You're done choosing whatever Processor and GPU you want for your custom-built PC. You're done choosing how much RAM you want, at what speed you want it to be, and its timing. You're done choosing how much storage you want, whether it be HDD or SSD. You're done choosing what case you want for your rig. Now, the question is, which power supply should you buy along with your rig? The power supply of your PC is one of the components that you should never cheap out on just to stay within budget. Since it is the one that's responsible to convert the power from DC and distribute the said converted power to the parts of your rig. Now, with that in mind, here 5 things you should consider when buying a power supply for your PC.
Watts
You should always consider what wattage your power supply is going to need to efficiently power your rig. You can use some PSU calculator websites to help you decide at what wattage your PSU is going to need based on the specs you've already picked. Here are some websites you can use:
Rating
You'll normally see this thing whenever you look at a power supply: "80+ Rating", "Bronze", "Silver", "Gold", "Platinum", "Titanium", but what does that mean? The rating of a power supply corresponds to its efficiency in converting the DC power into whatever power your rig needs. The higher the rating, the better the power supply is at converting DC power and the better at saving power, and the better the power supply is at saving power, the lower the power bill is going to be.
Here is a photo showcasing the efficiency of each rating:
Brand
The more famous the brand is, the better the product. But this isn't always the case though. There are also lesser-known brands that produce great power supplies. But as a general rule of thumb, it's pretty simple really, the brand wouldn't be recognized as reliable if their products aren't reliable. Here are some reliable brands of power supplies:
Seasonic
Corsair
EVGA
Cooler Master
Thermaltake
FSP
Silverstone
Design
It doesn't really sound like a very important thing at face value, but if you really put a thought about it, it is just as important as the things listed above. You need to consider the design of your power supply especially if you are building on an unconventionally designed case. If your case is an ITX case, then your power supply should be designed for an ITX case. Another thing you should consider with the design along with what case you're building in is, whether you need a Fully-modular, Semi-modular, or Non-modular PSU. The modularity of a PSU corresponds with how much the builder will be able to attach/detach cables on the PSU itself. This can make your cable management easier. Although, fully-modular doesn't always mean that it is the better option. There are non-modular PSUs that have better parts and have a higher rating than fully-modular ones.
Reviews
You can already decide what power supply you'll want and need for the rig you are building with only the 4 things mentioned above. But this last one would help clarify if your decision is a wise one. Check the reviews for the specific power supply you've chosen, if the reviews are positive, then you made a good choice, if it's the other way around, you might want to reconsider your choice.
These are 5 things you should consider when buying a power supply for your rig.
I hope it helps you in deciding which one you want and need to get.
And as always, always keep your cool! Cheers!
