Le plus important pour un gamer est de pouvoir jouer de façon fluide et sans problèmes sur son PC. Choses que seul un Laptop conçus avec des composants très performants peut procurer. Un tel appareil exige une carte graphique puissante, un RAM très rapide, un processeur à haute vitesse, un système de refroidissement optimal. L’alimentation joue également un rôle majeur. Cette dernière se doit de répondre aux besoins de tous ces composants énergivores.
The ideal wattage for a true gaming PC
The risks of an undersized power supply
For a gaming PC, an undersized power supply can cause random reboots. A very frustrating situation! You risk losing your game and having to start again from the last save.
A low‑wattage power supply also increases the risk of overheating. You may also experience unstable power delivery. In such cases, the expensive components in your PC can be damaged. If the power level is too low, you may get electrical noise that interferes with the game’s sound effects.
What about an oversized power supply?
An oversized power supply will not improve performance. It will only have an impact on your electricity bill. The only real benefit is that it will run cooler and is likely to last longer.
So what is the ideal wattage?
In practice, a gaming PC power supply should provide at least 550 W. Online PSU wattage calculators can help you work out the exact requirements of your PC. These are automated tools available on the web, and they are generally free.
The type of graphics card
As the graphics card is the most power‑hungry component, you can use the following guideline to choose the wattage of your power supply:
- 550-650 Watts: this wattage covers the needs of around 80% of current gaming PCs
- 650-850 Watts: required if you use a high‑end AMD or Nvidia graphics card. It is particularly recommended if you are running a multi‑GPU setup such as Crossfire or SLI.
- 1000 Watts: recommended if you are using a powerful processor such as a Phenom II X6. It is also aimed at gamers who do extreme overclocking.
Efficiency rating
There is a difference between the power going into the PSU and the power coming out to the components. Part of the energy is lost as heat. To put it simply: if a power supply loses 30% of the energy, its efficiency is 70%. In this example, to cover an actual requirement of 380 Watts, you would need a power supply of about 542 Watts.
For users’ benefit, the “80 Plus” certification was created. To be certified, a PSU must offer at least 80% efficiency.
Here are the different existing certification levels:
- Standard: minimum efficiency of 82%
- Bronze: minimum efficiency of 85%
- Silver: minimum efficiency of 87%
- Gold: minimum efficiency of 89%
- Platinum: minimum efficiency of 90%
- Titanium: minimum efficiency of 94%
Connectors
The number of connectors on a power supply varies depending on the model you buy. One thing is certain though: recent models come with a 24‑pin ATX connector for the motherboard. This is compatible with both older 20‑pin motherboards and newer 24‑pin boards.
Pay close attention to the graphics card connector, called PCI‑Express. Some graphics cards require a 6‑pin connector, others 6 + 2, others 8‑pin. You must therefore choose a power supply with the appropriate PCI‑Express connectors.
The other components of your gaming PC also need power. Their connectors may be SATA, PCI‑E or even Molex. It is therefore impossible to give a universal recommendation without knowing your PC configuration. The best approach is to list all your connector requirements, taking into account every component in the PC (watercooling, optical drives, etc.).
Modularity
Based on the way the connectors and their associated cables are fitted, there are two types of power supply. First, there is the non‑modular power supply. Its cables are permanently attached to the PSU casing and cannot be removed. Second, there is the modular power supply where the cables are detachable.
The inside of your PC case must be tidy and well ventilated. For this reason, we recommend opting for a modular PSU. It lets you connect only the cables you actually need, avoiding unnecessary clutter inside the case.
For ease of use, choose braided or sleeved cables. This way, the wires are grouped together in a single sleeve, making them less bulky and easier to route inside the case.
If you want to customise your gaming PC, note that PSU cables are available in various colours.
