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These days, much misinformation is being spread around regarding the power requirements of gaming PCs. While I can’t deny the latest GPUs consume more and more power, it doesn’t mean slightly lower-watt power supplies aren’t viable anymore. Far from that, as long as you’re not eyeing the RTX 5090, the best 850W power supply will prove extremely useful for your latest gaming PC.
2024 has been a fantastic year for power supplies, and after testing over 20 units, I have gathered the top 850W PSUs along with their real-time benchmarks. Our in-house testing focuses on performance, build quality, modularity, and overall value. You can find the specifics at the end of this article and definitions of PSU jargon to help you navigate your research for a new power supply.
With that out of the way, here’s a comparison table of my top five picks:
If you’re unsure about buying an 850W power supply according to your PC’s requirements, please use our PSU wattage calculator to help you with your specific build.
Looking for a higher-wattage power supply? Don’t worry, we have your back:
Best 850W Power Supply
Here are the five power supplies that stood out the most during our testing:
- Best Overall: Corsair RM850e Gold
- Best Performance: Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum
- Best SFX: Silverstone Extreme 850R Platinum
- Best Budget: XPG Core Reactor II VE 850W Gold
- Best White: Enermax D.F. 12 Revolution Gold
Corsair RM850e Gold
Best Overall 850W Power Supply
Specifications: Size: 140 x 150 x 86mm | Efficiency Rating: 80+ Gold | Modular: Yes (Fully) | Wattage: 850W | Protection: OPP, OVP, UVP, OCP, OTP, SCP | ATX 24-Pin: 1 | EPS 4+4-Pin: 2 | 12V-2×6 12+4 Pin: 1 | PCI-E 6+2-Pin: 3 | SATA: 7 | MOLEX 4-Pin: 4
Pros
- High efficiency
- Budget-friendly
- 7-year warranty
- Decent overall performance
Cons
- Non-Japanese capacitors
- Slightly higher fan noise
Read Our Corsair RM850e Power Supply Review
Perhaps one of the most popular power supplies on the list, Corsair’s “RMe” power supplies are known for providing impressive performance while rivaling pricing. The performance and pricing are why this component is on our list. With the Corsair RM850e, you can expect high efficiency, a reasonable warranty period, and decent overall performance. Of course, it’s not a perfect product because it doesn’t have a hybrid fan mode, and the noise can get slightly louder.
According to our testing, the voltage regulation is not that good, with a percentile difference of 1.24. We have seen better at similar pricing. While the test doesn’t affect the PSU’s overall performance, it correlates with its internal design. On the other hand, the 850RMe easily crossed 80+ Gold efficiency in our test, with an average of 92.11%. The ripple suppression test averaged 21.4mV at 100% load, but the max ripple crossed 26mV at 20%. The numbers aren’t the best, but they’re not bad. I reckon you can still overclock your PC with this PSU.
During his testing, this is what Arsalan Shakil, our power supply reviewer, had to say about the Corsair RM850e:
The Corsair RM850e is an affordable ATX 3.0 PSU perfect for budget-conscious gamers, delivering solid performance and reliability. While it uses non-Japanese capacitors and a rifle-bearing fan, it still offers impressive efficiency and acceptable voltage regulation.
What Makes It The Best Overall 850W Power Supply?
The Corsair RM850e provides a slightly more affordable power supply with decent performance, making it perfect for many gamers who aren’t looking for the best on the market. With its higher efficiency and decent ripple suppression performance, the Corsair RM850e proves it’s the best overall 850W power supply, even though its internal components have been downgraded.
| Performance: 8/10 | Value: 9/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Efficiency: 10/10 |
Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum
Best Performance 850W Power Supply
Specifications: Size: 150 x 150 x 86mm | Efficiency Rating: 80+ Platinum | Modular: Yes (Fully) | Wattage: 850W | Protection: OPP, OVP, UVP, OCP, OTP, SCP | ATX 24-Pin: 1 | EPS 4+4-Pin: 2 | 12V-2×6 12+4 Pin: 1 | PCI-E 6+2-Pin: 5 | SATA: 8 | MOLEX 4-Pin: 6
Pros
- Extremely efficient
- Silent operation
- Outstanding ripple suppression
- Solid build quality
- Lower junction temperatures
Cons
- Expensive
Read Our Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum Power Supply Review
As I said earlier, 850W is viable for many gaming PCs with high-end components. If you want the highest performance by overclocking while staying on an 850W power supply, I recommend the Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum. This PSU has impressive performance, solid build quality, and lower junction temperatures. However, considering it’s only an 850W unit, I don’t like its pricing, but it can’t be helped. In any case, let me give you an overview of our performance benchmarks.
