Although it’s quite common to think that a GPU-based mining rig requires huge amounts of electricity to operate, there is lot of misinformation circulating online regarding this topic. It’s true that mining rigs need a lot of power to work, and it’s also true that power supply is one of the most important components in a mining machine, however, in order to efficiently mine Ethereum (ETC) or Monero (XMR) cryptocurrencies, you don’t really need to have a monstrous 2000 W power supply.
A lot of people on cryptocurrency forums post misleading information and lies about how powerful your mining PSU should be. Some of them even say you may need to purchase multiple power supplies in order to power your mining rig. Most of this information is not true, and in fact, is a matter of simple math which everyone can do. Here is why.
Read more: The Best PCI-E Riser Cables for Cryptocurrency Mining in 2022
You see, there are two important things that you need to consider when buying a PSU for your new mining rig. Firstly, mining doesn’t consume all of your system’s resources, nor it uses the full capacity of your graphics card. GPUs are primarily designed for gaming, and they feature various components that are unnecessary for mining. This means that only GPU cores are busy running mining calculations, while other components are idle most of the time.
Secondly, graphics cards, unlike CPUs, perform just as good when they are underclocked or undervolted. Some graphics cards can be underclocked as much as 200 MHz, and their power levels can be reduced up to 60% depending on the model. What this means is that a mining rig featuring six GPUs that is rated at 1200 watts of power consumption will actually consume only about 600 watts of power.
Which Power Supply Should I Get?
Before you decide to purchase a power supply for your mining rig, you need to determine the total amount of wattage your mining system will draw. To do that, all you have to do is sum up the wattage of all of your system’s components. You will probably get a big number, however, keep in mind that this represents the maximum theoretical load of your system, which in reality will probably never occur. Now, add in the equation the fact that your CPU will most of the time run in an idle state, and that your undervolted or underclocked graphics cards will consume 10-60% less power depending on the model.
Having an oversized power supply, however, does have some benefits. PSUs usually work best at about 80% load. This enables them to slow down their fans, and generate less heat waste. So overall, if your system consumes around 800 watts under full load, then a 1000 watt power supply should be more than good enough.
If you plan to build a mining rig, then we recommend getting a modular power supply. This will save you the hassle with cables, and will allow you to comfortably connect all of your system’s components, and remove unused cables that you don’t need. Lastly, if you aim to be a professional miner, then you should get yourself a smart power supply. These PSUs usually have integrated circuits that allow you to remotely monitor your system’s power consumption and voltages in real-time.
With all that said, let’s now take a look at the best mining power supplies you can get in 2022. Some of them which we are about to show you are better optimized for heavy-duty workloads, while some of them are even well-suited for high-end gaming PCs.
Best Overall:
Corsair HX Series HX1200
Best 1600 W PSU:
EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 T2 80+
Best 1500 W PSU:
be Quiet! Dark Power 12 Pro
Best 1300 W PSU:
EVGA SuperNOVA 1300 G2
Best 1250 W PSU:
Segotep GP1350G 80+ Gold
Best 1000 W PSU:
Corsair RMX Series RM1000x
Best 850 W PSU:
EVGA SuperNOVA 850 P2
Best 750 W PSU:
Seasonic FOCUS GX-750
Best Overall: Corsair HX Series HX1200
Form Factor: ATX | Power: 1200 W | Efficiency rating: 80 PLUS Platinum Certified | Modularity: Modular
- Very powerful
- High-quality capacitors
- Zero RPM fan mode
- 10-year warranty
- Lacks Smart features
The Corsair HX1200i is probably one of the best power supplies which can be used in a mining rig. This 80 PLUS Platinum certified PSU can boast with an extremely tight voltage control, very quiet working operation, and fully modular cable set. The HX1200 is a great choice for high-performance PCs where reliability is essential, and operating costs have to be reduced as much as possible.
This PSU can also boast with Zero RPM fan mode, support for 8 PCIe connectors, and MTBF of 100,00 hours. Although it doesn’t feature any Smart capabilities which allow you to remotely monitor its performance, this is one of the best PSUs for building a powerful mining rig, as it can deliver up to 100 amps of power on a single +12V rail, and is backed by a hefty 10-year warranty.
