Getting a proper power supply for your build is relatively easy. Well, as long as you’re only interested in your next PSU having enough watts to power your PC. Once we enter the waters of efficiency, voltage regulation, ripple, modularity, and other performance metrics, the quest of getting the right PSU gets rather complicated rather quickly.
This is why we decided to create this PSU tier list. Our power supply tier list includes a ton of quality PSU models for all kinds of PC builds. From humble budget gaming machines to beastly workstations.
Before we start, let’s share a couple of other articles our readers might find interesting. First of all, you’ll need a roomy case to house the PSU and other components. So, why don’t you check out our guides for the best airflow PC cases and the best budget PC cases? Also, you’d want to know how to read PSU labels if you’re in the market for one, so make sure to read our guide on how to check what power supply you have. Now, let’s start the Levvvel power supply tier list with tier S, which includes 1500W PSUs and higher. Well, after we explain how our tier list of PC power supplies works.
PSU tier list — how our ranking works
Unlike most other PSU tier lists, our PSU tier list only includes quality options. Instead of tiers representing PSUs of different quality with lower tiers populated with questionable quality models, tiers here represent power requirements.
S tier includes 1500W+ monsters, while the D tier features quality PSUs that top out at 550W or less. And each tier is filled with excellent power supplies, all of which are more than capable of powering your PC, as long as you get a model that’s powerful enough for your PC.
While higher tiers primarily include high-end models (you definitely don’t want to cheap out on PSU if you’re building an expensive rig), lower tiers feature high-end and value options. However, even though they sport lower prices, value models found in our PSU tier list are still more than decent choices in their power bracket.
We omitted ultra-cheap, low-quality power supplies, as well as models that suffer from known issues, like the Gigabyte GP-P750GM & GP-P850GM models – the ones that are prone to literally exploding.
S Tier — extreme gaming builds & high-end workstations (1500W+)
The S tier represents extreme PC builds that require the most potent consumer-grade power supplies on the market. This is a part of our PSU tier list populated by 1500W+ monsters that probably could power a medium-sized cabin if the need arises. When they’re not refitted to power a small household, these power supplies are used for extreme rendering workstations featuring multiple RTX 3090s, a boatload of memory, and a high-end CPU.
Well, either that or an extreme gaming build that features a multi-GPU setup. These days, this means either two RTX 3090 or RTX 3090 Ti cards since those are the only current-gen GPUs capable of running in SLI. Either way, you’ll need a wickedly powerful power supply, so make sure to get one found in the list below.
Just remember this: do not, under any circumstances, get a cheap PSU. Especially if you need a 1000W+ PSU. Components needed to make an efficient, reliable, and quality power supply that can churn out a kilowatt or more won’t be cheap. If you find a cheap PSU rocking a four-digit power output, just skip it. No one can make a cheap power supply this powerful without cutting major corners, and that’s a fact.
You can get away with a cheap and unreliable PSU if you’re building an HTPC or a basic office machine that won’t spend much over 100W, even under peak loads. But in the case of a high-end workstation or any PC build that includes a relatively powerful CPU & GPU combo, stick with tried-and-true power supplies.
ASUS
- ROG-THOR-1600T-GAMING
Be quiet!
- Dark Power Pro 1500W
Cooler Master
- M2000 Platinum
- MasterWatt Maker 1500 Plus
Corsair
- AX 1600i
- AX1500i
Enermax
- Platimax 1500W
- Platimax 1700W
EVGA
- SuperNOVA 1600 G2
- SuperNOVA 1600 P2
- SuperNOVA 1600 T2
Kolink
- Continuum 1500W
Silverstone
- HELA 2050 Platinum
- DA1650
- ST1500-TI
- ST1500
Super Flower
- Leadex Platinum 1600W
- Leadex Platinum 2000W
- Leadex Titanium 1600W
Thermaltake
- Toughpower DPS G RGB 1500W
- Toughpower TF1 1550W
A tier — high-end gaming builds & workstations (1000W-1500W)
We reserved the A tier of our PSU tier list for power supplies in the 1000W-1500W range. These PSUs power high-end gaming builds made of, for instance, an RTX 3090 or an RX 6900 XT paired with a newer i9 CPU. These two high-end gaming components can chug more than 800W when under max load.
Add to that insane numbers the RTX 3090 and the RX 6900 XT can reach during short term (20ms or lower) power spikes – about 550W for the RTX 3090 and north of 600W in the case of the AMD flagship – and you begin to understand why even a single-GPU gaming PC these days may require a 1KW+ power supply.
