Recommended Power Supplies List Rating Options

[jammin]

OCC Recommended Power Supplies List
This list was last updated on 8th February 2010



Introduction

The humble power supply has come a long way in the past few years.
Previously, it may have been difficult to pick out a PSU that you could be sure would do the job you were asking of it. Fortunately those days are behind us.
Today you can pick up units for very reasonable prices that will not only do the job, but be highly efficient and quiet in the process.
A number of review sites (including OCC) also now test PSUs in a way that can accurately measure performance under load.
All this means it takes considerably less effort than it used to to find yourself a good quality unit.
Of course, the question still remains: How do I pick a good PSU?
This list aims to answer that question, by providing you with a reference of units that can be trusted (to varying degrees of course), to supply power to your precious components.

There is a lot of background information available about what exactly goes into making a good PSU, but I'll save you the reading for now.
If you are interested you can follow some of the links at the end of this introduction.
One point I will make though is the importance of choosing a suitable power supply for the system you are building.
Consider what components you are powering and what your usage patterns are likely to be.
Remember that for most users, for considerable amount of the time a computer is switched on, it will be in a relatively idle state, not drawing much power.

It is also worth making a note about some of the very high powered units available on the market.
1KW PSUs aren't that uncommon any more, there are a number of them out there. Units which exceed this rating are not uncommon either.
My personal opinion is that these have a pretty limited use, but they will still be included on the list as they are generally high quality units and may be useful for extreme builds.

With an enthusiasts mindset of bigger/more powerful = better, it is easy to think that you might require a PSU with a rating of 1KW or above.
The fact is that 95% of you likely won't.
Unless you're packing some serious multi-GPU action then you're not even going to get close to needing one. Unless you just like to brag of course.
Consider this seriously when you are buying and if you are not sure, then don't be afraid to ask. That's what we are here for
(I would suggest asking anyway, even if you are sure. It can't hurt.)

If you are interested in reading more about Power Supplies and some of the information that has been used to compile the list, then check out the following links:

Evidence Collection for Power Supply Requirements

Everything You Need to Know About Power Supplies - Highly Recommended Reading
By: Gabriel Torres @ Hardware Secrets

How Much Power is Enough?
By: Steven Walton @ LegionHardware

PC Power Consumption: How Many Watts Do We Need? - Recommended Reading
By: Oleg Artamonov @ X-bit Labs

Power Supply Fundamentals
By: Mike Chin @ SPCR

Why 99% of Power Supply Reviews Are Wrong - (A number of review sites have improved their testing methods since this was written, thankfully)
By: Gabriel Torres @ Hardware Secrets

Anatomy of Switching Power Supplies
By: Gabriel Torres @ Hardware Secrets

OEM Database @ JonnyGuru

XS Tiered PSU Manufacturer Brand Listing
By: perkam @ XtremeSystems

80 Plus Certified PSUs

Test Data From:

Jonny Guru
Silent PC Review
[H]ard|OCP
Hardware Secrets
PC Perspective
OverclockersClub
X-bit Labs


----------------------------------------------------------------------------


The List

Power Supplies are listed by brand and important features are noted alongside the listing.
'Quiet' in this case means acceptable for use in what some may commonly call a 'silent' system.
Basically they are quiet enough to be matched with other 'silent' products such as case fans etc. without causing too much of an upset.
Be sure to ask if you are planning a quiet system as even those labelled as quiet will vary in noise level.
(note: Some of the PSUs may be quiet but haven't been labelled as such yet because of the lack of reliable evidence)
'Modular' should be a familiar concept, allowing you to add or remove power cables as needed.
Listings link to the official product page for the PSU/PSU Series in question
Reviews (on which this list is largely based) are listed after each unit (in progress).
I will attempt to keep the list as up to date as possible, I'm sure you realise how quickly things move.
80Plus Certification Level - 80Plus certification was introduced a while back to encourage manufacturers to increase the efficiency of their products. PSUs are tested at 20%, 50% and 100% load and must meet certain efficiency figures. Those figures are outlined below, with there currently being four levels of certification:

Standard: 80% - 80% - 80%
Bronze: 82% - 85% - 82%
Silver: 85% - 87% - 85%
Gold: 87% - 90% - 87%

80Plus certification is handy as a quick reference to see roughly how efficient you can expect a power supply to be, but isn't the be all and end all. Certification testing is carried out at a rather unrealistic temperature of 23c (far lower than you can expect in the average PC), so look out for more detailed testing in reviews if efficiency really matters to you. Each listing links to the 80Plus PDF report.