Best 1600 W PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 T2 80+
Form Factor: ATX | Power: 1600 W | Efficiency rating: 80 PLUS Titanium Certified | Modularity: Modular
- Insanely powerful
- 94% efficiency rating
- Delivers 133 amps on a single +12V rail
- 80 PLUS Titanium certified
- Fully modular
- Big and heavy
- High price
Designed for workstation and high-performance PCs, the EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 T2 is the ultimate tool to eliminate all system bottlenecks and achieve unrivaled performance. This Titanium certified PSU features fully modular design, advanced full DC-DC LLC resonant circuit, 100% Japanese Nippon Chemi-Con solid state capacitors, and multiple voltage and circuit protections.
This is also probably one of the most powerful PSUs currently available on the market, as it’s able to deliver 1600 watts of continuous power delivery with up to 94% efficiency. The EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 T2 can also boast with the fact that it can deliver up to 133 amps on a single +12V rail, which makes it a perfect PSU for powering systems that have a lot of video cards (e.g. mining rigs, distributed computing systems or rendering workstations).
Best 1500 W PSU: be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 12
Form Factor: ATX | Power: 1500 W | Efficiency rating: 80 PLUS Titanium Certified | Modularity: Modular
- Very powerful
- Can deliver 125 A on a single +12V rail
- Features ultra-quiet 135 mm fan
- Optimized for multi-GPU builds
- 10-year warranty
- Huge dimensions
- Steep price
The be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 is a high-end power supply unit designed to deliver up to 1500 W of continuous power output and offer world class performance due to fully digital control and frameless fan concept. Featuring 80 PLUS Titanium efficiency (up to 94.7%), the Dark Power Pro 12 can also boast with the fact that it can deliver up to 125 amps of power over its single combined +12V rail.
The Dark Power Pro 12 can also boast with fully modular design, virtually inaudible 135 mm fan with advanced fluid-dynamic bearing, and a support for up to 10 GPUs. In standby mode the PSU drains less than 0.1 watts, and with an MTBF of 300,000 hours, this is also one of the more reliable PSUs on the market. Another great thing about this PSU is that it was built with SLI/CrossFire GPU configurations in mind, so the whole process of installing the PSU and hooking up the cables to your GPUs is extremely easy. The PSU comes with a 10-year warranty, and its only major downsides are its steep price and huge dimensions..
Best 1300 W PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 1300 G+
Form Factor: ATX | Power: 1300 W | Efficiency rating: 80 PLUS Gold Certified | Modularity: Modular
- EVGA 10-year warranty
- High-quality components
- Can deliver 108 amps on +12V rail
- Features advanced DC-DC converter
- Lacks Smart monitoring capabilities
The EVGA SuperNOVA 1300 G2 is an affordable high-performance power supply that will best suit experienced cryptocurrency miners, workstation professionals, and PC enthusiasts. This 1300 W PSU features fully modular design, tight voltage regulation (<1%), full DC to DC module, a complete suite of protections, and it comes with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty.
The fan on this power supply comes with high-quality fluid dynamic bearings which reduce the fan’s wear and tear, as well decrease overall noise. Thanks to its high-quality capacitors and premium components, this PSU can deliver up to 108 amps on a single +12V rail. The SuperNOVA 1300 G2 can simultaneously power up to eight GPUs, and the only thing we don’t like about it is the fact that it lacks Smart monitoring features.
Best 1250 W PSU: Segotep GP1350G 80+ Gold
Form Factor: ATX | Power: 1248 W | Efficiency rating: 80 PLUS Gold Certified | Modularity: Modular
- Inexpensive and reliable
- LLC Pro+DC-DC resonance circuit
- Supports up to 8 GPUs
- Delivers up to 104 A on +12V rail
- AI-powered 140 mm fan
- Noticeably loud under full load
- Supplied cables are very stiff
Brands like Seasonic, EVGA, and Corsair dominate the PSU market, thus forcing other brands to remain in the shadow. Of course, most of these brands don’t receive enough attention for an obvious reason – they produce bad PSUs. However, there are brands that are little-known, but produce affordable and reliable PSUs. One such brand is Segotep, which is one of the oldest and most trusted PSU brands in China. Segotep may not be offering top tier products, however, its PSUs aren’t bad either, and are very popular among Chinese gamers, as well as PC DIY enthusiasts.
