Introduction
SFX power supplies have started to grow in popularity in recent months. Due to the recent rise in manufacturers putting small form factor cases out on the market, SFX power supplies are becoming a requirement, now more than ever. In order to accommodate this surge in popularity for small and more compact builds, well known manufacturers are starting to put out more options in terms of wattage.
This effectively means that consumers with high-end builds and powerful graphics cards become more of an option, as there are a number of power supply choices that have a higher wattage capacity. So for those of you looking to build a super powerful PC, but have something more compact in mind, there are a vast supply of power supplies out there, that are ripe for the taking.
In order to give you a better idea of the kind of power supplies available on the market right now, we’ve put together this buyers guide of the best SFX options. We’ll be taking a look at a plethora of options all geared towards different budgets, wattages, and use-cases.
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Our Recommendations
1. bequiet! 600W SFX-L Power
👑 The cheapest 600W SFX power supply.
Introduction
The first option in our roundup is the Be Quiet 600W unit. We’ve taken a look at a couple of Be Quiet power supplies in the past, and overall they’re pretty solid options. Be Quiet definitely put silence on a pedestal when it comes to their components, and this is reflective here too. This unit is super quiet, designed to operate at a low noise level even when under load. The fan itself is temperature controlled, so speeds will ramp up over time if temperatures reach a certain level, ensuring there’s no wasted heat or noise.
Looking at ratings, and cabling, this particular power supply comes with an 80 plus gold rating, which is further backed up by Cybenetics ETA efficiency testing. In terms of cabling and power connectors, this PSU is a fully modular unit featuring flat cables, and plenty of them to cover all of your component needs. For those of you planning to upgrade to an ATX case later down the line, you’ve also got access to an SFX-to-ATX bracket, that allows you to adapt this power supply to larger cases that don’t support SFX units.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | bequiet! 600W SFX-L Power |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | SFX |
| Wattage | 600W |
| Efficiency Rating | 80+ Gold |
| Modular | Yes |
| RGB | No |
| PCI-E 5.0? | No |
Things We Like
Reasonably priced: As a general rule of thumb SFX power supplies can be quite expensive, but bequiet! haven’t jacked up the price on this particular unit. Consumers will have to spend over $100 for this unit, but this makes it one of the cheaper options on the market.
Extremely low noise: Bequiet! are the kings of silent components. They set a strong precedent when it comes to operating quietly under load, and this PSU is no exception, providing near-silent performance when you’re gaming or pushing your system with some workstation applications.
Things We Don’t Like
Still expensive despite the wattage: Lower wattage power supplies tend to be cheaper and can be picked up for well below $100, but unfortunately as this is an SFX unit there’s almost a tax due to the niche nature of the unit making it more expensive versus ATX 600W PSUs.
No support for PCI-E 5.0: If you’re looking to pick up brand new RTX 4000 card, you’ll likely want a unit that support the new ATX 3.0 standard for newer graphics cards. Unfortunately the 600W SFX-L Power doesn’t support PCI-E 5.0, which means you’ll have to content with pesky adapters in order to get an RTX 4000 card installed.
Summary
BeQuiet’s 600W SFX-L Power is an awesome lower wattage option designed to keep noise levels on the low, whilst providing you with a solid set of cables, and a decent efficiency rating. This power supply is on the pricier side for a 600W unit, but despite this is one of the cheapest SFX power supplies that we’ve seen utilising this specific form factor.
Features: 3.9/5
Design: 4.2/5
Efficiency: 4.2/5
Value for Money: 4/5
Pros
- Near-silent operation.
- Reasonably priced for an SFX power supply.
- Sports an 80+ gold efficiency rating.
Cons
- Expensive for a 600W unit.
- Doesn’t support the ATX 3.0 standard.
Where to Buy
Buy the BeQuiet! 600W SFX-L Power on:
2. ASUS ROG LOKI SFX-L 750W
👑 The best looking SFX power supply.
Introduction
ASUS have always had a keen eye for design and aesthetic, with the vast majority of their ROG components you can expect a strong looking product that may be somewhat more expensive in comparison to alternative options on the market. Regardless of this, even the more boring components such as a power supply still look excellent, sporting an RGB fan that provides some additional flair for your PC build. ASUS have kept the design nice and simple with a black and silver chassis across the whole PSU which does provide some nice variation in comparison to other block colour units that we’ve looked at in the past.