This can be true even if you’re rocking an RTX 3080/3080 Ti or an RX 6800 XT coupled with an overclocked Core i7 or Core i9 CPU. While not flagship-level hardware, combinations like these can reach upwards of 750W just for the GPU+CPU combo. This is if we account for those pesky 20ms power spikes, which we should because you want a PSU that won’t trip during stress tests, heavy gaming, or intense productivity tasks that sweat both the GPU and the CPU.
Again, when you’re in the market for a 1000W+ power supply, do not even begin thinking of cheaping out. Flagship GPUs and CPUs require top-of-the-line power supplies, and getting a shady one could lead to it literally exploding and taking a large chunk of your components with it. Stick to PSUs found on the list below instead; you’ll thank us later.
Adata (XPG)
- Cybercore 1000W
- Cybercore 1300W
Antec
- Signature Platinum 1300
- Signature Platinum 1000
- Signature Titanium 1000
- HCG1000 Extreme
- HCG Gold 1000W
ASUS
- ROG Thor 1000W Platinum II EVA Edition
- ROG-THOR-1000P2-GAMING
- ROG-THOR-1200P2-GAMING
- ROG-THOR-1200P
- ROG-STRIX-1000G
Be quiet!
- Dark Power Pro 12 1200W
- Dark Power 12 1000W
- Straight Power 11 Platinum 1200W
- Straight Power 11 Platinum 1000W
- Straight Power 11 Gold 1000W
- Pure Power 11 FM 1000W
Cooler Master
- MWE Gold 1050 – V2 1050W
- GX GOLD 1050 – V2 1050W
- GX GOLD 1250 – V2 1250W
- MasterWatt Maker 1200 Plus
- V1300 Platinum
- V1200 Platinum
- V1000 Platinum
Corsair
- HX1200
- RM1000x
DeepCool
- PQ1000M
Enermax
- Platimax 1350
- Platimax D.F. 1200
- Platimax D.F. 1050
- MaxTytan 1250
- MaxTytan 1050
EVGA
- SuperNOVA 1300 G2
- SuperNOVA 1200 P2
- SuperNOVA 1000 G3
- SuperNOVA 1000 G+
- SuperNOVA 1000 G2
- SuperNOVA 1000 G5
- SuperNOVA 1000 G6
- SuperNOVA 1000 P2
- SuperNOVA 1000 T2
FSP
- FSP1200-50AJB
- FSP1000-50AJB
In-Win
- P125 1250W
- P105 1050W
- CB-1250W
- CB-1050W
Kolink
- Continuum 1200W
- Continuum V2 1200W
- Continuum 1050W
- Continuum V2 1050W
MSI
- MPG A1000G 1000W
Phanteks
- AMP 1000W
- Revolt Pro 1000W
- Revolt X 1200W
- Revolt X 1000W
Seasonic
- PRIME TX 1000W
- PRIME PX 1000W
- PRIME GX 1000W
- Focus GX 1000W
Super Flower
- LEADEX Titanium 1000W
- LEADEX V Gold PRO 1000W
- LEADEX V Gold 1000W
- LEADEX Gold 1300W
- LEADEX Gold 1000W
Silverstone
- ST1300-TI
- ST1200-PTS
- ST1200-PT
- ST1100-TI
- ST1100-TI
- SX1000
- ST1000-PT
Thermaltake
- Toughpower PF1 1200W
- Toughpower PF1 1050W
- Toughpower GF1 1200W
- Toughpower GF1 1000W
- Toughpower PF1 ARGB -1200W
- Toughpower PF1 ARGB -1050W
- Toughpower iRGB PLUS 1000W
- Toughpower iRGB PLUS 1200W
- Toughpower iRGB PLUS 1250W
- Toughpower iRGB PLUS 1050W
- Toughpower Grand RGB 1200W
- Toughpower Grand RGB 1050W
Zalman
- ZM1200-ARX 1200W
B tier — mid-to-high-end gaming PCs (750W – 1000W)
This is the sweet spot for mid to high-end builds at the moment. Think something like an RTX 3080/RTX 3080 Ti combined with either a non-K Intel CPU or a stock i5 K-series parts or any Ryzen CPU. Or maybe an RTX 3070 combined with a newer i7/i9 or any Ryzen processor. These builds require a lot of power and, in the worst case, you’re looking at 850W of power.
