A power supply unit is one of the most crucial components and is considered an important task not only for the PC builder but also for customers. You should purchase a premium power supply unit irrespective of whether you are building a new PC or upgrading an existing system. A PSU is the direct source of energy for the computer and hence the brand should be superior. Otherwise, the internal components will fail to cause serious damage to the system.
If you work with a high-performance CPU or GPU with less PSU, then the overall work will be impacted. The whole process is complicated because you will have to try and match several PC components into a single unit. Nowadays, you have plenty of CPU and GPU combinations and hence there will be a difficulty. In this article, we will examine the ultimate PSU hierarchy 2022, which enables you to select the right choice for your new computer.
Ranking System
The Ranking System hierarchy is based on performance and efficiency. It is to be noted that the 80-plus rating is required when you talk about ultimate PSU. These ratings are a kind of certification created to signify that a power supply is at least 80% efficient at 20%, 50%, and 100% loads. The 6 different certificates such as regular, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and titanium denote PSU’s efficiency. You should pick a maximum of 2 modes per manufacturer in each tier so that you can arrive at a conclusion during the purchase stage. The PSUs in each tier have been divided into two categories such as multi-rail and single-rail respectively.
The main difference between these two categories is the total number of overcurrent protection circuits. Tech enthusiasts make use of the multi-rail for power supply units with multiple OCP circuits. The single-rail PSUs make use of one OCP circuit. You should note that OCP circuits have no impact on performance. The difference in protection is minimal and manufacturers build single-rail PSUs to offer the best possible protection. The multi-rail PSUs are useful only for PSU/PC enthusiasts.
S Tier
The S Tier is reserved for the enthusiast class. The power supply units in this tier carry an 80+ Gold, Platinum or Titanium rating. However, you should note that PSUs with titanium ratings are not available on the market and are reserved for very high-performance systems. Hence, these PSUs are not required unless you are willing to overclock the premium CPU and GPU. There is a general saying that high-end PSUs could vanish because of the energy efficiency competition between Nvidia, AMD ad Intel. It is to be noted that GPUs such as RTX 2080 and RTX 2090 has an overall power draw of up to 300W. Going forward, we require PSUs with 800W, 900W, and 1000W respectively to accommodate the advanced CPU and FPU specifications. The list of Multi-Rail PSUs is mentioned below
- Antec – High Current Pro Platinum
- BeQuiet – Dark Power Pro P11, Straight Power 11 Platinum/Gold
- Bitfenix – Whisper
- Cooler Master – V-Platinum 2019
- Corsair – AXi & HX Platinum
- Deepcool / Gamer Storm – DQ-M
- Delta – GM
- Enermax – Platimax D.F
- EVGA – Supernova NEX-G
- LEPA – MaxPlatinum
- NZXT – E-series
- Seasonic – SSP-RT
- Wentai – Aidan
- Following is the list of Single-Rail PSUs.
- Abkoncore – CR Platinum
- Abysm – Morpheo
- ADATA/XPG – Core Reactor
- Aerocool – Project 7
- Andyson – GX
- Antec – Signature Titanium
- Asus – ROG Thor
- Chieftec / Chieftronic – PowerplayPlatinum
- Cooler Master – Masterwatt Maker MiJ/V-platinum
- Corsair – AX Titanium/RMx 2018
- Cougar – GX-F (Aurum)
- Delta – GPS-HB
- Enermax – Platimax Maxtytan
- EVGA – Supernova GS/Supernova T2
- Fractal Design – Ion+ Platinum
- FSP – PTM
- Gamdias – Cyclops X1
- Gigabyte – XP-M
- Green – Overclocking EVO
- High Power – Super GD
- Kingwin – Stryker
- Kolink – Continuum C-PL
- Micronics – Astro Platinum
- NZXT – C-series
- Raidmax – Monster RX-AT
- Riotoro – Builder 1200w
- Sama – Forza Titanium
- SilentiumPC – Supremo FM2
- Silverstone – Platinum PT
- Super Flower – Leadex III ARGB
- Thermaltake – Toughpower GF1
- Xigmatek – Hera Gold
- XFX – XTR
- Zalman – Acrux Platinum
A Tier
The A Tier PSUs fall under the affordable range but will fetch moderate cost. However, the A Tier PSUs won’t overkill even when overclocking the CPU and GPU, unlike S-Tier. The PSUs in this tier are oriented toward tech enthusiasts and it generates excessive power, which is not required for the system. It’s not advisable to buy an A-Tier PSU for a budget PC as it can’t completely leverage the capabilities of the PSU. We recommend additional investment in CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage including SSD instead of opting for a premium PSU, which can’t serve any purpose.