Looking at specs and efficiency, this unit is PCI-E 5.0 ready, allowing you to install any new RTX 4000 graphics cards without the use of any adapters, you can use one cable to power the entire GPU. In terms of efficiency, this PSU is platinum rated, providing 92% efficiency at an average load of 50%, ensuring that your power isn’t lost at heat or noise. This PSU is also one of the quietest ones that we’ve taken a look at, sporting a noise rating of A+ on Cybenetics, making it perfect for those that prefer quiet when gaming.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | ASUS ROG LOKI SFX-L 750W |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | SFX |
| Wattage | 750W |
| Efficiency Rating | 80+ Platinum |
| Modular | Yes |
| RGB | Yes |
| PCI-E 5.0? | Yes |
Things We Like
Super quiet: The ROG LOKI SFX is one of the more quieter PSUs that we’ve looked at, sporting an A+ noise rating on Cybenetics. This makes it ideal for those looking to build a silent system, with minimal coil whine or buzzing from fans and pumps.
Perfect for systems with modern GPUs: Although PCI-E 5.0 cables aren’t a requirement it cuts down the amount of cable management that you’ll have to do, whilst keeping things looking clean. The ROG LOKI allows you to use just one cable for a modern RTX 4000 GPU.
Things We Don’t Like
Not cheap at all: SFX power supplies are already pretty costly compared to standard ATX units, and unfortunately this option definitely has a premium. Needless to say, if you’re on a budget, we wouldn’t recommend this power supply
RGB can be pointless in some cases: I do think the RGB on this power supply looks excellent, but in certain cases, it might be pointless. Dependent on the configuration of your PSU, you may not be able to see the lighting from your PSU which does seem somewhat pointless.
Summary
The ROG LOKI 750W Platinum is an expensive SFX power supply, but despite this, I’d argue that you get what you pay for. You get access to ATX 3.0 support, RGB lighting, near-silent performance, and a strong efficiency rating. Definitely worth considering if you’re willing to shell out a bit more cash for a more feature rich power supply.
Features: 4.5/5
Design: 4.5/5
Efficiency: 4.4/5
Value for Money: 4.1/5
Pros
- Offers PCI-E 5.0 support
- Excellent efficiency rating.
- Very quiet.
Cons
- Rather expensive.
- RGB won’t be worth it in certain cases.
Where to Buy
Buy the ASUS ROG LOKI 750W SFX-L on:
3. Cooler Master V850 SFX Gold
👑 The best priced high wattage SFX power supply.
Introduction
For our third selection, we’ve picked out the V850 SFX Gold from Cooler Master, a more plain option that comes in at a reasonable price point. In terms of pricing, this PSU sits around the $150 mark which I imagine the majority of consumers would consider expensive. However, there are a vast number of other 850W power supplies that sit at a similar price based on their various features, or the fact that this is just quite a high wattage. Regardless of this, I think this particular SFX unit from Cooler Master sits at a decent price point and will be attainable for consumers that need a higher wattage product.
Moving onto specs and features, this is one of the more plain and boring power supplies that we’ve looked at, but it does the job when it comes to performance. This PSU comes with a gold efficiency rating, which is further backed up by Cybenetics. The noise rating here is a little bit disappointing, sporting a Standard+ designation, which means it might be somewhat louder while under load. I imagine you’ll be able to quite easily drown out the sound by sticking on a semi-decent headset. This PSU also comes with an SFX-to-ATX bracket, allowing you to easily adapt the unit to a bigger case if you decide to upgrade later down the line.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | Cooler Master V850 SFX Gold |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | SFX |
| Wattage | 850W |
| Efficiency Rating | 80+ Gold |
| Modular | Yes |
| RGB | No |
| PCI-E 5.0? | No |
Things We Like
Sports fully modular cabling: Cable management can be quite challenging and frustrating at times, but utilising modular cables will allow you to keep down any clutter. The V850 Gold does offer fully-modular cables, giving you the option to plug in exactly what you need without any extras.
Gold rated efficiency: Although we’d like to see a more solid efficiency rating for higher wattage units, the V850 Gold still comes with an 80+ gold rating, which will minimise any power lost as heat or noise.