If you’re rocking an RTX 3080/RTX 3070 or an RX 6800/RX 6800 XT in combination with an efficient CPU (any Ryzen, non-K Intel parts), you can run that kind of system with a 750W PSU. Some of those combos might be overkill for 850W and 750W models, but we would stay on the safe side and go with more power instead of setting the stage for potential headaches in the future.
This power tier features a considerable number of quality PSUs since this is a super popular market segment. On the one hand, a ton of solid choices can lead to something called choice overload. On the other hand, you’ll find a number of great power supplies on the list below, so you don’t have to spend a week online drafting the ultimate list of PSUs for your particular build, so that’s great.
Adata (XPG)
- Core Reactor 850W
- Core Reactor 750W
Antec
- NEG750 MODULAR
- NEG850 MODULAR
- HCG850 Extreme
- HCG Gold 850W
- HCG Gold 750W
- EAG PRO 750W
ASUS
- ROG-STRIX-850G-WHITE
- ROG-STRIX-850G
- ROG-STRIX-750G
- ROG-THOR-850P
be quiet!
- Dark Power 12 850W
- Dark Power 12 750W
- Straight Power 11 Platinum 850W
- Straight Power 11 Platinum 750W
- Straight Power 11 Gold 850W
- Straight Power 11 Gold 750W
- Pure Power 11 FM 850W
- Pure Power 11 FM 750W
Bitfenix
- Formula Gold 750W
- Whisper M 850W
- Whisper M 750W
Cooler Master
- V850 SFX Gold – White Edition
- V750 SFX Gold – White Edition
- G800 Gold
- MWE Gold 850 – V2
- V850 SFX Gold
- V850 Gold-V2 White Edition
- V850 Gold – V2
- V850 Gold
- V850 Platinum
- MWE Gold 750
- MWE Gold 750 – V2
- V750 SFX Gold
Corsair
- RM850x
- RM850
- HX850
- RM750x
- RM750
- HX750
- SF750 Gold/Platinum
- CX750F RGB
- CX750M
DeepCool
- PQ850M
- PQ750M
- DQ850-M-V2L
- DQ750-M-V2L
Enermax
- MaxTytan 800 Watt
- Platimax 850W
- Platimax 750W
- Platimax D.F. 850 Watt
- Platimax D.F. 750 Watt
- REVOLUTION D.F. 850 Watt
- REVOLUTION D.F. 750 Watt
EVGA
- 850 B3
- SuperNOVA 850 G+
- SuperNOVA 850 G3
- SuperNOVA 850 G2
- SuperNOVA 850 G5
- SuperNOVA 850 G6
- SuperNOVA 850 P2
- SuperNOVA 850 T2
- 750 B3
- SuperNOVA 750 G+
- SuperNOVA 750 G2
- SuperNOVA 750 G3
- SuperNOVA 750 G5
- SuperNOVA 750 G6
- SuperNOVA 750 P2
Fractal Design
- Ion+ 860W Platinum
- Ion+ 2 860W Platinum
- Ion Gold 850W
- Ion+ 760W Platinum
- Ion+ 2 760W Platinum
- Ion Gold 750W
Great Wall
- GX 850W
In Win
- PB-850W
- PB-750W
- P85-850W
- P75-750W
Kolink
- Continuum 850W
MSI
- MPG A850GF
- MPG A750GF
Phanteks
- AMP 850W
- AMP 750W
- Revolt Pro 850W
Seasonic
- PRIME TX 850
- PRIME TX 750
- PRIME PX 850
- PRIME PX 750
- PRIME GX 850
- PRIME GX 750
- PRIME SnowSilent 750
- FOCUS PX 850
- FOCUS PX 750
- FOCUS GX 850
- FOCUS GX 750
- FOCUS SPX 750
- FOCUS SGX 750
- FOCUS GM 850
- FOCUS GM 750
Silverstone
- DA850 Gold
- DA750 Gold
- SX 750 Gold
- ST85F-PT
- ST85FGS
- ST85F-P
- ST80F-TI
- SX800-LTI
- ST75F-PT
- SX750 Platinum
- ET750-HG
- ET750-G
- ST75F-P
Super Flower
- LEADEX TITANIUM 850W
- LEADEX TITANIUM 750W
- LEADEX PLATINUM 850W
- LEADEX PLATINUM 750W
- LEADEX Gold 750W
- LEADEX V Gold PRO 850W
- LEADEX V Gold PRO 750W
- LEADEX V Gold 850W
- LEADEX V Gold 750W
- LEADEX III Gold 850W
- LEADEX III Gold 750W
- LEADEX III Gold ARGB PRO 850W
- LEADEX III Gold ARGB PRO 750W
Thermaltake
- Toughpower GF1 850W Snow
- Toughpower GF2 ARGB 850W
- Toughpower PF1 850W
- Toughpower GF1 ARGB 850W Gold
- Toughpower PF1 ARGB – 850W
- Toughpower GF1 850W
- Toughpower iRGB PLUS 850W Gold