Starting with its efficiency, the Hela 850R is the most efficient 850W PSU we tested in 2024, with an average efficiency of 93.38%. The lower 14.4mV ripple suppression at 100% load is another plus for the power supply, making it ideal for overclocking attempts while staying at a lower wattage. It’s not topping the charts with its 12V load regulation. Still, a percentile difference of 0.91 is respectable, and the performance is on par with similar-rated power supplies, regardless of the wattage capacity.
Here’s what we stated in our in-depth review of the Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum regarding its performance and features:
The Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum is a high-performance, efficient power supply unit that stands out with its adherence to the latest ATX 3.1 specifications. It features the new 12V-2×6 GPU connector, improving safety and reliability. In our tests, the PSU delivered impressive results, showcasing excellent voltage regulation, high efficiency (up to 94.23%), and exceptional voltage ripple performance.
What Makes It The Best Performance 850W Power Supply?
The Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum showcased outstanding performance benchmarks on our test bench, averaging 93.38% efficiency and 14.4mV ripple suppression at 100% load. Adding that to its solid build quality with Japanese capacitors and an almost-silent fan makes it the best performance 850W power supply, albeit with a higher price.
| Performance: 10/10 | Value: 7/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Efficiency: 10/10 |
Silverstone Extreme 850R Platinum
Best SFX 850W Power Supply
Specifications: Size: 125 x 100 x 63.5mm | Efficiency Rating: 80+ Platinum | Modular: Yes (Fully) | Wattage: 850W | Protection: OPP, OVP, UVP, OCP, OTP, SCP, NLO | ATX 24-Pin: 1 | EPS 4+4-Pin: 2 | 12VHPWR 12+4 Pin: 1 | PCI-E 6+2-Pin: 2 | SATA: 8 | MOLEX 4-Pin: 3
Pros
- Amazing efficiency
- Compact design
- Impressive component quality
- Silent operation
Cons
- Unsleeved cables
- Higher voltage ripple
Read Our Silverstone Extreme 850R Platinum Power Supply Review
Next on our list is the Silverstone Extreme 850R Platinum, a decent SFX power supply for your ITX PC. It has design issues with the unsleeved cables, but the efficiency, component quality, and silent operation make up for them. I doubt someone with an ITX chassis would overclock their PC, so the higher voltage ripple shouldn’t affect you too much.
Although it’s smaller in size, the power supply’s performance isn’t affected too much. For our efficiency test, the Extreme 850R is only second to the more powerful Hela 850R with an average of 93.08% efficiency. We weren’t too happy with the higher voltage ripple, which is going to 32mV at a 100% load, but it’s an SFX power supply, so lesser performance is warranted. Lastly, there aren’t any problems with the 12V rail regulation, with a percentile difference of 1.49. The difference may be the highest amongst other 850W PSUs, but it won’t affect your overall performance.
Abdul Hannan had a field trip while testing the PSU. Here’s how he described it in his review:
With its combination of Platinum efficiency, compact design, and reliable performance, the SilverStone Extreme 850R Platinum emerges as a standout option for users seeking a premium SFX PSU solution.
What Makes It The Best SFX 850W Power Supply?
Most SFX power supplies, regardless of their wattage capacity, cost more. However, the Silverstone Extreme 850R Platinum has a reasonable price tag, offers admirable performance with minimal noise, and has a decent internal component design. In lieu of these points, it’s easily the best SFX 850W power supply for most use cases.
| Performance: 8/10 | Value: 8/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Efficiency: 10/10 |
XPG Core Reactor II VE Gold
Best Budget 850W Power Supply
Specifications: Size: 140 x 150 x 86mm | Efficiency Rating: 80+ Gold | Modular: Yes (Fully) | Wattage: 850W | Protection: OPP, OVP, UVP, OCP, OTP, SCP, NLO, SIP | ATX 24-Pin: 1 | EPS 4+4-Pin: 2 | 12V-2×6 12+4 Pin: 1 | PCI-E 6+2-Pin: 3 | SATA: 6 | MOLEX 4-Pin: 2
Pros
- Impressive build quality
- Outstanding 12V rail regulation
- Good performance
- Amazing value
- Lengthy warranty
Cons
- Subpar voltage ripple performance
- Potential cooling issues
- Higher noise levels
Read Our XPG Core Reactor II VE 850W Power Supply Review
What better way to work around a mid-range PC than choosing budget-friendly components, right? But sometimes, you must compromise on a few places and get something that will get you through the day. That’s exactly what the XPG Core Reactor II VE 850W 80+ Gold power supply is. You can expect amazing build quality, load regulation, and decent overall performance. On the other hand, you need to be wary of the subpar ripple suppression, cooling issues at higher loads, and greater noise.
