The Complete PSU Hierarchy List

If like us, you enjoy spending your weekend sifting through hardware lists in the hope of finding new and exotic options, then you’re going to love this article. We’ve decided to put together what we believe is the definitive PSU hierarchy. I know, exciting stuff.

We split the list into specific tiers which have differing levels of efficiency, safety, and power output. We start with the most sought-after power supplies and work our way down to the most budget, last-resort options.

We will continuously be updating this list when future PSUs hit shelves. So, keep your eyes on this to see how new hardware options fair against the old firm.

What does PSU stand for?

PSU stands for power supply unit and pretty much does exactly what it says on the tin. It is the component that draws power from your wall socket and feeds that power to the rest of your system. Each component of your build is connected to the PSU – or a component which is – and gets its power from it.

Understanding the ratings

A question that we get all the time is; what are the PSU ratings and how important are they?

It’s a great question because not many people fully understand the importance of PSU ratings or what they even refer to. We do have a full article on the topic which you can find here. But for those wanting a short answer, PSU rating refers to how safe and efficient a PSU is.

By efficient, we mean how much power the PSU draws from the wall compared to how much power it gives you computer.

For example; if a PSU draws 650W from the wall, but only gives your computer 400W of power, that PSU is not very efficient. It also references to how safe the PSU is. A Titanium tier PSU is less likely to malfunction when compared with an 80+ bronze, for example.

Ultimately, the rating of your PSU is pretty important and something that should certainly be considered before any purchase.

PSU Hierarchy

Below is the complete PSU hierarchy. We have categorized all the power supplies into Tier’s to make comparing different options easier.

Let’s start from the best of the best:

Power supply units that fall under the Tier A+/A are by far the most reliable and power-efficient PSU’s on this list. Almost all the PSUs in this tier have been rated at 80+ platinum or titanium. They all have excellent features, wattage range and build quality that reflects there impressive price tags.

Tier A+/A

PSUPSU RatingPSU Power
be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 11Platinum1200 Watts
Cooler Master MasterWatt Maker 1200 MiJTitanium1200 Watts
be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 10Platinum850 Watts
Seasonic PRIME SeriesPlatinum, Titanium550, 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1300 Watts
Antec HCP PlatinumPlatinum750, 850, 1000, 1300 Watts
Thermaltake Toughpower iRGB PLUSPlatinum and Titanium850, 1050, 1200, 1250 Watts
Corsair AXi SeriesPlatinum and Titanium1200, 1500, 1600 Watts
Bitfenix WhisperGold450, 550, 650, 750, 850 Watts
Be Quiet! Straight Power 11Gold450, 550, 750, 850, 1000 Watts
GIGABYTE AP850GM Aorus P850W ModularGold850 Watts
Enermax Platimax D.F.Platinum500, 600, 750, 850, 1050, 1200 Watts
Bitfenix Formula GoldGold450, 550, 650, 750 Watts
Mistel MX650 FanlessPlatinum650 Watts
Aerocool Project 7Platinum650, 750, 850 Watts
Corsair AXi/AX SeriesPlatinum760, 860 Watts
Corsair HX/HXi SeriesPlatinum750, 850, 1000, 1200 Watts
Corsair RMi/RMx SeriesGold550, 650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts
Corsair SFPlatinum450, 600 Watts
Corsair VengeanceSilver650, 750 Watts
Corsair TX-M SeriesGold550, 650, 750, 850 Watts
Cooler Master V-seriesGold - Platinum550, 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1200 Watts
FSP Aurum PT SeriesPlatinum850, 1000, 1200 Watts
Riotoro Enigma SeriesGold650, 750, 850 Watts
Cooler Master MasterWatt Maker SeriesPlatinum1200, 1500 Watts
Seasonic Focus GoldGold450, 550, 650, 750 Watts
NZXT E-seriesGold500, 650, 850 Watts
Seasonic Focus Plus GoldGold550, 650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts
Seasonic Focus Plus PlatinumPlatinum550, 650, 750, 850 Watts
Seasonic SnowSilent SeriesPlatinum750, 1050 Watts
Seasonic X-SeriesGold650, 750, 850, 1050, 1250 Watts
Seasonic Platinum SeriesPlatinum660, 760, 860, 1050, 1200 Watts
XFX XTS SeriesPlatinum460, 520, 1000 Watts
LEPA G1600Gold1600 Watts
Silverstone Nightjar NJ600Titanium600 Watts
FSP Hydro PTM SeriesPlatinum550, 650, 750 Watts
Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB SeriesPlatinum1200 Watts
EVGA G2Gold550, 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1300, 1600 Watts
EVGA P2Platinum650, 750, 850, 1000, 1200, 1600 Watts
EVGA T2Titanium850, 1000, 1600 Watts
EVGA G1 1000 WattsGold1000 Watts
Super Flower LeadexGold, Platinum, Titanium550, 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1300 Watts
XFX Pro SeriesGold and Platinum1000, 1050, 1250 Watts

Dropping down to B Tier will still get you a bunch of power supply options with excellent wattage outputs and superb reliability. You will also experience a decent drop in price as well. Whereas the Tier A+/A PSUs are more suited to PC enthusiasts that run several GPUs, the Tier B PSU’s are more suited to top-level gaming computers.

