Building a new PC is a process that presents many challenges, but choosing a suitable PSU (power supply unit) is often overlooked. Power supply calculators tell you precisely what you need to know to make the correct choice when buying a PSU.
Keep reading to discover which calculator you should utilize.
PSUs are often overlooked because they aren’t very expensive, and there is a wide variety of them, so people approach this subject with an air of indifference.
Many believe that getting a 500-600W unit will be adequate and don’t give it much more consideration.
The issue here is more complex than that, and choosing the right PSU for your computer should be considered as important as getting the right GPU and CPU. As with those, there are tiers that relate to different budgets, but quality and capability are what you should focus on.
In the old days (well, perhaps ten or fifteen years ago), the would-be PC builder was responsible for manually calculating how much power their new gaming rig would require.
You would have had to calculate the usage of the graphics card, processor, RAM, and fans. It was a time-consuming task.
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Enter Power Supply Calculators
Fortunately, some ingenious people devised a clever solution: a power supply calculator. We can now simply enter the models of each component we plan to use in our computer to receive an exact figure of how much power it will require.
Some people have gone even further and added a suggestion for the exact model that will fit your build. However, this was taken advantage of by some PSU manufacturers who would only suggest their own models. Despite this, there are still some good power supply calculators created by those companies, so they are included in this list.
There are a few other key areas where these calculators don’t offer exact guidance. In fairness, it isn’t their job to do this. These areas include information such as the physical dimensions of a PSU.
When building a PC, you should be aware that the PSU will likely occupy the largest amount of space inside your rig, so you need to take that into account.
With that said, PC case manufacturers were also aware of this, so most modern cases include a dedicated PSU space.
However, having space for the PSU is only one part of the equation. You also need to be aware that the PSU generates heat. When added to all the other hot components inside the case, airflow is essential to keep in mind.
Another aspect to consider is the various types of power connectors. With the release of the RTX 3000 series, we have now witnessed a 12-pin GPU connector. However, for now, this is merely an adapter, not a cable that is provided with PSUs.
These are just some things worth paying attention to when choosing a PSU, but that doesn’t mean power supply calculators are not worthwhile. In fact, they are still a really good solution for this issue and should definitely be used when building a new PC or upgrading your existing one.
Let’s examine a few of the leading power calculators out there.
OuterVision
What makes OuterVision fascinating is its exclusive focus on computing device’s energy usage. Therefore, it typically produces optimal outcomes. A notable feature of this tool is its ability to automatically discover and provide a link to purchase the appropriate PSU through Amazon.
This website has an almost perfect interface. It’s very easy to use, offers a wide range of options, and has two separate PCU calculators, one for experts and another for beginners.
Another nifty thing about this calculator is that it also provides overclocking calculations. If you know from the start that you are going to overclock your components, this is the perfect tool for you.
PCPartPicker
Although the name doesn’t mention it, PCPartPicker is actually a really good power calculating website, especially if you have any prior experience.
As the name suggests, they deal primarily with choosing new parts for your PC. This can be a great tool when building a PC for the first time.
As it is not purely a power calculator, it offers plenty of other advantages, such as a compatibility check between the different parts of your computer. This is tremendously useful, as ensuring all your components are compatible is one of the most challenging tasks when building a PC.
However, to help you pick the perfect PSU, you first have to choose a PSU, and then the website tells you whether or not it’s compatible. This means you might feel a bit perplexed if you don’t already have knowledge and experience in PC building.
Newegg
This is a very well-known name among computer enthusiasts. You might have heard of it because it offers great deals on PC components (among other things), and it also offers an excellent PC-building tool.
Although this PC component picking tool isn’t as good as, for example, pcpartpicker.com, it’s still probably one of the premier 3 online solutions.
The issue with their PSU calculator is that it’s relatively rudimentary and doesn’t account for additions like fans or peripherals. Admittedly, these aren’t significant power consumers, but it would still be nice to have them taken into consideration.
Newegg only shows the recommended wattage, which is still positive, but the problem comes with the suggested PSUs that are offered when you calculate the necessary power consumption.
For example, if their calculator tells you that your computer requires 595 Watts and you click the ‘Show PSUs’ button, you will be taken to their search page with PSU parameters already inputted. However, those parameters will be ‘500-599W’, so you might be shown a 500W power supply when your power requirement is 595W.
Seasonic
If your first thought is that this is a PSU brand, you’re correct. However, they also offer a rather useful tool on their website to help you calculate exactly how much power your PC will require.
In fact, their power calculating tool is likely on par with the best power calculators out there, but the one clear downside is that it only suggests Seasonic PSUs. Depending on how you look at it, this might not be so bad, as Seasonic is a rather reliable PSU manufacturer.
However, as PC building enthusiasts, we like to have as many options as possible.
be quiet!
This is another brand-based calculator that will offer you a simple approach. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as you can effectively calculate all your power needs. However, it would still be better if you had the option to select additional power consumers.
As with Seasonic, you will only receive PSU suggestions from their brand. Again, as ‘be quiet!’ is a fairly reputable PSU manufacturing company, you shouldn’t be too worried.
Cooler Master
Power supply calculators from brands aren’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, the solution offered by Cooler Master is definitely as good as some independent calculators and perhaps even better than others.
The options are relatively basic, but they offer a really neat feature that allows you to customize which PSU you want after the recommendation is made. You can select the type of cable management you have in mind and the sort of efficiency rating you’re seeking.