You should opt for PSUs from manufacturers like Thermaltake and Deepcool. The majority of models are rated 80+ Gold in the A-Tier PSU list. The main benefit of A-Tier and S-Tier PSUs is that manufacturers provide extended warranties. The companies like Deepcool, Corsair, and others provide a 10-year warranty for the premium products and hence it’s worth purchasing for your computing requirements.
- 1st Player – Steampunk Gold
- Abkoncore – Tenergy Gold X50W
- Andyson – H6
- Antec – Earthwatts Pro Gold
- BeQuiet! – Pure Power 11
- Chieftec – Polaris
- Cooler Master – MWE Gold
- Corsair – TXM 2017
- Cougar – GX-S 2017
- Delta – GPS-FB
- Enermax – Platimax
- EVGA – Supernova B3
- FSP – Dagger
- Gigabyte – AP-GM
- Great Wall / Hunters – Titan TF
- High Power – GD-F V2 HPM
- Skydigital – Power Station 5 Gold
- Super Flower – Golden Green
- Thermaltake – Toughpower DPS G RGB
- Vivo – 24K
- Xigmatek – Minotaur
- Xilence – Performance X
- Zalman – Platinum
B Tier
The B Tier PSUs are the best choice for PC builds because of the budget-friendly price and consistent quality. Even though the B Tier PSUs may not be suitable for overclocking CPUs/GPUs, they will be ideal if you are on the lookout for an affordable and reliable power supply solution. The best idea is to opt for a PSU manufactured by a reliable company. There are low-cost PSUs from less known companies but they harm the internal components. You can purchase B Tier PSUs from a reliable company and it will not only last long but also keeps the internal components safe.
- Abkoncore – Tenergy Bronze
- ADX – Power W Gold
- Aerocool – KCAS
- Andyson – BX
- Antec – High Current Gamer Bronze
- Apevia – Prestige
- BR ONE – Rainbow
- BeQuiet! – Power Zone
- Chieftec – Silicon SLC-C
- Coba – NitroX Nobility
- Cooler Master – Masterwatt
- Deepcool – Quanta DQ
- Enermax – Revolution X’t II
- Fractal Design – Integra M
- In Win – Classic C
- IPPON – Platinum
- iTek – Taurus GF
- SilentiumPC – Vero M3
- Silverstone – Strider Gold ST
- Skydigital – Validus LP
- Super Flower – Leadex Silver / Golden King
- Thermaltake – Toughpower Gold Semi-Modular
- Thermaltake – Toughpower Grand RGB Platinum
- ThunderX3 – Plexus
C Tier
The C Tier PSUs are less efficient than the previously discussed tiers. The PSUs are rated either 80 Plus Bronze or Silver, which means the power supply units are 80% efficient during load. A reliable bronze or silver rated PSUs with 500W, 600W or 700W will be capable of handling powerful GPU such as an RTX 3070 or RX 6800. You will find several solid PSUs in this tier. You should note that there are several PSUs on the market with misleading advertising on ratings.
