Power Supplies - Stable Power for Gaming and Office

Power Supplies & Management

Looking for a quiet and efficient PC power supply? At Caseking, you'll find a wide selection of computer power supplies from top brands for every application, whether you're a PC gamer, overclocker, modder, or a fan of completely silent PCs. We always present the latest PSUs (Power Supply Units) and the most current product developments in this field.

Quiet Power Supplies with High Efficiency Save Energy

Electricity prices have been steadily rising for years, and energy-saving, efficient hardware has become increasingly important under the trend term "Green IT." The power supply unit (PSU) used to be a gray, seemingly unremarkable box inside the PC. In the best case, it went unnoticed; in the worst case, it wasted a lot of electrical energy as heat, causing noise and potentially compromising the stable operation of the PC. However, things have changed. Manufacturers now compete to create the quietest, most efficient, and reliable PSUs, surpassing the old race for the highest printed wattage rating. This benefits not only our ears and wallets but also the environment.

Power Supply Buying Guide: Which PC PSU Should I Choose?

When it comes to power supplies, consumers can now choose from a variety of performance and feature options. The "plain gray box" variant still exists, but mostly in budget pre-built PCs. Notably, PSUs from reputable manufacturers differ primarily in the following aspects:

• Power: The range here, excluding specialized power supplies, spans from about 300 watts (for office PCs or home servers) to the mid-range with 500 to 750 watts for common gaming configurations, all the way up to absolute high-end powerhouses with up to 1,500 watts maximum output. These high-end PSUs are needed for top-tier CPU and GPU systems.
• Efficiency: The well-known "80 Plus" label for power supplies with typical efficiency of over 80% at 50% load is rarely awarded anymore. Almost all power supplies now meet the requirements for 80 Plus Bronze (>85%), with many achieving 80 Plus Silver (>88%), Gold (>90%), or even Platinum (>92%). Investing in a high-quality PSU at this stage saves money in the long run and benefits the environment!
• Connectors: If you plan to use a high-end graphics card from NVIDIA's RTX 4000 series, ensure that your PSU has a 12VHPWR or 12V-2x6 connector following the PCIe 5.0 standard. This connector has 12 pins for power supply and an additional four sense pins for communication with the PSU. The latter are necessary for dynamically regulating power, including handling short-term load spikes of over 600 watts. Corresponding power supplies adhere to the ATX 3.0 standard. Additionally, consider other hardware requirements such as the number of SATA connectors when planning.
• Single-Rail or Multi-Rail Design: A single-rail PSU can provide almost its entire current on a single 12-volt line. In high-end PSUs, this can be as high as 80 amperes, while multi-rail units typically have maximum values of 30 to 40 amperes per 12-volt rail. Consequently, multi-rail PSUs are considered particularly safe due to their overload protections. The single 12-volt rail is primarily popular in the high-end segment, where extremely overclocked CPUs or GPUs can trigger the overcurrent protection of a weak 12-volt line.
• Cable Management: While budget PSUs have fixed cables, many mid-range and high-end models offer the option to detach some (semi-modular) or even all (fully modular) cable strands if they are not needed due to hardware configuration. This results in fewer cables inside the case and a tidier interior with better airflow.
• Cooling: Most PSUs come with a fan in 120mm, 135mm, or 140mm sizes that runs continuously and is regulated based on load or temperature. Some very high-quality units in the mid-to-high power range, whose efficiency keeps their own heat generation in check, only activate the fan above a certain load or temperature (semi-passive). Additionally, the most efficient PSUs in the class up to around 500 watts are passively cooled, meaning they operate without their own fan. These are ideal for truly silent PCs.