Power supply unit (PSU) is actually one of the very critical PC component that some of us may took it lightly. Here are some important tips when purchasing a PSU.
The first one is the wattage. Always look for continuous wattage ratings, ignore peak wattage ratings, and ignore a product that doesn’t advertise its continuous wattage rating. Continuous Wattage and Peak Wattage are ratings based on tests by the manufacturer. Continuous Wattage indicates that it can deliver those 500W continuously without fluctuations. Peak Wattage indicates 500W is the maximum power it can deliver, but probably only for a minute before dropping down.
Next is you should know how many watts required for your system. A high end PC might need more watts compared to a normal office use PC. If you use an underpowered CPU, your PC will lose power during intense processes. How to calculate the watts needed? I will usually these two – https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator and http://www.coolermaster.com/power-supply-calculator/. There are many more options out there, but for me these two are fair enough.
Another important tips is always go for 80 plus rating PSU. The most efficient PSUs are the ones that come with an 80 Plus rating, which is assigned by an independent certifier. Even in 80 Plus PSUs, there are different levels: 80 Plus, 80 Plus Bronze, 80 Plus Silver, 80 Plus Gold, 80 Plus Platinum, 80 Plus Titanium.
The rest are the basic ones, such as the designs which depends on your motherboard – AT, ATX, mATX. Rails, where you can choose either multi-rail or single-rail PSUs. And voltage stability.