Things We Don’t Like
Not the quietest unit: Unfortunately, the V850 SFX Gold whilst this is a decent option, is somewhat louder in comparison to other units. If you’d prefer a silent system, we’d recommend picking up another unit that has better fans.
V2 unit is better: Although this particular version of the V850 Gold SFX is somewhat cheaper than the V2 version, the newer option provides some enhancements and improvements that make it a worthwhile consideration versus the older PSU.
Summary
Cooler Master‘s V850 Gold SFX unit is a somewhat more reasonably priced higher wattage unit, sporting an 80 + gold efficiency rating, alongside fully modular cabling and a bracket that adapts this PSU to a larger case. This power supply is a little bit louder compared to it’s newer sibling, but if you’re willing to swallow the noisier option, this cheaper unit is worth considering.
Features: 3.8/5
Design: 4/5
Efficiency: 4.2/5
Value for Money: 3.8/5
Pros
- Sports an 80 + gold efficiency.
- Fully modular cabling.
- Can be adapted to ATX cases.
Cons
- Quite loud when under load.
- The newer V2 unit is better.
Where to Buy
Buy the Cooler Master V850 Gold SFX on:
4. Thermaltake Toughpower SFX 1000W
👑 The best 1000W SFX power supply.
Introduction
Finishing up our roundup is the Toughpower SFX 1000W unit from Thermaltake. We’ve taken a look at a number of power supplies on our site, and we gave this particular unit a pretty good review in the past. Despite this option being a very expensive unit, it is an incredibly strong competitor in the high wattage SFX space. For consumers looking to build a top-end compact PC, this particular power supply will be ideal. You’ve got access to a high capacity wattage, alongside an 80 + gold rated efficiency ensuring that a minimal amount of power is lost as any heat or noise.
Looking at cabling, the Toughpower 1000W power supply is another fully modular unit, allowing you to pick and choose your cables, making cable management a much simpler experience. This power supply also supports the latest ATX 3.0 standard, allowing you to utilise one cable for the newest RTX 4000 graphics cards, again improving any cable management that you might decide to do. It’s also worth noting as well that this particular unit actually has a stronger rated efficiency than what it says on the box, which is pretty impressive.
Key Specs
| Key Specs | Thermaltake Toughpower SFX 1000W |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | SFX |
| Wattage | 1000W |
| Efficiency Rating | 80+ Platinum |
| Modular | Yes |
| RGB | No |
| PCI-E 5.0? | Yes |
Things We Like
Solid efficiency: Although this power supply is reported to have a gold efficiency rating, Cybenetics actually note that this PSU is platinum rated, which should provide consumers with less less power lost as heat and noise.
ATX 3.0 compatible: Those of you picking up a 1000W power supply are likely to be pairing this up with a high performing graphics card. Consumers looking to pick up an RTX 4000 card will be happy to know that this unit is ATX 3.0 compatible, making cable management much simpler.
Things We Don’t Like
Very very expensive: Unfortunately, 1000W units are not cheap which includes ATX power supplies too. As you can imagine, this SFX unit is a rather pricey power supply, and definitely not geared towards budget consumers.
Not that quiet: The Toughpower SFX 1000W isn’t the greatest when it comes to noise levels. Consumers that prefer a quieter system will want to consider some alternatives to ensure noise is kept to a minimum.
Summary
Thermaltake’s Toughpower 1000W SFX design is a great PSU with a rather hefty price tag. Although I do think that there are a solid set of features here, alongside some design choices that add future proofing to this PSU, it is very expensive. We would urge the majority of consumers to really consider if they need a 1000W power supply, before picking one up.
Features: 4.2/5
Design: 4.2/5
Efficiency: 4.3/5
Value for Money: 4.2/5
Pros
- Is platinum rated instead of gold.
- Supports ATX 3.0.
- Modular design will help with cable management.
Cons
- One of the most expensive options.
- Isn’t the quietest PSU.
Where to Buy
Buy the Thermaltake Toughpower SFX 1000W on:
How Do I Tell If I Need an SFX Power Supply?
