PC power supply, how to know its quality?

We already explained the consequences of not choose a power supply quality for our PC, but the same question is repeated: how to recognize a quality power supply? Today we present a very practical way to solve this question.

Explain what characteristics make one PSU superior to another in terms of durability, security, etc. It becomes very complicated if you don't understand terms like voltage regulation, ripple, EMI, RFI, etc. But today at least I'm not going to bother defining all these questions; instead I prefer to facilitate the process of selecting a quality font by using a Tier List. Translated to Spanish it is a list of levels or hierarchies; ranging from the best engineering works in sources, even the fearsome time bombs that are sold in your country for a few USD / EUR. These lists are made by people, you are responsible for condensing all the technical content Plans source reviews in a Tier List.

Regarding the quality of PC power supplies

Keep in mind that this method is far from perfect. There are several lists, and some have not been updated for years, making them useless. I recommend the LTT one, but even that list, as of the date I write this article, was last updated 2 months ago. Like all technology, sources are constantly changing and Tier Lists change with them; When a source has little in the market, nothing is known about it, so its position is very vaguely estimated; Then, as the months go by, the category is raised or lowered depending on the reviews and also the complaints from users.

Another disadvantage is that impossible to include all PSUs in the world in one listThey are simply too many models and versions; so if you can't find the source of your interest, it means that there is not enough information, or that the person in charge of the list does not even know of the existence of said model. In other words, means that there is no guarantee that it is good, and there is no guarantee that it is bad. In this situation you can try to find information elsewhere, or what I usually do; I pass on it and look for one that does appear on the list. But let's not waste time anymore, it's time to show you how it works and how to get the most out of it:

Analyzing the list

In the image below You will see the symbology in Spanish:

Symbology:

• The sources highlighted in golden They are not only silent but also the best quality within the category.
• Scripts (-) they separate models, lines or series. Example: Corsair AXi - HXi - RMi. Same brand, different product lines.
• Diagonals (/) separate SKUs within from the same series. Example Corsair AX 1500i / 1600i, even though both are called AXi, they could have very different characteristics, the internal electronics can vary depending on capacity, external aesthetics, or sometimes they can look the same but have later revisions. Brands love to confuse us, so pay close attention to what you are buying, regardless of whether it bears the same or a similar name.

• The Parentheses () they help you with the previous point. Corsair (AX 1500i / 1600i) tells us that of the AXi only those two PSUs belong to that range.
• The numbers in red brackets they represent problems, so read the notes that come at the end of each level very well. These notes are from tier A (best), which proves what I said in this article- Even high-end fonts are exposed to manufacturing defects / design errors, although that doesn't mean buying an expensive font is a waste of money; I repeat, I explain it in that article.
• Low priority units (minor problems or lack of information): in each category they will have separate sources from the rest. As you can guess, it is because do problems that affect only a part of potential users or because your position is only an estimate based on your specifications. Knowing this; it would be best not to consider them until analysis or pay attention to notes like these:

What category should I choose?

In the same list it explains which user should choose each tier or level, but I prefer to make it clear:

• Tier A: For teams high-end. As of this writing, we are talking about i7 / R7 + RTX 3070 / RX 6800 onwards. Prefer fonts multi-track or that allow you to choose between monorail and multi-track especially if it is for a 3080 ti / 3090 / 6900XT. Also prefer fonts 80+ platinum or titanium For these graphics, I am sure that if you spend so much on a video card the money is not a big problem.
• Tier B: For teams mid-range or upper-middle range. so you understand me, i5 / R5 + 3060 ti / 6700XT at most; these types of sources allow you to save some money, usually maintaining good protections and voltage delivery, at the cost of less durable components. Multiriel as always recommended.
• Tier C: For teams gaming / input workstation: i5 / R5 + 3050 maximum; They are products with notable cuts in internal electronics. However, they will not give any problem if you do not demand much of them.
• Tier D: Only for computers without dedicated graphics or computers used ultra low-cost. While they have the OPP, OCP, SCP, UVP, OVP protections don't expect them to work well under all circumstances.
• Tier E: Bombs, electronic waste, call them what you want, they are very dangerous so if you value your small investment (if there was any) avoid them at all costs.

And there you have it, with the information that we have given you, you should have a good idea of ​​what power source for our PC to look for without having to read the technical analysis of sources (which are better, but for most they are very difficult to understand).