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{"meta":{"keywords":"power supply unit, psu, pc parts, pc components","description":"Power Supply Units: Why Do I Need One?"},"active":true,"show_in_home":true,"show_as_recent":false,"show_as_popular":false,"_id":"62c459cca54db267035e6e18","aid":"power-supply-units","big_image_path":"power-supply-units-big.jpg","date":"06/28/2022","elements":[{"content":"<p><br data-mce-bogus='1'></p><p>Building your own gaming computer online is the best way to make sure you get the PC you really need while staying right on budget. However, when the time to choose components comes, many usually wonder why they have to spend so much on pieces they don't even know what they are for.</p><p><br></p><p>After all, when we think about Gaming PCs, we usually know that they should be equipped with a fast processor and the best graphics card we can afford. We also want a nice screen, a comfortable keyboard and mouse, and access to the internet. But that's pretty much it.</p><p><br></p><p>However, other parts have an extremely important function in every system, and one of them is the power supply unit or PSU.</p><p><br></p><p>Today, we will talk about this essential component, and why it is important to pick the right one for your rig.</p><p><br></p><h2><span style='font-size: 21px;' data-mce-style='font-size: 18pt;'>What Is The Power Supply Unit?</span></h2><p><strong>The power supply unit is the part that draws electricity from your power outlet, converts it to usable current, reduces the voltage, and distributes power to all the components that require it</strong>. They also protect your components from dangerous electricity spikes. In other words, your PSU is the support hero who is constantly buffing up all other players and will sacrifice itself if something dangerous, like a power surge, threatens the team.</p><p><br></p><p>Power supply units feed your motherboard which, in turn, powers your CPU, RAM sticks, hard drives, USB ports, and more. It also sends electricity to your GPU and cooling fans, and should have energy to spare in case you want RGB lights or some other peripherals.</p><h2><br data-mce-bogus='1'></h2><h2>How Do You Choose The Right Power Supply Unit?</h2><p>A power supply unit should provide sufficient and constant power to all of your components. If your components are underpowered, you will start experiencing many issues that will eventually make gaming impossible, or won't even let you turn your PC on.</p><p><br></p><p>An unstable system can cause problems such as random restarts and shutdowns, excessive fan noise, blue screens of death, or might just fail to start.</p><p><br></p><p>This can happen as soon as you start playing a graphics-intensive game that demands more power from your GPU, which can be very frustrating. That's why having the appropriate PSU is so important for gamers and those who use computers for processor-intensive tasks.</p><h2><br data-mce-bogus='1'></h2><h2>How Many Watts Is Enough For Gaming?</h2><p>Now that we understand the importance of a power supply unit, some might be tempted to go buy the biggest one just to be sure they have the most powerful PC. However, that's not how it works.</p><p><br></p><p>Having the most expensive PSU will only result in waste. So you only need the right one for your specific needs, no more, no less.</p><p><br></p><p>PSU power is measured in watts. Common sense dictates that you need a power supply that can at least dish out as much power as your components require. However, you should aim for a power supply that gives you at least 25% overhead power.</p><p><br></p><p>This is for two reasons: A) You might want to expand or upgrade your components. If you want to add additional hard drives or replace your GPU with a more powerful version in the future, you need to make sure you can keep up with the new power requirements. B) The closer a PSU gets to 100% loads, the less efficient it gets and the faster it wears out, so having a bit more power is better.</p><p><br></p><p>So, say you crunched your numbers, or used our custom PC builder, and found out that your components will draw 500W. Then you will need a 650W or 700W PSU at least for future proofing your system.</p><h2><br data-mce-bogus='1'></h2><h2>Why Do PSUs Have Ratings?</h2><p>As your power supply draws AC voltage from your wall, it needs to convert it into DC voltage. However, not all that voltage gets converted, so the remaining voltage is released to the environment in the form of heat.</p><p><br></p><p>Efficiency ratings indicate how much AC voltage is turned into DC and define the final wattage. Most PSUs today have an 80+ logo to indicate that they are at least 80% efficient at loads of 20%, 50%, and 100%. For example, a 650W 80+ PSU will actually draw 780W from the AC outlet and release 130W in the form of heat at 100% loads.</p><p><br></p><p>There are also the metal ratings. Today, you can find the 80-plus badge in various colors representing bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and titanium. These levels indicate power efficiency with bronze level PSUs hitting 88% at 50% loads, while gold gets you 94% efficiency at 50% loads.</p><p><br></p><p>So, you generally want an 80+ rated power supply with high efficiency to make sure you´re not liberating too much heat into your system and save a bit on energy bills as well.</p><h2><br data-mce-bogus='1'></h2><h2>Do I need a Modular PSU?</h2><p>Modularity refers to the ability to attach or detach cables from your PSU when needed.</p><p><br></p><p>Non-modular PSUs come with all their cables attached permanently. They´re more affordable but can turn into a nightmare if you are not experienced with cable management, or if there is not enough space inside your case. Having all these cables lurking inside your PC can cause ventilation problems and heat buildup.</p><p><br></p><p>Modular PSUs allow the user to keep things tidy by only attaching cables that are strictly necessary. Freeing up space by detaching all unnecessary cables is a great way to declutter your PC and achieve better temperature control.</p><p><br></p><p>So, which one is the best PSU for you?</p><p>Going modular is usually the first option for those obsessed with cable management, and it makes clean-up duties a lot easier in the long run. However, if you are a power gamer, non-modular power supply units can be the best option as you will need all of your connectors securely attached all of the time.</p><p><br></p><p>If you are not sure which PSU is best for the build you have in mind, you can refer to this short and sweet post anytime or talk to one of our professional computer builders if you need to hear it from a true gamer</p>","id":"p0","sort_index":0,"type":"paragraph"}],"mid_image_path":"power-supply-units-mid.jpg","sid":"pc-parts-benchmark","small_image_path":"power-supply-units-small.jpg","sub_title":"Building your own gaming computer online is the best way to make sure you get the PC you really need while staying right on budget.","title":"Power Supply Units: Why Do I Need One?"}