Note: A number of the Power Supplies included on this list will not have been tested in reviews at 230VAC.
230V (or similar) is the standard mains voltage in Europe and large parts of the rest of the world.
As input voltage will effect certain aspects of a PSUs performance, it is therefore worth considering that your mileage may vary.
It is unlikely that any differences will turn a good PSU into a bad one (in fact, efficiency generally improves).
However, members outside the US may wish to further research power supply choices to see if any particular issues arise with the change of input voltage.


Take a deep breath, and begin:


Antec

- Earthwatts 380W - Quiet - 80Plus Standard
- Earthwatts 430W - Quiet - 80Plus Standard
- Earthwatts 500W - Quiet - 80Plus Standard
- Earthwatts 650W - 80Plus Standard - Review
- NeoHE 380W - Modular - Quiet
- TruePower New 750W - Modular - 80Plus Bronze - Review
- Antec TruePower Quattro 850W - Modular - 80Plus Bronze - Review, Review
- Signature 650W - Modular - 80Plus Bronze - Review
- Signature 850W - Modular - 80Plus Bronze - Review

- CP-850 850W - Modular - 80Plus Standard - Review, Review - Important note: Unusual form factor, only fits 3 Antec case models.


BFGTech

- ES-800 - 80Plus Standard - Review
- LS-450 - 80Plus Standard - Review
- LS-550 - 80Plus Standard - Review
- LS-680 - 80Plus Standard - Review
- MX-550 - Modular - Review
- MX-680 - Modular - Review


Coolmax

- CUQ-1350B 1350W - Modular - Review


Cooler Master

- UCP 700W - 80Plus Silver - Review
- Silent Pro M700W - Modular - Quiet - 80Plus Standard - Review
- Silent Pro M850W - Modular - 80Plus Bronze - Review
- Real Power Pro 1000W - 80Plus Standard


Corsair

- CX 400 - 80Plus Standard - Review
- HX 520W - Modular - Quiet - 80Plus Standard
- HX 620W - Modular - Quiet - 80Plus Standard
- VX 450W - Quiet - 80Plus Standard
- VX 550W - 80Plus Standard
- TX 650W - Quiet - 80Plus Standard - Review
- TX 750W - 80Plus Standard - Review, Review
- HX 750W - Modular - 80Plus Gold (note: Corsair advertise as Silver) - Review
- TX 850W - 80Plus Standard - Review, Review
- HX 850W - Modular - 80Plus Gold (note: Corsair advertise as Silver) - Review - Review
- TX 950W - 80Plus Silver (note: Corsair advertise as Bronze) - Review
- HX 1000W - Modular - 80Plus Standard - Review


Enermax

- Liberty ECO 500W - Modular - 80Plus Standard - Review, Review
- Liberty ECO 620W - Modular - 80Plus Standard - Review
- Pro82+ 525W - Quiet - 80Plus Bronze - Review
- Modu82+ 625W - Modular - Quiet - 80Plus Bronze - Review, Review
- Pro82+ 625W - Quiet - 80Plus Bronze - Review
- Revolution 85+ 850W - Modular - 80Plus Silver - Review
- Revolution 85+ 1050W - Modular - 80Plus Silver - Review - Review
- Galaxy Evo 1250W - Modular - 80Plus Bronze - Review


