and ratings of different PSUs available.
In this section of the article, we will tell you about the ratings and tiers of the PSU and by which piece of hardware they are inspired from.
Most people don’t realize this, but the PSU AKA Power Supply Unit is the most important and main component of your PC. The lifespan of other computer components solely relies on the choice of PSU you make, because the wrong choice can get you into a lot of trouble.
PCU Hierarchy Tier List
For any PC building enthusiast, it is essential to track down the most reliable components to go with the structure.
To make your journey bearable, we have divided power supply units in tiers from the best to the least based on the overall performance, price point, and efficiency.
Tier S – The Crème De La Crème
The number of PSUs mentioned in this tier list is definitely the best ones available in the market because of their Platinum and better 80 Plus rating, reliability, unique features, wattage range, price, and Japanese-made components. It would be a hard task for you to find models better than these.
On the other hand, they are completely suitable for those types of enthusiasts who have a significant budget and don’t settle for less. There are a lot of NVIDIA GeForce Titan V GPUs complimenting the most recent Intel Core i9 are they are pretty much on the waiting list of these power supplies.
For an average gamer in search of a PC build reliably for playing AAA games on normal settings, all of these units turn towards the requirements and are the best.
| Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 |
| Cooler Master MasterWatt Maker 1200 MiJ |
| Seasonic PRIME Series |
| Antec HCP Platinum |
| Thermaltake Toughpower iRGB PLUS |
| Corsair AXi Series |
PSU Tier 1 – Awesome Power
The units in Tier 1 are lower in terms of price, yet they still offer remarkable power solutions with great reliability. On the other hand, they are better for demanding powerhouse equipment with expensive components to work.
Furthermore, if you are on a budget, then there is nothing wrong happening with you in this tier, as it contains the most budget-friendly and performance filled units ever. In addition to this, it is a wise option to go for Tier 1 when you want to future-proof a build and enable extra room for the internal components with demanding power requirements.
| Bitfenix Whisper |
| Be Quiet! Straight Power 11 |
| GIGABYTE AP850GM Aorus P850W Modular |
| Enermax Platimax D.F. |
| Bitfenix Formula Gold |
| Mistel MX650 Fanless |
| Aerocool Project 7 |
| Corsair AXi/AX Series |
| Corsair HX/HXi Series |
| Corsair RMi/RMx Series |
| Corsair SF |
| Corsair Vengeance |
| Corsair TX-M Series |
| Cooler Master V-Series |
| FSP Aurum PT Series |
| Riotoro Enigma Series |
| Cooler Master MasterWatt Maker Series |
| Seasonic Focus Gold |
| Seasonic Focus Plus Gold |
| Seasonic Focus Plus Titanium |
| Seasonic SnowSilent Series |
| Seasonic X-Series |
| Seasonic Platinum Series |
| XFX XTS Series |
| LEPA G1600 |
| Silverstone Nightjar NJ600 |
| FSP Hydro PTM Series |
| Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB Series |
| EVGA G2 |
| EVGA P2 |
| EVGA T2 |
| EVGA G1 1000 Watts |
| Super Flower Leadex |
| XFX Pro Series |
PSU Tier 2 – Expensive Quality
The Tier 2 goes down price-wise again, and the units are perfect for veteran builders who are in search of not just a good looking, but a reliable PSU without having to spend too much from their savings. For the products in this tier, you pay for quality, and every penny is worth it.
However, first-time PSU buyers might want to stay clear with the prices because it can still be an issue for them.
| Cooler Master V Semi-Modular Series |
| EVGA GS |
| EVGA G1+ |
| EVGA GQ |
| EVGA G3 |
| Enermax Digifanless |
| Thermaltake Toughpower DPS G |
| Thermaltake Toughpower Grand Series |
| Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB Series |
| FSP Hydro G |
| FSP Dagger SFX |
| Seasonic M12II |
| Seasonic S12G |
| Seasonic G-Series |
| Kolink Continuum |
| be Quiet! Pure Power 11 |
| Corsair CX |
| Fractal Design Newton R3 |
| Fractal Design Edison M |
| Fractal Design Tesla R2 |
| XFX XTR Series |
| XFX TS Series Gold |
| Gigabyte XP1200M |
| Antec EDGE |
| Antec TruePower Classic |
| Rosewill Fortress |
| Rosewill Capstone |
| Rosewill Quark |
PSU Tier 3 – Reliable Power for Price
In this tier, we enter into a world of PSUs that are suitable for a majority of gamers who desire a functional machine with commendable components that won’t fry or buck after heavy usage. In addition to this, the PSUs in this tier are both quality-filled and affordable as well.