The GP1350G is one of Segotep’s most popular heavy-duty PSUs. Built specifically for mining, this PSU is optimized for powering up multiple GPUs, as well as high-end PC components, such as HEDT workstation CPUs. Featuring a fully modular design, the PSU comes with 8 PCIe GPU power connectors, and two 8-pin CPU connectors. Equipped with an LLC Pro+DC-DC resonance circuit, the PSU is capable of delivering very stable voltage output and conforming to the 80+ Gold standard. The GP1350G is also capable of providing up to 104 amps on a single +12V rail, and its 140 mm fan is in charge of keeping it cool under full load. Overall, this is a very nice, powerful, and affordable PSU, which unfortunately does run a bit too loud.
Best 1000 W PSU: Corsair RMX Series RM1000x
Form Factor: ATX | Power: 1000 W | Efficiency rating: 80 PLUS Gold Certified | Modularity: Modular
- Competitive pricing
- Outstanding thermal performance
- Quiet operation
- Magnetic levitation fan
- 10-year warranty
- Very stiff cables
- No test button
Corsair has been widely known as an industry leader in producing high-performance PC power supplies. The 2021’s refreshed RM1000x model is no exception in this regard, as this 80 PLUS Gold certified power supply unit is able to deliver outstanding performance, and it comes with a 10-year warranty. This PSU also features fully modular design, and is able to deliver 90% efficiency at 100% system load.
The RM1000x also comes with a 135 mm magnetic levitation fan for improved cooling performance and low bearing noise, as well as with robust LLC DC-DC resonant circuit, and 100% Japanese electrolytic capacitors. The PSU can deliver up to 83.3 A on +12V rail, and can power up to six GPUs. Overall, this is a very reliable and well-made PSU which is able to deliver plenty of power to high-performance systems for an affordable amount of money.
Best 850 W PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 850 P2
Form Factor: ATX | Power: 850 W | Efficiency rating: 80 PLUS Platinum Certified | Modularity: Modular
- High-quality components
- Fully modular design
- EVGA ECO Thermal Control System
- 10-year warranty
- Noisy fan
- Included cables are quite stiff
The SuperNOVA 850 P2 is yet another power supply from EVGA on our list of the best mining PSUs. You may ask yourself why’s that? Well, the answer is quite simple. EVGA’s power supplies simply offer the best price-to-performance ratio, and as such are perfect for powering cryptocurrency mining rigs.
The SuperNOVA 850 P2 is a premium member of the outstanding line of EVGA power supplies, and as such it’s able to push the envelope with the latest certifications and Intel power-on standards. The SuperNOVA 850 P2 features 100% Japanese capacitors, ultra-durable 140 mm double-ball bearing fan, energy-optimized ECO mode, and 80 PLUS Platinum certification. This PSU can power up to six GPUs simultaneously, and can deliver up to 71 A of electric current on +12V rail with 94% efficiency. Provided that you need an affordable, reliable, and fairly capable PSU, then the SuperNOVA 850 P2 is the best choice for you.
Best 750 W PSU: Seasonic FOCUS GX-750
Form Factor: ATX | Power: 750 W | Efficiency rating: 80 PLUS Gold Certified | Modularity: Modular
- Compact dimensions
- Very quiet operation
- Tight voltage regulation
- Good reliability
- Could be cheaper
- Supports only up to 3 GPUs
The 750 W power supply unit offers the bare minimum to power any serious mining rig. Such a PSU can barely support single NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, let alone three or four more GPUs. However, this kind of PSU could probably prove most useful to miners who own multiple energy-efficient graphics cards, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER or the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, and have a modest quad-core CPU installed in their rig. The Seasonic FOCUS GX-750 seems like a perfect PSU for this kind of setup, as it features 80 PLUS Gold certification, fully modular design, and can deliver up to 62 amps on +12V rail.
This PSU can also boast with compact physical dimensions, tight voltage regulation, gold plated connectors, and good reliability. The GX-750 can power up to three GPUs, and can fit into almost any case due to its small footprint. The price of this PSU could be cheaper, but given that is made by Seasonic, it is well-justified.
Conclusion
In order to efficiently mine cryptocurrencies, you don’t need to have an immensely powerful PSU. If you undervolt or underclock your GPUs, you can expect to reduce your overall system consumption by up to 60%. However, it all comes down to the number of GPUs you plan to use in your mining rig. If you’ll be using more than six GPUs, then power supply units with more than 1400 watts of power should provide enough electricity to your system. If your mining rig will feature four to six GPUs, then getting a 1000 W or 1200 W PSU is the best way to go. We hope our buying guide helped you in search for the information you were looking for. If you still feel confused, and need advice about buying, feel free to post a comment below. We will try to help you.