The main way to determine if you need an SFX power supply is going to be your case. Whilst not many cases will support the SFX size nowadays, there are a quite a few options on the market right now that could catch you off guard. For example, the Lian Li O11D Mini is a rather spacious case at a glance, but you’ll find this chassis only supports SFX PSUs. And if you’ve already picked out your case, you may have to reconsider, or delve more into what kind of SFX power supplies are available to ensure you won’t have any issues when you’re installing all of your components
If you haven’t looked at the specs of your case on the manufacturer’s website, we advise you do. The other way to tell if you need an SFX power supply is simply from the size of the case. Micro-ATX and Mini-ITX style cases are generally much smaller than their ATX counterparts, which means that space within the case can be at times more restrictive. This can result in their being less space for the power supply, which in turn means that it is likely to only support an SFX unit.
On the other side, if you’ve already bought an ATX case, you’ll find that a number of SFX products come with an adapter bracket. This allows consumers to easily upgrade to a new ATX case without the hassle of having to buy a new power supply.
How Many Watts Do I Need?
Figuring out the power draw of your system can be a complicated bet at times. As a personal analogy I was recently in a similar situation of having to figure out how many watts I needed after a significant GPU upgrade, and unfortunately the conclusion that I came to is that I’m going to need to upgrade. But how do you work this out? The best way to work out your build wattage is going to be through your GPU. A high-end build with an RTX 4090 or a 7900 XTX, nine times out of ten is going to require a PSU of 850W or above to ensure you don’t hit your OPP with any transient spikes.
For builds around the mid-range mark that use weaker graphics cards, you’ll start to see the wattage requirement decrease as the demand becomes less. There are other factors to consider when it comes to wattage requirements. For example, how many components you’re going to have in your build in total. Although components like coolers and RAM won’t draw an insane amount, it does add up if you’ve got loads of DIMMs, in combination with multiple radiators, or perhaps even a custom liquid cooled kit that you’re running.
Another factor to consider are transient spikes. Picking up a power supply that protects you and your components from high voltage and wattages during a surge of power is vital. There’s two ways to do this. One, buy a PSU that has a high wattage capacity, this way if you do experience a spike, OPP isn’t likely to kick in. Or if you’ve picked up a lower wattage PSU, make sure it’s a good one. A power supply that has good tolerances on the protection mechanisms, that way if a spike happens, it isn’t damaging the voltage rails in your PSU, it’ll just turn off straight away.
Why You Can Trust Us
Whenever we get our hands on a new component in the GeekaWhat office, our team of PC hardware experts won’t hesitate to test and evaluate it straight away. After putting it through the wringer with a number of gaming and productivity benchmarks, the results that we get afterwards are used to devise an extensive overview that we can then use to compare to the rest of the market when it comes to quality, performance, and value for money. If you’re interested in learning more about our editorial team and promise, head to the About Us section on our website.
How We Tested the Best SFX Power Supplies
In order to test and evaluate the best SFX power supplies, there are a number of factors that we take into account, these are:
- Efficiency
- Noise Levels
- Modularity
- ATX 3.0 Support
- Aesthetic
- Value for Money
Conclusion
Best SFX Power Supply: ASUS ROG LOKI 750W SFX Platinum
The ROG LOKI 850W SFX Platinum is an expensive power supply, this needs to be said. But I am a firm believer that if you’re buying a power supply, you should get a very solid and capable option. Electricity is no joke, so cheaping out on the component that supplies all of the power for your PC is dangerous, and you run the risk of posing damage to yourself and your components with a cheap and rubbish unit. This is why we’ve picked out the ROG LOKI. It is pricey yes, but you get access to a cool looking PSU that also offers a vast set of protection mechanisms alongside strong efficiency that should keep your system safe, whilst supplying the power it needs.
Read our full ASUS power supply coverage, or ASUS ROG LOKI 750W SFX-L on Amazon
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need Modular Cabling?
No you don’t, it isn’t a requirement. However, we do recommend picking up a modular PSU as this will allow you to pick and choose your cables much easier when managing them.
Does Efficiency Rating Matter?
To a degree yes, but it isn’t the most important feature. Picking up a PSU with a solid efficiency rating is just good practice, but if you’re pushing a lower wattage, efficiency isn’t insanely important.
Will I Be Able to See My RGB Lighting?
It honestly depends. Some case configurations will require you to mount your downwards, which means you won’t really be able to see the lighting.
Is My SFX PSU Guaranteed to Fit?
Yes, if your case says it supports SFX PSUs, you shouldn’t have any issues, they are all standardised in terms of size.