| Cougar GX-S |
| FSP Aurum CM |
| FSP Hydro X |
| Aurum Pro |
| Super Flower Platinum King |
| Riotoro Onyx |
| Zalman EBT |
| Enermax Revolution SFX |
| Vivo 24K |
| Fractal Design Integra M Series |
| Fractal Design Tesla R2 |
| Rosewill Photon |
| Rosewill Lightning Series |
| Rosewill Silent Night |
| Rosewill Tachyon |
| EVGA BQ |
| EVGA B3 |
| Lian Li SFX-L |
| XFX TS Series Bronze XFX Pro Series Deepcool DQST |
| Silverstone SFX |
| Silverstone Gold Evolution Series |
| Silverstone Strider Titanium Series |
| Silverstone Strider Gold S Series |
| PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III |
| PC Power & Cooling Turbo Cool |
| SAMA Armor Gold |
| LEPA G Series |
| Thermaltake Smart Pro RGB Series |
| Thermaltake Smart Series |
| Thermaltake EVO Blue Series |
PSU Tier 4 – Mid-Range Choices
In the fourth tier, we offer one of the most reliable models on the never-ending catalog of awesome PSUs on sale. They work fine, but they do not contain any extra features.
On the other hand, efficiency is not sacrificed in the tier. In clear words, the fourth tier represents mid-range, not-so-great PSUs that are kind of acceptable in terms of price and performance.
| Enermax Revolution X’t II |
| Fractal Design Tesla R2 |
| Silverstone Strider Plus |
| Cougar LX |
| Cooler Master MasterWatt Lite |
| Cooler Master GM Series |
| Cooler Master GX – CM Storm |
| Edition |
| Rosewill Capstone G |
| EVGA BQ |
| Thermaltake Toughpower Gold Series |
| Thermaltake Paris |
| Antec Neo Eco Series Antec EarthWatts Green Series |
| Antec High Current Gamer Series |
| Inwin Classic Series |
| Seasonic M12II |
| Seasonic ECO |
| Seasonic S12II |
| Corsair Gaming Series |
| be Quiet! Power Zone |
| be Quiet! Straight Power 11 |
PSU Tier 5 – Budget Choices
From here to the end, we are afraid to say, everything is downhill. Tier 5 is basically for all the budget options, and if you are a PC gaming enthusiast, these units will definitely give you goosebumps.
However, if there are any users that are able to spend extra cash on a better CPU or GPU, then these PSUs are kind of beneficial.
| Enermax NaXn |
| Silverstone SFX |
| Antec Basiq Series BP |
| Rosewill Glacier |
| EVGA-B1 |
| XFX XT |
PSU Tier 6 – Cheerful and Cheap
The Tier 6 PSUs are tricky ones; they may work well, but they may end up being useless. If you ask us, it is best to stay clear if your budget allows it.
It is easy for an enthusiastic PC builder to rant about the flaws of these PSUs. They offer the most basic and not-needed functions, and that’s pretty much it. In addition to this, these PSUs barely go 80 Plus rating.
| FSP Raider Series |
| OCZ Fatal1ty |
| Silverstone Essential Series |
| EVGA W1 |
| Corsair VS Series |
| Cooler Master B2 Series |
| LEPA MX-F1 |
| Rosewill Hive |
| Rosewill ARC M |
| Fractal Design Integra R2 |
| NZXT HALE 82 V2 |
| Thermaltake Smart Series |
| Thermaltake Toughpower Standard |
| Series |
| Thermaltake Lite Power Series |
| Antec VP Series |
| Bitfenix BPA |
PSU Tier 7 – Base of the Drum
The PSUs in this tier for everything they have to offer shouldn’t even be in the market. In a lot of ways, gamers should demand a price to use these units rather than actually using them because they are a waste of money.
| FSP Hexa |
| Cooler Master Elite Series |
| Thermaltake TR2 Series |
| EVGA N1 |
Why is Your Power Supply Choice Important?
