Power Supply Units or PSUs are one of the most important part of a PC Build since they power your entire build. Be it a low-end PC or a higher-end one, a good PSU is really important. As after all, nobody wants a ticking time bomb in your PC (that’s right, bad PSUs have a tendency to explode). Now choosing a power supply can be quite boring since there are a lot of options available and they’re not exactly easy to distinguish. A buyer can easily get confused when it comes to the wattage of a PSU, its rating, efficiency, and overall reliability. But I’m here to make things a little easy (I’ll try).
So let’s start with one of the most important questions, what power output do you need?
Now instead of calculating the power consumption of each part, you have individually you can use a wattage calculator to get a better idea and save a lot of time.
Some good wattage calculators online-
Power Supply Calculator – PSU Wattage Calculator
To use the tools, select the components you plan on using, and it will automatically calculate the estimated power output you’ll need.
For example, if I plan on getting a Ryzen 5 5600x, pair it with an RTX 3070, along with 16 gigabytes of memory and a 500 gig SSD, the recommended PSU wattage will be 472 watts. (according to the Newegg one)
Now hold on, don’t go buying a 500W PSU for your RTX 3070 build, there are a few more things
you need to consider while deciding the wattage.
1-Extra fans and coolers you plan to add to your build.
2-Extra headroom for power spikes ( the spikes aren’t that much in modern components but it’s good to leave a headroom of approximately 100 watts)
3- Future Upgrades- It’s important to think about future upgrades as a good PSU may easily last 10 years or so (some PSUs have a 10-year warranty)
Now taking all this into consideration I’d suggest getting at least a 650W PSU for an RTX 3070/5600x build, which is like +200W from the recommended wattage.
What is 80 Plus Certification?
Now as you go on browsing PSUs for your build, you’ll notice many are labeled with an 80+ certification. 80 Plus is a certification program that manufacturers utilize to provide some assurance that their power supplies will meet certain efficiency requirements.80 Plus has various levels ranging from Basic to Titanium.
This is a table consisting of efficiency levels for consumer power supplies-
| % of rated load | 10% | 20% | 50% | 100% |
| 80 Plus | – | 80% | 80% | 80% |
| 80 Plus Bronze | – | 82% | 85% | 82% |
| 80 Plus Silver | – | 85% | 88% | 85% |
| 80 Plus Gold | – | 87% | 90% | 87% |
| 80 Plus Platinum | – | 90% | 92% | 89% |
| 80 Plus Titanium | 90% | 92% | 94% | 90% |
Now I know all this is a little complicated to understand but to keep it basic, the difference is how efficiently the PSU transforms energy on a specific load level. To conclude this complicated part, simply getting an 80 Plus Bronze rated PSU as a minimum is recommended.
Should you get a Modular PSU, a Semi-Modular PSU, or a Non Modular one?
Another important aspect of buying a PSU is choosing between a Modular, Non-Modular, or a Semi-Modular one.
Non-Modular PSUs– These PSUs have all their cables attached.Probably cause they were around since cable management wasn’t a thing and people didn’t care about cables making a mess. Although they still have some advantages like being cost-effective and if you’re someone who uses all the wires which come with a power supply, there’s no point in paying for modularity.
Semi-Modular PSUs– Semi-modular power supplies are kind of a middle ground between modular and non-modular PSUs and that’s what makes them great. They come with most of the necessary cables pre-attached and thus are really easy to use for new builders.
Modular PSUs- These power supplies have some or all of their cables detachable. They help in cable management but are really hard to use for new builders as connecting the plethora of cables can be a little complex.
Which one should you get? Well unless you’re using custom cable mods, there’s no reason to pay extra for a modular PSU, getting a semi-modular PSU will be enough for most people.
The option to detach cables is nothing but a luxury and it shouldn’t be a deciding factor when you’re choosing a power supply.
Getting to the part you’ve been waiting for (I hope), here are some of the best PSUs you can buy in India according to their price and wattage.
Best PSUs under Rupees 4000 (450W, 550W)
1- Cooler Master MWE 450W Bronze V2 230v 80 Plus Bronze Certified, Non-Modular Power Supply
This power supply is a great bang for your buck especially at Rs 3099 (on Amazon India at the time of writing).
- 5-year manufacturer warranty
- Flat black cables
- Certified 80 Plus Bronze Efficiency
- Fixed the ripple issue with revision 2
2-Cooler Master MWE 550 V2 80 Plus Bronze Certified, Non-Modular Power Supply
The 550W version of the MWE v2 again is very cost-effective and a great budget option at Rs 3500 (on MDComputers at the time of writing)
- 5-year manufacturer warranty
- Flat black cables
- Certified 80 Plus Bronze Efficiency
Best PSUs under Rupees 6000 (650W)
1- Corsair CX 650 80 Plus Bronze Certified, Non-Modular ATX Power Supply
At Rs 5500 (on Vedant Computers at the time of writing), it’s one of the best 650W power supplies from Corsair.
- 5-year manufacturer warranty
- Matte black finish and sleeved cables
- Certified 80 Plus Bronze Efficiency
- 120mm thermally controlled fan
2- Deepcool DQ650-M-V2L 650 Watt 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply
The Deepcool DQ650-M-V2L is simply a great power supply that is feature-packed and comes with the added bonus of a sweet 10-year warranty at Rs 6500 (on MDComputers at the time of writing).
