Build Advice Help me pick the right PSU

[Kazaar]

Hi all, newbie here.

I’m building a new PC and trying to figure out the sweet spot for PSU wattage. Here’s my build:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/TYGdwY

- It’s mainly for playing Euro Truck Simulator 2 in native 4K.
- I don’t plan to do any overclocking.
- GPU is second-hand, I plan to upgrade to an RTX 5070 Ti or RX 7900 XT in the very near future.

Thank you.

 

[Lutfij]

You could look into this;
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/KY...-modular-atx-power-supply-mag-a850gl-pcie5-ii

But it'd be a good idea to mention where you're located, what your preferred site for purchase is and what your budget for said PSU is.

 

[Aeacus]

I plan to upgrade to an RTX 5070 Ti or RX 7900 XT in the very near future.

Since both GPUs are 300W ones, new PSU must be chosen according to that.

For 300W GPU, 850W PSU would be good option.
Take your pick: https://hwbusters.com/best_picks/best-atxv3-pcie5-ready-psus-picks-hardware-busters/4/

All PSUs listed there are ATX 3.x and best in their respective category, reviewed by one of the most reputable PSU reviewer (Aris Mpitziopoulos), who used to review PSUs for TH and who is also founder of the Cybenetics PSU testing methodology (https://www.cybenetics.com/).

Personally, i prefer Seasonic and Super Flower. NZXT is also good. But you can't go wrong with other listed PSUs there. (Personally, i'm running Seasonic units, two PRIME and one Focus unit.)

But if you want to know more about PSUs, then you can start your reading from here,
link: https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...pply-discussion-thread-toms-hardware.3212332/

 

[Kazaar]

@Lutfij
I’m first figuring out the right wattage I need, and then, depending on what’s available in my local market, I’ll gladly turn to you guys for your thoughts on the brands and models

I guess 850W is the way to go ? 750W won’t be enough ?

 

[logainofhades]

Hi all, newbie here.

I’m building a new PC and trying to figure out the sweet spot for PSU wattage. Here’s my build:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/TYGdwY

- It’s mainly for playing Euro Truck Simulator 2 in native 4K.
- I don’t plan to do any overclocking.
- GPU is second-hand, I plan to upgrade to an RTX 5070 Ti or RX 7900 XT in the very near future.

Thank you.

Have you bought any of that hardware yet? If not, I would get a different SSD. 500gb is too small these days, and the one you chose is overpriced. Yes 850w is the way to go. Typically the price difference is small between a 750w and 850w.

 

[Aeacus]

I guess 850W is the way to go ? 750W won’t be enough ?

Some simple math;

GPU - 300W (up to 310W-313W max load, depending on which one you go), source: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/msi-geforce-rtx-5070-ti-vanguard-soc/42.html
CPU - 65W (up to 122W with OC under load), source: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/amd-ryzen-7-7700-non-x/22.html
The rest of the build - ~100W
Total: ~535W

For 850W unit, that leaves comfortable ~300W headroom, for GPU OC and other peripherals that you may add to the build.
Also, it would be enough to soak in GPU transient power spikes, where RTX 5070 Ti has spiked to 365W and RX 7900 XT to 392W. So, ~200W headroom still.

 

[Eximo]

750W would be adequate for that CPU + GPU combo for gaming only. A full system load with CPU+GPU going full blast would be within the safety margin, but over time the max output of PSUs drops. 850W is a safer bet, and the cost difference is usually only 10-15%. Higher rating also generally means quieter operation under a fixed load. So an 850W PSU pulling 400W is likely to quieter than a 750W PSU pulling 400W.

Cybenetics is a good resource for PSU noise data. That is under the Lambda section.

 

[Kazaar]

@Iogainofhades Still haven’t bought the SSD. I’ll take that into consideration. Thanks.


850W, perfect. Now that we’ve got the wattage, I’ll check what’s available in my local market and get back to you guys.

Thank you.

 

[Aeacus]

I’ll check what’s available in my local market and get back to you guys.

Keep in mind: Since PSU powers everything, it is the most important component inside the PC.
Hence why NEVER cheap out on PSU! Also, never buy used PSU either.

So, once you have made your selection, post the unit make and model (or part number) here and we can evaluate it (tell if it's a good PSU or not).
Or you can give us your store link and we can go over and see what options there are for you.

 

[--SID--]

Check this list https://hwbusters.com/best_picks/best-atxv3-pcie5-ready-psus-picks-hardware-busters/4/ and get one from the top 20 of the 'overall performance' chart

 

[Aeacus]

Check this list https://hwbusters.com/best_picks/best-atxv3-pcie5-ready-psus-picks-hardware-busters/4/ and get one from the top 20 of the 'overall performance' chart

Why repost the exactly the same thing i already posted? 🤔

 

[Kazaar]

So guys, here’s what I found locally that’s worth checking out:

Corsair RM850x (2021) - 150 USD

Cooler Master V850 SFX - 130 USD

MSI MPG A850G PCIE5 - 150 USD

Corsair RM850e (2025) - 155 USD

MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 - 130 USD

Anything better available in my local market is either more than 850W or too expensive for my budget.

I also came across this PSU Tier List.

Thank you.

 

[Aeacus]

I also came across this PSU Tier List.