Regarding its load regulation, the PSU has the lowest percentile difference of all the 850W variants, at a mere 0.33, which shows off its amazing internal components in our testing. Similarly, it had no issues exceeding its 80+ Gold certification, with an average efficiency of 92.11%. The only test where the power supply struggled was the ripple suppression, which succumbed to 30.4mV at 100% load.
Here’s how we summarized the power supply’s overall performance and value in our in-depth review:
The XPG Core Reactor II VE 850W delivers future-proof compatibility with ATX 3.1 compliance, exceeding 80Plus Gold efficiency for top-notch energy savings. The voltage ripple at the 12V rail was also decent, which seems fine given the value-orientated approach of the PSU.
What Makes It The Best Budget 850W Power Supply?
The XPG Core Reactor II VE 850W power supply shares an amazing build quality with the highest-rated components, such as a CWT OEM, a 120mm FDB fan, and capacitors made by Elite and CapXon. Its lengthier seven-year warranty, decent efficiency, and outstanding 12V rail regulation only add to its impressive value. The lower price seals the deal, making it the best budget 850W power supply.
| Performance: 8/10 | Value: 10/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Efficiency: 9/10 |
Enermax D.F. 12 Revolution
Best White 850W Power Supply
Specifications: Size: 122 x 150 x 86mm | Efficiency Rating: 80+ Gold | Modular: Yes (Fully) | Wattage: 850W | Protection: OPP, OVP, UVP, OCP, OTP, SCP | ATX 24-Pin: 1 | EPS 4+4-Pin: 2 | 12V-2×6 12+4 Pin: 1 | PCI-E 6+2-Pin: 3 | SATA: 8 | MOLEX 4-Pin: 4
Pros
- Aesthetically pleasing with mesh-sleeved cables
- Dust free rotation
- Super efficient
- Impressive performance
- Low ripple suppression
- Extremely low temperatures
Cons
- Slightly noisy when loads exceed 60%
Read Our Enermax D.F. Revolution 12 850W Power Supply Review
Building a completely white-themed PC is never easy. That’s especially true when you’re trying to find a slightly lower-wattage 850W PSU. However, the Enermax D.F. 12 Revolution 80+ Gold power supply brings out the white aesthetics while closely checking the performance and price tag. We liked the extra features, such as a semi-silent fan and dust-free rotation, but the noise after 60% load could have been improved. Here are the findings from our tests.
The efficiency test showed that the power supply easily exceeded its 80+ Gold rating, averaging 92.63% efficiency. It’s only slightly lower than the Silverstone Extreme. The PSU’s ripple suppression is also pretty good, with 17.6mV at 100% load, allowing decent overclocking opportunities. Lastly, there are no complaints with the 12V load regulation, with a percentile difference of 1.09. Overall, the PSU is in the middle of all the 850W PSUs we tested.
During our team’s in-depth testing, this is what they stated regarding the power supply:
The Enermax D.F. 12 Revolution 850W PSU offers compact design, advanced ATX 3.1 features, and impressive performance. While it excels in efficiency and thermal management, it’s not entirely silent under heavy load.
What Makes It The Best White 850W Power Supply?
While providing impressive performance with its lower ripple suppression, efficiency, and load regulation, the power supply keeps a hold on its price tag even for its white-themed variant. Moreover, the lower temperatures and dust-free rotation features are another plus point for this unit, making it the best white 850W power supply.
I mainly like the Enermax D.F. 12 Revolution 80+ Gold power supply because it provides impressive performance with beautiful aesthetics and high-quality cables and maintains a good price tag. Outside of being useful for white PCs, the unit has a black variant, too. While it’s not a perfect product (cough, noise, cough), its merits far outweigh its cons.
– Sajjad Hussain
| Performance: 8/10 | Value: 9/10 |
| Features: 9/10 | Efficiency: 9/10 |
Checking The Cable Differences
The main difference between cables in different power supplies is the number of SATA, MOLEX, and PCIe 6+2 connectors they offer. To ensure your purchase doesn’t leave you with insufficient cables, I have added a table that compares the number of connectors each of our listed power supply offers.
| Power Supply | ATX 24-Pin | EPS 4+4-Pin | 12V-2×6 12+4/ 12VHWPR Pin | PCI-E 6+2-Pin | SATA | MOLEX 4-Pin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corsair RM850e | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Silverstone Extreme 850R Platinum | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 3 |
| XPG Core Reactor II VE | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| Enermax D.F. 12 Revolution | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 4 |
Our Test Results For The Best 850W Power Supply
To back our performance claims, we have added our test results of the 12V load regulation, PSU efficiency, and ripple suppression at 100% load in the charts below. You’ll find our options competed with other 850W PSUs to show how well they all perform in a real-world scenario.