If you’re looking to build a decent gaming rig with several high-end components, then a Tier B PSU could be the one for you.

PSUPSU RatingPSU Power
Cooler Master V Semi-Modular SeriesGold450, 550, 650, 750 Watts
EVGA GSGold550, 650 Watts
EVGA G1+Gold650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts
EVGA GQGold650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts
EVGA G3Gold550, 650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts
Enermax DigifanlessPlatinum550 Watts
Thermaltake Toughpower DPS GPlatinum and Titanium850, 1050, 1200, 1250, 1500 Watts
Thermaltake Toughpower Grand SeriesPlatinum650, 750, 850, 1050, 1200 Watts
Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB SeriesGold and Platinum650, 750, 850, 1050 Watts
FSP Hydro GGold850 Watts
FSP Dagger SFXGold600 Watts
Seasonic M12IIBronze750, 850 Watts
Antec EarthWatts Green SeriesGold, Platinum350, 380, 450, 550, 650, 750 Watts
Asus ROG ThorPlatinum650, 750, 850, 1200 Watts
Seasonic S12GGold450, 550, 650, 750 Watts
Seasonic G-SeriesGold360, 450, 550, 650, 750 Watts
Kolink ContinuumPlatinum1050, 1200, 1500
be Quiet! Pure Power 11Gold300, 350, 400, 500, 600, 700 Watts
Cougar GX-F AurumGold550, 650, 750 Watts
Corsair CXBronze430, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 750 Watts
Fractal Design Newton R3Platinum600, 800, 1000 Watts
Fractal Design Edison MGold450, 550, 650, 750 Watts
Fractal Design Tesla R2Gold650, 1000 Watts
XFX XTR SeriesGold550, 650, 750, 850, 1050, 1250 Watts
XFX TS Series GoldGold550, 650, 750 Watts
Gigabyte XP1200MPlatinum1200 Watts
Antec EDGEGold550, 650, 750 Watts
Antec TruePower ClassicGold550, 650, 750 Watts
Rosewill FortressPlatinum450, 550, 650, 750 Watts
Rosewill CapstoneGold450, 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1200 Watts
Rosewill QuarkPlatinum550, 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1200 Watts

Tier B

PSUPSU RatingPSU Power
Cougar GX-SGold450, 550, 650, 750 Watts
FSP Aurum CMGold550, 650, 750 Watts
FSP Hydro XGold650 Watts
Aurum ProGold850, 1000, 1200 Watts
Super Flower Platinum KingPlatinum450, 550 Watts
Riotoro OnyxBronze650, 750 Watts
Zalman EBTGold650, 750, 850, 1000, 1200 Watts
Enermax Revolution SFXGold650 Watts
Vivo 24KGold650 Watts
Fractal Design Integra M SeriesBronze450, 550, 650, 750 Watts
Fractal Design Tesla R2Gold800 Watts
Rosewill PhotonGold550, 650, 750, 850, 1050, 1200, 1250 Watts
Rosewill Lightning SeriesGold800, 1000, 1300 Watts
Rosewill Silent NightPlatinum500 Watts
Rosewill TachyonPlatinum650, 750, 1000 Watts
EVGA BQBronze750, 850 Watts
EVGA B3Bronze550, 650, 750, 850 Watts
Lian Li SFX-LPlatinum550, 750 Watts
XFX TS Series BronzeN/A450, 550, 650 Watts
XFX Pro SeriesBronze550, 650 Watts
Deepcool DQSTGold550, 750 Watts
Silverstone SFXGold650, 700, 800 Watts
Silverstone Gold Evolution SeriesGold1000, 1200 Watts
Silverstone Strider Titanium SeriesTitanium600, 700, 800, 1100, 1300, 1500 Watts
Silverstone Strider Gold S SeriesGold550, 650, 750, 850, 1500 Watts
PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk IIIBronze, Gold, Platinum400, 500, 600, 750, 850, 1200 Watts
PC Power & Cooling Turbo CoolGold860 Watts
SAMA Armor GoldGold550, 750 Watts
LEPA G SeriesGold1000, 1200, 1600 Watts
Thermaltake Smart Pro RGB SeriesBronze650, 750, 850 Watts
Thermaltake Smart SeriesBronze550, 650 Watts
Thermaltake EVO Blue SeriesGold650, 750, 850 Watts