- Toughpower Grand RGB 850W Gold
- Toughpower iRGB PLUS 850W Platinum
- Toughpower Grand RGB 850W Platinum
- Toughpower Grand RGB 850W Gold
- Toughpower DPS G RGB 850W Titanium
- Toughpower GF1 750W Snow
- Toughpower GF2 ARGB 750W
- Toughpower PF1 750W
- Toughpower GF1 ARGB 750W Gold
- Toughpower iRGB PLUS 750W Gold
- Toughpower Grand RGB 750W Gold
Zalman
- ZM850-ARX
- ZM750-ARX
C tier — mid-range gaming PCs (600W-750W)
The C tier of our PSU tier list tops out at 650W. These PSUs are perfect for mid-range builds that rock GPUs such as the RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 3070, or the RX 6700 XT/RX 6750 XT. You can pair more or less any consumer-grade CPU with the cards listed above, even overclock it, and you should be OK with a 650W power supply unit.
We also recommend a 650W PSU for builds based on the RTX 3060 or the RX 6600 XT/RX 6650 XT/RX 6600. It’s overkill, but if you get a more powerful GPU in the future (and as it looks right now, the next generation of Nvidia cards will be extremely power-hungry), you’ll be able to run the upgraded system with the same PSU.
Overclocked K series Intel CPUs paired with one of the GPUs listed above may come close to topping out at almost 600W when both components are under maximum load. During stress tests, for instance. Luckily, for gaming purposes, even an overclocked K-series Intel CPU is extremely power efficient. You can pair it with one of the GPUs listed above and a quality 650W PSU.
This tier is where you can get excellent performance even with a mid-range or a quality budget power supply. Now, don’t forget the word quality. Being affordable compared to the competition doesn’t also mean being below the competition in terms of efficiency and performance.
If you’re on the cautious side and aren’t shy to check user and professional reviews, you can find excellent PSUs in this power tier that won’t break the bank. Just be extra attentive because this market segment is the point where the price difference between quality budget options and subpar PSUs starts to get really thin.
Adata (XPG)
- Core Reactor 650W
Antec
- NEG650 MODULAR
- HCG Gold 650W
- EAG PRO 650W
ASUS
- ROG-STRIX-650G
- TUF-GAMING-650B
be quiet!
- Straight Power 11 Platinum 650W
- Pure Power 11 FM 650W
- Pure Power 11 700W
- Pure Power 11 600W
- SFX L Power 600W
Bitfenix
- Formula Gold 650W
- Whisper M 650W
Cooler Master
- MWE Gold 650 Modular
- MWE Gold 650
- MWE Gold 650 – V2
- MWE Gold 650 – V2 Modular
- V650 Gold
- V650 Gold – V2
- V650 SFX Gold
- G700 Gold
- G600 Gold
Corsair
- RM650
- CX650M
- SF600 Gold/Platinum
- CX650
- CX650F RGB
- RM650x
DeepCool
- PQ650M
- DQ650-M-V2L
Enermax
- Platimax 600W
- Platimax D.F. 600 Watt
- REVOLUTION D.F. 650
EVGA
- SuperNOVA 650 G+
- SuperNOVA 650 G3
- SuperNOVA 650 G2
- SuperNOVA 650 GM
- SuperNOVA 650 G6
- SuperNOVA 650 P2
Fractal Design
- Ion+ 2 Platinum 660W
- Ion+ Platinum 660W
- Ion SFX-L 650W Gold
- Ion Gold 650W
Great Wall
- G6 650W
In Win
- P65
- PB-650W
Kolink
- Enclave 700W
- Enclave 600W
MSI
- MPG A650GF
Phanteks
- AMP 650W
Seasonic
- PRIME TX 650W
- PRIME Fanless TX 700W
- PRIME Fanless TX 600W
- PRIME PX 650W
- PRIME GX 650W
- PRIME SnowSilent 650W
- FOCUS PX 650W
- FOCUS GX 650W
- FOCUS SPX 650W
- FOCUS SGX 650W
- FOCUS GM 650W
Silverstone
- ST65F-PT
- SX650-G
- ST65F-GS
- ST65F-G
- ET650-G
- Viva 650 Gold