That's a neat list. 🤔 Up-to-the-date and unbiased as well, while nicely describing the tiering criteria. Did skim over it and for the some specific brands that i looked closer, the tiering is on-point.
Though, the list doesn't contain older PSUs for some of the brands. While the oldest units in list are from 2010, not all brand older units are listed. E.g oldest Seasonic unit listed is 2016, but Seasonic had good PSUs from 2009 (S12II Bronze), 2010, 2011, 2012. Then again, no-one should be buying 10+ year old platform regardless.
So, overall, the best PSU tier list i've seen as of late. Thanks for share. 👍

Cooler Master V850 SFX - 130 USD

Do note that this is SFX PSU and not ATX PSU. It is smaller than regular PSU and to use it, you need to use ATX to SFX PSU adapter bracket.
E.g this thing, amazon: https://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Technology-Universal-Adapter-Bracket/dp/B01BYB33J8/

Corsair RM850x (2021) - 150 USD

Corsair RM850e (2025) - 155 USD

Two Corsair units. RMx is better build quality and despite it being ATX 2.x, i'd still pick it over inferior quality (mediocre quality) RMe which is ATX 3.x PSU.

MSI MPG A850G PCIE5 - 150 USD

MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 - 130 USD

Two MSI units. MAG is poor quality (as you can see from the PSU tier list you included). MPG is good unit with ATX 3.x revision.


Overall;
If you want ATX 3.x PSU with dedicated 12-6x2 connector for RTX 50-series, then MSI MPG A850G PCIE5 is the best choice.

If you want absolute the best build quality, Corsair RM850x is best option. It is ATX 2.x PSU and doesn't have the dedicated 12-6x2 connector but RX 9700 XT doesn't use it anyways (12-6x2 is Nvidia thing). Still, if you go with RM850x, there are adapters out there than convert 8-pin PCI-E to 12-6x2 connector (that adapter should be included with GPU).

Up to you which one to pick.

 

[Zerk2012]

Do note that this is SFX PSU and not ATX PSU. It is smaller than regular PSU and to use it, you need to use ATX to SFX PSU adapter bracket.

It comes with a adapter.
The cables are shorter and might not reach the CPU power using larger cases.

 

[Kazaar]

Damn, I wasn’t aware of the ATX 3.0 vs 2.x limitations.

Since I’m planning to upgrade to an RTX 5070 Ti eventually, I guess I’ll need an ATX 3.0 PSU. Are they still compatible with ATX 2.x GPUs?

And if I use an ATX 2.x PSU with an ATX 3.0 GPU using an adapter, how safe is it, and will it impact performance?

 

[Aeacus]

Damn, I wasn’t aware of the ATX 3.0 vs 2.x limitations.

Since I’m planning to upgrade to an RTX 5070 Ti eventually, I guess I’ll need an ATX 3.0 PSU. Are they still compatible with ATX 2.x GPUs?

ATX 2.x PSUs are still compatible with newest GPUs. Just need to use included adapter when need be.

Here's article describing what ATX 3.x is and the differences to the older ATX PSU revision,
link: https://hwbusters.com/psus/intel-atx-v3-0-specification-explained-briefly/

And if I use an ATX 2.x PSU with an ATX 3.0 GPU using an adapter, how safe is it, and will it impact performance?

This article describes 12VHPWR (ATX 3.0) and 12-6x2 (ATX 3.1) differences,
link: https://hwbusters.com/gpu/will-my-a...ew-cable-psu-gpu-everything-you-need-to-know/

Above article also has info about using (bending) the new power cable as well. Same goes when you use adapter, don't bend it just at the connector area to the GPU.

There are no performance impacts when using ATX 2.x PSU. Since the power that GPU gets, is the same +12V as with ATX 3.x PSU. (Voltage control, ripple, transient response, efficiency etc, that comes down to specific PSU, not the ATX PSU standard.)
All what that adapter does, is taking 8-pin PCI-E (several of them) and turning them all into one 12-6x2 connector, that RTX 50-series (and RTX 40-series) GPUs have. AMD Radeon GPUs still use the standard 8-pin PCI-E (up to three) to power the GPU.

 

[Kazaar]

Alright, I’m going with an ATX 3.0 PSU then.
Here are the only two remaining options I can choose from:

MSI MPG A850G PCIE5 - 150 USD:
Tier A PSU*, but it’s being sold by a local store known for poor after-sales service.

Corsair RM850e (2025) - 155 USD:
Tier B+ PSU*, local store offering excellent after-sales service.

So, we have a dilemma here 😀

*According to the PSU Tier List I shared.

 

[Aeacus]

but it’s being sold by a local store known for poor after-sales service.

local store offering excellent after-sales service.

After-sales service is only needed when something is wrong with the hardware you bought. Good/great quality PSUs last a decade and i don't think you'd have issues with good PSU, to warrant a RMA (warranty claim).

E.g the Seasonic units that i've used and still are using - none of them had any issue.
My Seasonic PSU portfolio (from oldest):
S12II-520 80+ Bronze - bought brand new, in use for 3 years (had 3 year warranty), now retired.
M12II-850 Evo 80+ Bronze - bought brand new, in use for 5 years (had 5 year warranty), now retired.
PRIME TX-650 80+ Titanium - bought brand new, in use for 9+ years (has 12 year warranty), still in use, powering my main build, Skylake.
Focus PX-550 80+ Platinum - bought brand new, in use for 7+ years (has 10 year warranty), still in use, powering my old main build, AMD.
PRIME TX-650 80+ Titanium - bought brand new, in use for 5+ years (has 12 year warranty), still in use, powering missus'es build, Haswell.

(My builds full specs with pics in my sig.)

So, with good quality components, chances that it dies within warranty period, are slim. And unless you know for a fact that you are facing issues (e.g buying cheap hardware), there's no reason why to stress over after-sales service issue.

Personally, i'd go with MSI unit due to better build quality (heck, i'd go with Seasonic instead or Super Flower if no Seasonic is present).

 

[Kazaar]

So I finally ordered the MSI MPG A850G.

Thank you so much guys for your help. Special thanks to @Aeacus for your time.

We’re done here 👊🏻