Recommended PSU list

A stable power supply which can deliver high enough wattage is an important part of a medium or high end system. See the wiki page here for help determining how much power you need.

Set out below is a list of recommended power supplies commonly available in New Zealand. It will inevitably remain a work in progress.

The list is important, because a number of psu manufacturers take liberties in the methodologies they use to rate their power supplies, and one manufacturer’s 500W is not the same as another. When in doubt, choose a power supply from a respected brand. Generally speaking, two simple rules can guide you if you are looking for a high quality power supply:

• if the price is under $100, you should wonder if it really has the wattage it promises;
• if it comes with a case, it probably has a value of <$100, so see the first bullet point.

Note: Please contribute to this list - both adding and removing - it can only be good if collective knowledge makes it so. Personally I am unwilling to add brands which I’ve heard are good, but not used personally or had recommended to me directly by someone I trust. daddycam

(this is highly subjective, but the goal is to provide a list of the best currently available PSUs at different wattage levels. Please don’t link to individual shops - people can use PriceSpy or Google)

• under 400W and/or under $100 - need recommendation - should be psu with strong +12v and native 24 pin ATX
• 400W - 500W - Enermax Noisetaker 420W - approximately $130
• 500W - 600W, non-modular - Enermax Whisper II 535W - approximately $160
• 500W - 650W, modular - Enermax Liberty 500W (approx. $160) or Enermax Liberty 620W (approx. $220)
• > 650W - need recommendation for bang for buck

(alphabetical order. Any which have specific models are noted. Please ensure these are available in New Zealand)

• Antec
• Enermax
• OCZ Technology
• Seasonic
• Silverstone
• Thermaltake (Toughpower series only - 2006 and newer models)
• Zippy

Generally speaking the PSUs in this list have genuine, or even underrated, power ratings. Enermax, for instance, rates their power supplies at 50 deg (hotter than the inside of most cases), which tends to understate the power.

(this list should have psus which are not in the list above. They should be specific as to the model, as well as brand)

• Coolermaster RealPower 450W - quiet, over 20amps on the +12v rails, ran an overclocked X2 3800+ and 7800gt on a DFI motherboard without problems

The lists at DFI Street (DFI tech support) and Extreme Overclocking Forums are regularly updated and vigorously debated. The DFI list, in particular, is very conservative (and for this reason, basically primarily includes reputable, but expensive power supplies).

DFI Street Recommended PSUs
Extreme Overclocking Forums PSU discussion

jonnyguru.com has one of the more thorough testing methodologies for power supplies. If its recommended on this site, it’s probably a good PSU.