Power Supply Key Terms
If you’re new to PC building, you may not understand all the power supply jargon thrown around in the market. To help you keep up with the pace, I have added a few important terms and how they can affect your purchase decision:
- ATX 3.0: One of the latest power supply standards (the latest being ATX 3.1), ATX 3.0 PSUs ensure enough power is supplied to all modern gaming PCs. The major difference between ATX 3.0 and 3.1 is that the former has a 12VHWPR cable for high-end NVIDIA GPUs, while the latter has a 12V-2×6 cable.
- Cybenetics Rating: Similar to the 80+ rating scheme, Cybenetics is, at times, hailed with more praise for its intensive testing and public reports. The ratings are divided into two parts: the ETA for efficiency and the LAMDA for noise levels.
- 12VHWPR Cable: This cable is an addition to ATX 3.0 power supplies. Abbreviated as 12-Volt High Power Cable, it powers NVIDIA’s high-end offerings, such as the RTX 4090 and the upcoming RTX 5090. Make sure your GPU is compatible with the power supply before purchasing.
- Efficiency: A PSU’s efficiency is calculated by how effectively it can convert AC power to DC power. Usually, a PSU’s efficiency is assessed using 80+ or Cybenetics ratings. The 80+ ratings start from Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium. Higher-wattage power supplies tend to be 80+ Gold or above for better efficiency.
- Voltage Ripple: Voltage ripple or ripple suppression is caused during the AC-to-DC conversion process. Lower ripple suppression equates to better stability and more overclocking headroom with the power supply.
- Voltage Regulation: A power supply’s voltage regulation is its ability to maintain stable output voltage even through spikes of AC voltage. Ideally, a good PSU’s load regulation shouldn’t exceed 3%, meaning the actual voltage shouldn’t exceed 3%.
How We Picked The Best 850W Power Supply
We have to consider multiple factors before choosing a power supply. While testing several PSUs, we factored in performance, build quality, modularity, and compatibility before adding them to the list. Here are a few aspects you should also consider when doing your research for a new unit:
- Performance: I consider a power supply’s overall performance the most important aspect of my purchase. By its performance, I mean its load regulation, ripple suppression, and efficiency, among other tests. What good is a power supply if it can’t perform how you need it to? But that also doesn’t mean you choose an overly expensive one that doesn’t provide a bigger boost than its competition.
- Build Quality: Another important factor is that a power supply’s build quality can show how long it will last before you need to purchase it. Usually, a PSU remains unchanged for two to three PC upgrades, so it’s better to have a unit that will last a longer time.
- ATX 3.0/3.1 Compatibility: You should always check whether the power supply you’re purchasing is ATX 3.0 or ATX 3.1 compliant to ensure you don’t face any issues down the line, even if you’re not using a high-end GPU right now. If you don’t do so, you may have to change your power supply or use an adapter (which we don’t recommend!)
- Modularity: It’s not the most important aspect of purchasing a power supply, but we usually choose fully modular power supplies so that airflow and aesthetics aren’t compromised. These days, the price difference between a fully modular and non-modular PSU isn’t that much, making it easier to go with the former, even with price constraints.
FAQs
Yes. An 850W power supply is sufficient for most PCs running high-end hardware as long as the PSU’s quality isn’t compromised.
Depending on your desired GPU, an 850W PSU may or may not be enough for NVIDIA’s next-gen high-end GPUs.
NVIDIA recommends at least 850W for an RTX 4090. As long as you don’t want to purchase an RTX 5090, you’ll be fine with an 850W PSU for the next few years.
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[Editor-in-Chief]
Sajjad Hussain is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Tech4Gamers.com. Apart from the Tech and Gaming scene, Sajjad is a Seasonal banker who has delivered multi-million dollar projects as an IT Project Manager and works as a freelancer to provide professional services to corporate giants and emerging startups in the IT space.
Majored in Computer Science
13+ years of Experience as a PC Hardware Reviewer.
8+ years of Experience as an IT Project Manager in the Corporate Sector.
Certified in Google IT Support Specialization.
Admin of PPG, the largest local Community of gamers with 130k+ members.
Sajjad is a passionate and knowledgeable individual with many skills and experience in the tech industry and the gaming community. He is committed to providing honest, in-depth product reviews and analysis and building and maintaining a strong gaming community.
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