Best PC power supply 2018: top PSUs for your PC

When you’re building one of the best PCs, the most important things you can do is get one of the best PC power supplies. We know it doesn’t sound too exciting, but every component in your rig relies on the best PC power supply for life. Even if it means you have less money for one of the best graphics cards, you shouldn’t compromise on your power supply. 

We’re just going to come out and say it – having a power supply die on you is an awful experience. This is due to the fact that many of the symptoms of a dying PC power supply can slip by unnoticed.

Sure, some are as obvious as your PC just outright refusing to turn on, but they can also be as subtle as a power efficiency dip. By the time you notice your PSU is beginning to fail, it may be too late. So, do yourself a favor and buy one of the best PC power supplies today, so it doesn’t fail tomorrow.

It’s not all negative though, as there’s a wide variety of fantastic PC power supplies available right now. And, even if you’re trying to watch your budget, you can still get one of the best PC power supplies. There are even some amazing high-power units, rocking RGB lighting, that can power the best gaming PCs – if you have the cash ready. Regardless of what you’re looking for, you can be sure that you’ll find the best PC power supplies right here on this list. 

The Corsair RM750x scores the top spot on this list for one simple reason: it’s the most well-rounded power supply you can buy today. On top of a 10 year warranty and an 80 Gold Plus efficiency rating, the Corsair has a fully modular cable system. This means you only need to install the cables you need – you can say goodbye to the mess of cables and shoddy airflow that non-modular PSUs endure. 

If you’re looking to save some cash on your PC build, you don’t have a ton of options for cheap power supplies that aren’t terrible. In situations like this, an economical option like the EVGA 500 B1 might be the best PC power supply for you. For less than the cost of a AAA game, you can expect 500 watts of power transmitted through several SATA cables and two PCIe cables – it covers the bare essentials, which is exactly what a budget power supply should do. The three-year warranty is just the cherry on top.

• This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the Corsair RM750x 

Even the best PSUs seem to have extremely loud fans, and unlike case fans, it’s not exactly easy to replace them. Luckily, the Straight Power 10 line-up runs nice and quiet. Options range from 400w to 700w, and they’re SLI and Crossfire certified. They’re also modular, meaning you only need to use the cables that are necessary for your build.  

The best power supplies have a tendency to be over-sized, taking up way too much space in your PC. However, these days there are plenty of compact pc power supplies that still provide plenty of juice. The Silverstone SX550 is almost half the size of other power supplies, so that you can better facilitate cables and airflow inside your case. Ths makes it the perfect case for micro ATX and mini ITX builds, and you can even slide it into a mid or full-size tower as well, if you feel like it. 

If you’re a serious builder that plans on building an absolute behemoth of a rig, with multiple graphics cards, cooling systems on top of some healthy overclocking, the Corsair AX1500i is the best PC power supply for you. It has the highest possible 80 Plus Titanium efficiency rating, and is fully modular, so you only need to add the cables your build actually requires. 

If you’re really trying to maximise the visual appeal of your build, a modular power supply is almost essential – you can avoid all of those messy looking wires cluttering up your case. The NZXT E650 takes things a step further. Not only is it a fully modular power supply, meaning you only need to connect the wires you actually need, but it’s also extremely attractive itself, begging to be shown off in your case. This is all topped off with an 80 Plus Gold efficiency rating and a 10-year warranty – not only will it look good, but it’ll deliver power efficiently and last forever while it does it. 

In 2018, if your PC isn’t strapped to the nines with RGB lighting, you’re not trying hard enough. Enter the Thermaltake Smart RGB 700W – not only does it have beautiful, addressable RGB lighting, but it also features a reliable 80 Plus efficiency rating and enough power to support even the best gaming PCs. Yeah, it’s not modular, but at less than a hundred bucks, we’re willing to look the other way – especially with that sick lighting. 

• Pick up the best processors while you're at it

Bill Thomas and Gabe Carey has also contributed to this article