FSP

- Blue Storm II 400w
- Blue Storm II 500w


Glacial Tech

- Glacial Power GP-AL650AA 650W - 80Plus Standard - Review


Hiper

- Type R II 880W - Review
- Type M 880W - 80Plus Bronze - Review


In Win

- Commander 1200W - Modular - 80Plus Standard - Review, Review


Kingwin

- ABT-1220MA1S - Modular - 80Plus Bronze - Review


NorthQ

- Giant Connector 850W - Modular - Review


OCZ

- StealthXStream 600W - Review
- Fatal1ty 700W - 80Plus Standard - Review
- Z Series 850W - Modular - 80Plus Gold - Review


PC Power and Cooling

- Turbo-Cool 510 SLI
- Turbo-Cool 510 ASL
- Turbo-Cool 860W - 80Plus Standard - Review
- Turbo-Cool 1KW
- Silencer 610W - 80Plus Standard
- Silencer 750 Quad - 80Plus Standard - Review - Review
- Silencer 910W - 80Plus Silver - Review


Seasonic

- M12D 750W - Modular - Quiet - 80Plus Silver - Review
- M12D 850W - Modular - Quiet - 80Plus Silver - Review
- X-650W - Modular - Quiet - 80Plus Gold - Review
- X-750W - Modular - Quiet - 80Plus Gold - Review


Silverstone

- Zeus ZM1200M - Modular - Review
- Strider ST1500 - Modular - 80Plus Silver - Review


Tagan

- PipeRock II 680W - Modular - 80Plus Bronze - Review


Thermaltake

- Purepower RX 600W - Modular - Review
- ToughPower XT 850W Cable Management - Modular - Review


Topower

- Powerbird 800W - Modular - 80Plus Standard - Review
- Powerbird 900W - Modular - 80Plus Standard - Review


Tuniq

- Ensemble 1200W - Review


Ultra

- X3 1000w - Modular


XFX

- XXX Edition 650W - Modular - Review
- Black Edition 850W - Modular - 80Plus Silver - Review - Review



Zalman

- ZM360B-APS - Review
- ZM600-HP - Modular - Review
- ZM750-HP - Modular - 80Plus Standard - Review
- ZM1000-HP - Modular - Quiet - 80Plus Standard - Review



----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Credits:
Many thanks go out to the people behind all of the resources used to compile this list (check out the links at the top of this post), without them it wouldn't have been possible.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------

A note on pricing: The cost of power supplies is certainly an important factor when you are going to buy, but as this can tend to vary over time and by region it is given a relatively small consideration when adding units to this list. If a PSU is good, then it's good and I'll leave the shopping around to you.

I hope that reading this has helped you make a decision on which power supply is right for you.
If you're still not sure, then please ask in the forums and we'll be very happy to help.
Even if you have made up your mind, run your decision by us for more input.

Feedback is always welcome.
Disagree with how a PSU is tagged? Think something does / doesn't deserve to be on the list? Then let me know.

This post has been edited by jammin: Today, 12:53 PM

[jammin]

The List has just received a major overhaul.

[Kash]

Wow, that is one good looking guide. Great job Jammin!!

[jammin]

Thanks (and you left out roadkill.. though I'm sure you didn't mean to )

I'll take this opportunity to encourage members to post feedback.

- Tell us what you like and don't like about how the list works (is it easy to use?)
- What other information would you like included (I'll be working on adding tags to PSUs which could be described as 'quiet' for starters)
Other possible information could include efficiency (whether units are 80+ certified) and pricing (though as this fluctuates it may actually be counter productive)
- Even whether colour effects the usability (do you like the neon green btw? I'm not sure if I do)

edit - neon snot green is out and pastel yellow is in, along with a nice lavender for the quiet ones

This post has been edited by jammin: Apr 29 2007, 09:57 PM

[markiemrboo]

Hm... quiet... what does this actually mean? I mean, 'modular' is rather self-explanatory, but quietness.... I dunno.

For instance, the 92mm Noiseblocker fan on my XP-90 is spec'd "to German DIN standards" at 22dBA. It is silent to me. OT, but I do like how they tell you exactly how the fans were measured too. Very honest!