- ST60F-TI
- ET600-MG
- SX600-G
Super Flower
- LEADEX PLATINUM 650W
- LEADEX Gold 650W
- LEADEX V Gold 650W
- LEADEX III Gold 650W
- LEADEX III Gold ARGB PRO 650W
Thermaltake
- Toughpower GF1 650W Snow
- Toughpower SFX 650W Gold
- Toughpower GF2 ARGB 650W
- Toughpower PF1 650W
- Toughpower GF1 ARGB 650W Gold
- Toughpower GF1 650W
- Toughpower GF 650W
- Toughpower GX1 RGB 600W
- Toughpower Grand RGB 650W Gold
- Toughpower GX1 600W Gold
- Toughpower DPS G RGB 650W Gold
D tier — budget gaming builds & iGPU PCs (550W and less)
Last but not least, we have the D power tier, encompassing both budget gaming builds and iGPU PCs such as HTPCs and office machines. Think something such as the RTX 3060 or the RX 6600 XT along with any Ryzen CPU or intel 12600K or non-K CPUs.
Now, those rocking a mid-range GPU and an efficient (let’s say 65W of max power, like the R5 5600X) CPU could get by with a 450W PSU. However, due to price differences being quite minimal between 450W and 550W models, we would recommend a 550W power supply for gaming builds at a minimum.
iGPU builds, on the other hand, could work fine even with a 350W or 400W PSU. If you’re in the market for a low-power PC that either doesn’t have a dedicated GPU or has something like the GT 710 that needs less than 20W of power, you can get a cheap PSU that doesn’t have a great performance or efficiency.
Just make sure that it doesn’t explode or that it isn’t prone to sudden and abrupt malfunctions. In other words, read both professional and user reviews.
Adata (XPG)
- PYLON 550W
- PYLON 450W
Antec
- EAG PRO 550W
ASUS
- ROG-STRIX-550G
- TUF-GAMING-550B
- TUF-GAMING-450B
be quiet!
- Straight Power 11 Platinum 550W
- Straight Power 11 Gold 550W
- Straight Power 11 Gold 450W
- Pure Power 11 FM 550W
- Pure Power 11 500W
- Pure Power 11 400W
- Pure Power 11 350W
- Pure Power 11 300W
- SFX L Power 500W
- SFX Power 3 450W
- SFX Power 3 300W
Bitfenix
- Formula Gold 550W
- Formula Gold 450W
- Whisper M 550W
- Whisper M 450W
- Formula Bronze 500W
- Formula Bronze 400W
Cooler Master
- MWE Gold 550
- MWE Gold 550 – V2
- MWE BRONZE 550
- MWE 500 Bronze – V2
- MWE 550 Bronze – V2
- V550 Gold
- V550
- MWE BRONZE 450
Corsair
- CX550M
- CX550
- CV550
- CX550F RGB
- CX450M
- CX450
- CV450
- VS350
EVGA
- 500 BQ
- SuperNOVA 450 GM
Fractal Design
- Ion+ 2 560W Platinum
- Ion Gold 550W
- Ion SFX-L 500W Gold
- Ion+ 560W Platinum
Kolink
- Enclave 500W
LC Power
- LC Platinum 550W
MSI
- MAG A550BN
Phanteks
- AMP 550W
Seasonic
- PRIME Fanless PX 500W
- PRIME Fanless PX 450W
- PRIME SnowSilent 550W
- FOCUS PX 550W
- FOCUS GX 550W
- FOCUS SGX 550W
- FOCUS SGX 450W
- FOCUS GM 550W
- FOCUS GM 500W
- CORE GX 550W
- CORE GX 500W
- CORE GM 550W
- CORE GM 500W
- CORE GC 550W
- CORE GC 500W
- ECO PLUS 500W
- ECO PLUS 400W
Silverstone
- DA550 Gold
- ST55F-PT
- SX550
- ST55F-GS
- ST55F-G
- ET550HG
- ET500-MG
- SX500-LG
- SX500-G
- NJ450-SXL
- ST45SF-G
Super Flower
- LEADEX Gold 550W
- LEADEX III Gold 550W
Thermaltake
- Toughpower SFX 550W Gold
- Toughpower GF 550W
- Smart BM2 550W
- Toughpower GX1 RGB 500W Gold
- Toughpower SFX 450W Gold
Zalman
- Smart BM2 450W
- GigaMax [550W] ZM550-GVII
PSU tier list — what to watch for when buying a power supply
If you’re in the market for a new power supply, there are five things you should watch for:
- Avoid all PSUs that don’t bear the 80Plus certification label.