Tier D

PSUPSU RatingPSU Power
Enermax Revolution X't IIGold550, 650, 750 Watts
Fractal Design Tesla R2Gold500 Watts
Silverstone Strider PlusSilver600, 750, 850, 1000, 1500 Watts
Cougar LXBronze500, 600 Watts
Cooler Master MasterWatt LiteWhite500, 600 Watts
Cooler Master GM SeriesBronze450, 500, 650, 750 Watts
Cooler Master GX - CM Storm EditionBronze450, 550, 650, 750 Watts
Rosewill Capstone GGold650, 750, 850, 1000, 1200 Watts
EVGA BQBronze500, 600, 650, 750 Watts
Thermaltake Toughpower Gold SeriesGold550, 750, 650, 850, 1000, 1200, 1500 Watts
Thermaltake ParisGold650 Watts
Antec Neo Eco SeriesBronze520, 550, 620, 650 Watts
Xilence Performance X SeriesGold550, 650, 750, 850, 1050, 1250 Watts
Antec High Current Gamer SeriesBronze520, 620, 750, 850 Watts
Inwin Classic SeriesBronze500, 600 Watts
Seasonic M12IIBronze520, 620 Watts
Seasonic ECOBronze430 Watts
Seasonic S12IIBronze350, 430, 520, 620 Watts
Corsair Gaming SeriesBronze600, 700, 800 Watts
be Quiet! Power ZoneBronze650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts
be Quiet! Straight Power 11Gold450, 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts

Tier C

Tier C PSUs lend themselves more towards the majority of the mainstream gamers who want a functional build with reliable components. PSUs in this tier offer decent wattage, good power efficiency, and are affordably priced.

When we get to Tier D, we start to approach the lesser recommended, yet still usable, power supplies that currently occupy the market. These PSUs fall under the “working but not offering any features” bracket.

The efficiency levels of these PSUs naturally takes a hit, but nothing too crazy. PSUs in this tier would still serve their purpose, however, they aren’t anywhere near as desirable as other options above.

Tier E

We finally come to Tier E, or what I like to call, the buy at your own risk section. This is where all the budget PSU’s can be found.

If you’re a PC enthusiast or gamer, these PSU’s will no doubt give you cold sweats just looking at them. You aren’t necessarily taking a huge risk by opting for one of these, but you are handcuffing what components and abilities your build will be able to achieve.

For me, I’d steer well clear. But here they are anyway!

PSUPSU RatingPSU Power
Enermax NaXnWhite450 Watts
Silverstone SFXBronze300, 450 Watts
Antec Basiq Series BPWhite350, 430, 500, 500 Watts
Rosewill GlacierBronze500, 600, 700, 850, 1200 Watts
EVGA B1Bronze450, 500, 600, 700 Watts
XFX XTBronze400, 500, 600 Watts
FSP Raider SeriesSilver450, 550, 650, 750 Watts
OCZ Fatal1tyBronze, Gold550, 750, 1000 Watts
Silverstone Essential SeriesBronze, Silver, Gold400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 750,
EVGA W1White430, 500, 600 Watts
Corsair VS SeriesWhite400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650 Watts
Cooler Master B2 SeriesWhite400, 500, 600, 700 Watts
LEPA MX-F1White, Bronze350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650 Watts
Rosewill HiveBronze550, 650, 750, 850, 1000 Watts
Rosewill ARC MBronze550, 650, 750 Watts
Fractal Design Integra R2Bronze500, 650, 750 Watts
NZXT HALE 82 V2Bronze550, 700 Watts
Thermaltake Smart SeriesBronze750, 1000, 1200 Watts
Thermaltake Toughpower Standard SeriesSilver1000, 1200 Watts
Thermaltake Litepower SeriesNon-Rated350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 650 Watts
Antec VP SeriesWhite450, 550, 630 Watts
Bitfenix BPAWhite400, 500, 600 Watts
FSP HexaWhite500, 600, 700 Watts
Cooler Master Elite SeriesNon-Rated, White300, 350, 400, 450, 500, 550, 600 Watts
Thermaltake TR2 SeriesWhite, Bronze, Gold350, 430, 450, 500, 550, 600, 650, 700, 850 Watts
EVGA N1Non-Rated400, 550, 650, 750 Watts

Final Words

There you have it, the complete PSU hierarchy in all its glory. Choosing the right one for your needs can be a tricky process, but hopefully, this list will make that task a little bit easier.

A few things to keep in mind when looking at buying a new PSU are as follows:

  • Think about reliability
  • Think about Power efficiency
  • Think about Safety
  • Think about Cost

Answering these questions before looking for a new PSU will make the whole process a lot easier in the end.

Have we missed out any power supply’s that you feel are worthy of our hierarchy? If so, leave us a comment in the section below and we’ll add it to the list!

We have created a PSU Calculator tool that helps find the perfect PSU for your setup.