My friend bought all Akasa Amber fans, 92mm and 120mm, which are spec'd at 18dBA for both. He later changed to Xilence fans, as he just preferred the colour, which are spec'd at 19dBA for the 92mm and 21dBA for the 120mm (according to Aria description). He actually says the Xilence are noticeably quieter, regardless of the specs. I'm not sure if it's just a subjective thing, or if the specs are being measured slightly differently.

So, though numbers don't seem to be entirely indicative of "quietness", apparently, I still think it might be a good sort of "guideline" if they were included? :s Or maybe even a 'Silent' tag, or was that was quiet was meant to mean?



How about a tag indicating if it's single / dual / quad rails or whatever? Or are most dual / quad these days? I dunno!


I do remember when I was looking for a new PSU a while back, I was determined to find out what caps were being used as my current Antec is full of Fuj[something] ( sounds very much like f-you, ironically ) 110% garbage. It's hard to find from reviews what's actually inside, but I do think it would be kinda nice to include it if people want to report it. There might be a problem with varying slightly from unit to unit though, which would be a pain. My Antec TC 550 is purely f-you caps, even on the primary mains side! Most people, at the very least, seemed to have Rubycon's there!


I can't remember what the old list looked like now, but this one looks nice and simple!

This post has been edited by markiemrboo: Apr 30 2007, 02:42 AM

[jammin]

Quiet is a bit different than Silent, even though manufacturers like to exchange the two words as if they were the same.
I should probably add a clear definition as to what the 'quiet' tag means.

Quiet in this case means acceptable for use in what some may commonly call a 'silent' system.
Basically they are quiet enough to be matched with other 'silent' products such as case fans etc. without causing too much of an upset.

I didn't want to tag them as 'silent' because they aren't. Only passively cooled PSUs are truly capable of that and don't really have a place in a list on a forum like this as far as I'm concerned.

You are right that manufacturers numbers cannot be trusted, and they also don't measure the 'quality' of the sound.
That's something that can only be done with subjective testing.


Each PSU that is labelled 'quiet' in the list is done so on the basis of review and consumer consensus.
Therefore some of the PSUs on the list may actually be quiet, but aren't labelled as such because of a lack of evidence (or research on my part).
If members can provide adequate evidence they can then also be tagged.
Most of the current 'quiet' PSUs are based on testing performed by SPCR, who's judgement I tend to trust in that regard.



As for labelling PSUs with multiple rails, that only serves to confuse things further I believe.
Most multi-rail PSUs aren't truly multi rail in any case, with all 12v lines being fed from the same source on the PCB.
I'm just trying to find some sources to refer you to on that one.
(edit - it's something Hardware Secrets refer to in PSU reviews quite often)

This post has been edited by jammin: Apr 30 2007, 05:25 AM

[hardnrg]

edit - neon snot green is out and pastel yellow is in, along with a nice lavender for the quiet ones

oh they are SO you darling

[jammin]

You so can't tell I'm doing a design degree can you.

This post has been edited by jammin: Apr 30 2007, 03:10 AM

[CoolMaster]

why arent the antec truepowers series on there? arent they supposed to be good

[jammin]

I'll be adding the Truepower Trio series actually
They are Seasonic units, but you won't get quite the same build quality you'd get with Seasonic branded PSUs.

Edit - Added Antec TruePower Trio series.

Edit2 - Also added FSP Green PS series. These might be relatively difficult to find (pay attention to the product number in the brackets).
The 300W is currently sold at Newegg

This post has been edited by jammin: May 8 2007, 09:21 AM

[tazwegion]

Hmmmm... there is a noticable absence of Hiper Type M & R series PSU's

[jammin]

Yeah, I have to look into those a bit more.

I've been meaning to do some more updates to the list, so should probably do that in the next few days.
I'm sure there will be a few more I can add.

For example, it looks as though the Seasonic s12 II should be available soon (despite the incredible lack of information about it from Seasonic themselves).

I think an update about once a month to keep it fresh should be alright.

This post has been edited by jammin: Jun 9 2007, 06:21 AM