- 10-year manufacturer warranty
- Certified 80 Plus Gold Efficiency
- High-Grade Japanese Capacitors
- Fully Modular
Best PSUs under Rupees 8000 (650W,750W)
1- Antec EA650G PRO 80 Plus Gold Certified 650 Watt Semi-Modular Power Supply
The Antec EA650G PRO at Rs 7000(on Amazon India at the time of writing) is one of the best and most feature-packed power supplies you can find in this price range.
- 7-year manufacturer warranty
- Certified 80 Plus Gold Efficiency
- 120 mm noise optimized fan
- Semi-Modular
2-Deepcool DQ750-M-V2L 750 Watt 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply
The 750W version of the DQ650-M-V2L is another great power supply at just Rs 7400 (on MDComputers at the time of writing)
- 10-year manufacturer warranty
- Certified 80 Plus Gold Efficiency
- Fully Modular
3-Antec EA750G PRO 80 Plus Gold Certified 750 Watt Semi-Modular Power Supply
The 750W version of the EA650G Pro at Rs 7500 (at the time of writing on Amazon India) is again a feature-packed power supply at a great price.
- 7-year manufacturer warranty
- Certified 80 Plus Gold Efficiency
- Semi-Modular
4-Antec HCG 750 80 Plus Bronze Certified Fully Modular Power Supply
This is from the Antec HCG series and at just Rs 6800 (at the time of writing on Amazon India) is a good choice to consider and is one of the cheapest 750W Power Supplies you can find.
- 5-year manufacturer warranty
- Fully Modular
- Certified 80 Plus Bronze Efficiency
- 135mm noise optimized fan
Best PSUs under Rupees 10000 (750W,850W)
1–NZXT C750 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply
The NZXT C series is a good and reliable option to go with since it basically is a rebranded Seasonic Focus PSU which is a good power supply not usually sold in India. Currently at Rs 8800 (currently at Rs 8800 on Vedant Computers) is a good option if you’ve got the budget.
- 10-year manufacturer warranty
- Fully Modular
- 80 Plus Gold Certified
- 120mm dynamic fan with Zero RPM mode
2-Deepcool DQ850-M-V2L 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply
The 850W version of the DQ650-M-V2L is a great bang for your buck and has a lot of features. It is a great power supply to consider if you have a high end build (looking at you 3080 and 3090 owners) and also want to be future proof. Currently costs Rs 8750 (at the time of writing on MDComputers)
- 3-year manufacturer warranty
- Fully Modular
- 80 Plus Gold Certified
- High-Quality Japanese Capacitors
3–Antec HCG-850 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply
The 850W Gold version of the HCG 750 is a good option especially with the 10-year warranty at Rs 9600 (at the time of writing on PCStudio).
- 10-year manufacturer warranty
- Fully Modular
- 80 Plus Gold Certified
- 120mm noise optimized fan
Best PSUs under Rupees 12000 (850W)
1-Corsair RM850 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply
The RM850 is one of the best power supplies you can buy at Rs 11900 (on MDComputers)
with tons of features and high build quality. This power supply has Modern Standby Mode which is a feature for Windows 10 which will vastly improve your PC’s sleep and wake functionality.
- 10-year manufacturer warranty
- 80 Plus Gold Certified
- 135mm noise optimized fan
- Fully Modular and Multiple GPU ready
2-Gigabyte Aorus P850 80 Plus Gold Fully Modular Power Supply
The Aorus P850 is a solid option to consider as another great feature-packed power supply at a great price. Currently at Rs 10100 (on Vedant Computers at the time of writing), often falls down to Rs 8500 during sales, so I suggest keeping an eye out for this amazing deal.
- 10-year manufacturer warranty
- 80 Plus Gold Certified
- 135mm smart fan
- Fully Modular
Note-This power supply is not to be confused with the Gigabyte P750GM and P850GM ones which are relatively cheap, as they’re bad quality power supplies having a tendency to explode.
Where are the 1000W+ PSUs?
After going through the list you might be wondering where the 1000W+ Power Supplies are. Well the reason I decided to not include them is most people who will read this won’t actually need a 1000W+ power supply. An 850W one is enough for most consumer PC Builds.
But if you’re someone who wants to future proof for the next 10 years or wants to SLI 3090s or you’re a miner with multiple GPUs, here are some good options you could consider-
So many options, which one should you get?
Selecting a power supply out of the ones I’ve listed above might be a bit confusing but what you should keep in mind is, the above power supplies are all good quality ones backed by a warranty from a reputable company. So simply, decide what features you want and what budget might be the best for you, and voila! You’ve decided which power supply to get. Now you can finally power up your build and enjoy hours of gaming.
Conclusion
Whatever you end up buying, keep in mind that a good PSU is an investment. Most good power supplies have long warranties thus lasting for years. When your PC can no longer handle the latest games, upgrading your GPU and CPU can solve the problem. But your PSU will remain the same between many builds and thus it should be a priority.
Remember, never cheap out on your PSU!