- ABKO / Suitmaster – Mighty
- Aerocool – KCAS M
- Andyson – M5+
- Antec – Earthwatts Platinum
- Apexgaming – AG
- BeQuiet! – Pure Power 10
- Cooler Master – MWE V2 Bronze
- Cougar – VTX
- Corsair – Builder CXM
- Deepcool – DA-N
- Enermax – Platimax 600
- EVGA – Supernova NEX-G
- Kolink – SFX
- LC Power – GP3 Silver
- Micronics – Caslon II
- NOX – Urano TX Green Power
- Powerspec – PS-BF
- OCZ – ModXStream Pro
- Rosewill – TFX Gold
- Sharkoon – WPC Bronze
- Silverstone – Strider Essential ET-B
- SuperFlower – Mega
- Thermaltake – DPS G Bronze
- Zalman – GVM
D Tier
The D Tier PSUs are for those users who are low in budget and should not be used for gaming purposes. The PSUs in this tier will work with a high-end processor or a dedicated GPU. However, they are not recommended for advanced computer configurations. You can use it if you intend to use the PC for basic computing tasks such as web browsing, Microsoft Office and etc. This is because minor power fluctuations could harm the internal hardware.
- Aerocool – Aero White
- BeQuiet! – Pure Power L9
- Bitfenix – BPA
- Chieftec – APB-8B
- Cooler Master – Masterwatt Lite
- Cougar – CMX v2
- CWT -GPK-S
- Deepcool – DN
- EVGA – Supernova NEX-B
- Enermax – NaXn 82+
- FSP – 60GHS
- Fractal Design – Integra R2
- Gamdias – Astrape M1 White
- High Power – Simplicity ST HPG-T12S
- Hiper – HPB-SM
- Kolink – Core
- LC Power – Silent Giant GP3 Bronze
- LDLC – BG
- Modecom -Volcano Bronze
- NOX – Hummer X Bronze
- Raidmax – Thunder V2 RX-AP
- Rosewill – Hive S
- Silverstone – SX-LPT
- Skydigital – Power Station 5 80+
- Tacens – Radix VII
- Thermaltake – RX Bronze
- Vinga -VPS-B
- XFX – ProSeries Bronze
F Tier
F Tier is at the absolute bottom of the PSU product hierarchy. If you purchase a PSU with an F Tier rating, then your system is liable to potential risk. The PC could malfunction and a short circuit can attack your motherboard and other internal components like SSD and DVD drive. Even though you will face problems with any power supply unit, the premium PSUs are equipped with adequate layers of protection against adverse conditions. Moreover, reputed companies like Cooler Master, Thermaltake, and Deepcool provide assured warranty including free replacement services. Hence, you should not opt for F Tier PSUs.
- BR ONE – BR-X
- Chieftec – Non-rated units
- Corsair – VS 2012 orange
- Cooler Master – RealPower
- Diablotek – All units
- EVGA – N1
- LC Power – Non-rated units
- Linkworld – All units
- Logisys – All units
- MS-Tech – All units
- Raidmax – Non-rated units
- Rasurbo – All units
- Rhomburtech – All units
- Sempre – All units
- Speedlink – All units
- Tacens – All units
- Trust – All units
- Ultron – All units
Conclusion
The Power Supply Unit (PSU) is a crucial hardware component, which is required for the proper functioning of the computer. In the case of a Laptop, you need not have to worry because all the components are concealed below the keyboard. However, you have to allocate sufficient investment for a high-quality PSU if you work with a desktop PC. This is because the internal components like Hard drive, SSD, Motherboard, CPU, Coolers, DVD drive, and much more are powered via the power supply unit. Hence, the PSU should be manufactured by a reputed company because they make use of premium materials, copper wires, and other components.
You should purchase PSUs manufactured by Cooler Master, Deepcool, and Thermaltake because these are credible companies that you can depend upon. Like all technology products, power supply units continue to evolve rapidly and their rankings change constantly. The power supply units are not only reliable but also long-lasting and affordable. The main point to note is that you should select a PSU manufactured by a popular company. A small initial investment will go a long way in protecting the valuable internal components of your PC.
Chuwi has a mission to be the world’s leading technology partner for customized Laptop, tablet PC, and mini PC experiences with uncompromised quality, stability, support, and performance.