- Pick a PSU with a warranty period of at least five years.
- Get a PSU that has some headroom when it comes to its power output.
- Avoid cheap models from unknown brands.
- Always read user and professional reviews before pulling the trigger; even big-name brands can deliver faulty, low-quality products.
PSU tier list FAQ
Now, let’s answer some of the common questions regarding PC power supplies.
How do I calculate power requirements for my build?
The fastest and easiest way to calculate just how much power you need is to visit one of the many online power calculators. The one on the Seasonic website is pretty solid. As is the one on Corsair’s site. Newegg also has one, as well as Cooler Master and be quiet!.
80Plus certificate – what is it?
The 80Plus certificate shows just how efficient a PSU is under load. In other words, the certification shows that a particular PSU is able to convert at least 80 percent (80Plus Bronze) of the input power to output power under 20%, 50%, and 100% load. The rest of the input power turns into heat waste.
Higher levels (gold, platinum, titanium) mean higher efficiency. A PSU bearing the 80Plus Titanium label means that this PSU will have at least 90 percent efficiency under load. You can see the entire table below:
Single rail vs multi-rail power supplies – what’s the difference?
Back in the day, multi-rail PSUs had multiple physical paths or “rails” through which the current flowed. On the other hand, single-ray PSUs have their entire amperage run through a single rail. This meant, at least in theory, that multi-rail PSUs were safer.
In practice, multiple rails allowed lower load for individual components (for instance, one rail would deliver power to the CPU, another for the GPU, one for SATA power, etc.). This equals less chance for the PSU to fry a component when it dies. The thing is, both variants had, and still have, the same protective circuitry. In other words, single rail power supplies are, in practice, as safe as their multi-rail cousins.
These days multi-rail power supplies don’t have multiple physical rails. Instead, they only have multiple points for measuring the current, not just one found in single-rail models. This means they should shut off earlier and have less risk of burning your components. But in practice, if you get a quality single-rail PSU, you’ll be just fine. After all, a vast majority of the current PSU models, including those shown in our PSU tier list, are single-rail.
Modular vs semi-modular vs non-modular power supplies – what’s the difference?
Modular power supplies allow users to only use the power cables they need by having all of their power cables detachable.
On semi-modular PSUs, most of the power cables are detachable. Only the most important ones (usually those that connect to your motherboard) are permanently attached.
Finally, non-modular power supplies have all cables permanently attached.
Most PSUs found in our PSU tier list are either fully modular or semi-modular.
What are OCP, OPP, OTP, and SCP?
- OCP – Over current protection. This feature stops the PSU from delivering more power than its internal components can handle. It’s usually set at 130-150% of the max rated power for a specific PSU model. OCP is usually part of multi-rail PSUs.
- OPP – Over power protection. This feature is very similar to the OCP. It’s found on single-rail power supplies, and it plays the same role as the OCP in multi-rail units. In other words, OPP shuts down the PSU once the input power exceeds the max power output of the said PSU by a small margin (50W-200W).
- SCP – Short circuit protection. This type of protection immediately shuts down the PSU if output rails are short-circuited.
- OTP – Over-temperature protection shuts down the PSU if its temperature (usually the temperature of the secondary heat sink) exceeds a certain threshold set by the manufacturer.
- OVP/UVP – Over voltage and under-voltage protection. These features shut down the PSU if the input voltage goes under or over a certain threshold.
What’s voltage regulation/load regulation?
Voltage regulation is the ability of a PSU to maintain constant voltage under different load levels. The lower the variance, the better. Ideally, you’d want variance lower than 1 percent.
What does ripple suppression mean?
Ripple suppression means that the PSU is suppressing (filtering) the variation (ripple) in the output (DC) voltage, which is an artifact of the AC to DC conversion process. The lower the ripple, the better. Ideally, it should stay at or below 40mV, but higher values (up to around 60mV at 100 percent load) are also acceptable.