Here’s one very essential thing you must know:
If you purchase a low-quality PSU, then you won’t be able to switch to a high-end graphics card. In addition to this, your gaming power supply will not be strong enough to give you an enhanced gaming experience or a better frame rate, but still, a PSU is an essential component.
So, it is crucial for you to make the right choice by keeping the sole purpose of creating a high-quality gaming computer in mind.
A power supply of 800W-1000W is not enough unless you use a multiple video card configuration and get some extreme type of overclocking happening. However, you don’t need that much power to better your gaming PC.
7 Factors to Consider Before Purchasing a PSU
As mentioned above, there are some questions you need to ask yourself before you buy a PSU. If you search for the answers to the above-written questions, then you will definitely get a better clue about which PSU to get from the multiple options available to you in the market. Following are the major seven factors to consider before you purchase a PSU:
- Should I purchase a modular Power Supply?
- Is it important for me to save energy?
- How many Watts are needed for my gaming PC?
- What is meant by an 80Plus rating?
- What is meant by the +12V Rail?
- Is it possible to have excessive Wattage?
- Is it necessary for me to have a nice Power Supply for Gaming?
Do not worry about yourself if you are confused to answer some of these questions. By the end of this buyer’s guide, you will surely end up with accurate answers and theories to what you are going to do.
Finding the Best PC Power Supply Unit
Power supply units are considered to be the most important part of your computer, which can turn this upside-down if not chosen correctly.
If your PC is running completely fine without a Power supply unit, then that doesn’t mean that the system is okay like that. There often comes a time when your PC will demand more power than usual.
For instance, when overclocking your PC’s RAM/CPU/GPU, there will be a high rate of power consumption. In that case, it is necessary to own a high-end PSU to provide the necessary power. The process of purchasing the right PSU means to make a decision that will support your future upgrading of components effortlessly.
However, finding the best PSU is not a child’s play. It is important for you to have enough knowledge about PSUs before purchasing one. There are a number of multiple factors that you must understand.
You must be wondering, what happens if I purchase a cheap yet high-wattage PSU or just an expensive one? The answer to that is simple; this is exactly how people fall in traps with power supplies in the first place. But you shouldn’t worry because this guide will help you a lot.
How Many Watts are needed for a PSU?
It does not make sense to buy a very powerful power supply that you are never going to need. You can understand the kind of power needed for your system to run with the help of some power consumption calculators.
There are plenty of reliable power consumption calculators available in the market, but still, we have created a list of some of the best ones that will be of help to you.
- Cooler Master Power Calculator
- MSI PSU Calculator
- Seasonic Wattage Calculator
4 Necessary PSU Ratings Discussed
Power Supply Units are marked with four most important ratings, which give you an idea of what kind of outputs you will get from the PSU.
1.Efficiency
An efficient PSU means minimum electric consumption and more affordable e-bills. The more a power supply is efficient, the better outputs it can provide you with.
2.Stability
One of the most required and necessary features of a good power supply is stable. If a power supply is not stable, then it might shut down or deliver low performance under high temperatures or in other situations.
3.Safety
The safety of your PC components depends upon the kind of power supply you use. A reliable power supply is always well-manufactured and features nice safety mechanisms like UVP- Under Voltage Protector or OVP- Over Voltage Protector, etc.
4. Components used
The power supply features rectifiers, regulator circuits, filters, and transformers. Most power supplies often come with nice cooling fans. If all of these components are of good quality, then your power supply will perform as good as possible and will last for a long time.
In conclusion, these factors play a vital role in the performance of the Power Supply Unit you choose. In addition to this, power supply units have the following type of ratings:
80+, Gold, Titanium, Bronze, Gold, and Silver, but some power supplies are not equipped with any ratings at all.
