The PSU (Power Supply Unit) is by far one of the most important components in your computer. It acts as the fuel for your PC, and without it, you will go nowhere. And since it has a critical role in defining whether your PC components will have enough current or not, you will have to get a quality one. But unlike what most people think, a good PSU doesn’t always cost a premium price. Actually, with the list of PSUs under $50 that we have below, you can build a decent mid-range gaming PC without worrying about your components not receiving enough power.
1-Cougar VTX450
Our recommended pick for a good quality PSU would be the Cougar VTX 450. It’s a high-quality one that is built to last and offers enough power for your PC components without failing you down the road.
What makes it good?
One of the reasons why the Cougar VTX450 is on the top of this list is its 88% efficiency. Usually, at this price range, most of the power supplies that you will come across will be crappy ones. Fortunately, with the Cougar VTX450, individuals won’t only deliver enough power for their gaming rig but will also get a fantastic value product for their money.
Furthermore, with 88% efficiency, the Cougar VTX450 will draw a maximum of 512W from the wall as long as it stays at 88% efficiency at 100% load, which is actually power-saving, and therefore, less scary bills.
The build quality is fantastic. It’s sturdy and eye-appealing. It also has black sleeved cables for a better looking.
And lastly, with its high-quality capacitors, you should expect fantastic longevity. Overall, if you manage to put your hand on this PSU, then you will definitely have to take action immediately as we believe that you won’t regret it.
What could have been better?
I guess you have already figured out that the Cougar VTX450 is not a modular power supply. Therefore, you have no way out other than dealing with the cables all by yourself.
Also, even though it’s advertised as a quiet PSU, it did generate a noticeable amount of noise at maximum load. It definitely won’t ruin your gaming experience, especially if you wear a gaming headset, yet it’s worth mentioning.
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2-EVGA 500W 80PLUS
Whether you are new or an expert in the PC building field, you have definitely come across EVGA products. They often produce high-quality devices that offer a fantastic user experience and represent a great value for money. In addition to that, they are known as one of the top leading brands in the PSU industry.
What makes it good?
With 80Plus efficiency and 500watts capabilities, it will provide enough power for most midrange gaming PCs. It’s indeed not the cheapest one on this list, yet its overall performance will blow you away. Besides, its build quality is decent, the MOSFETs are also good, but the white certification isn’t what we really wanted with this PSU.
The EVGA 500W that we are reviewing here offered a quiet operation even during the toughest moments. It was also easy to install, and therefore, regardless of your current experience on PC building, you shouldn’t face any issue placing it.
This PSU’s cables are wrapped with mesh, which delivers decent protection. The cables are also quite long, which makes the process of connecting them easier regardless of the size of your PC case.
Another interesting thing with this EVGA PSU is its 3 years warranty. Even though this power supply is by no means bad, having such a long warranty period gives its owners peace of mind.
What could have been better?
Even though the cables are sleeved with mesh, you still can see the color of the cables inside, which isn’t a good thing.
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3-Thermaltake Smart 500W
Shopping for a good quality PSU, yet you don’t have a big budget to spend? Look no further. The Thermaltake Smart is another high-quality power supply that we consider as a solid option for anyone looking to build a strong mid-range gaming rig.
What makes it good?
The Thermaltake Smart is a reliable power supply that PC builders should consider in their build. It has a sturdy build design and provides enough power of 500W, which is more than enough for most mid-range builds.
This PSU is also rated at 80 PLUS and feature over-current protection. This type of feature can be life-saving during an electric surge. In addition, it’s equipped with a powerful +12 volt rail which offers outstanding performance.
The fact that it’s a 500W PSU gives you a wide range of good GPU options to use, such as the GTX 1660 Ti. That’s right. This power supply is able to handle such graphics cards without any issues.
And lastly, what we actually like with the Thermaltake Smart is the fact that it remained silent during all the tests, even at maximum load. Besides, for further peace of mind, the Thermaltake Smart offers 3 years of warranty.
What could have been better?
The Thermaltake Smart will make cable management a difficult process, especially that it’s not a modular PSU.
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4-EVGA 450
Building a solid gaming rig with a tight budget is still achievable, especially with the EVGA 450W. It’s a high-quality power supply that will deliver to your PC components all the energy they need so they can run at their maximum potential.
What makes it good?
When it comes to the PSU industry, you can entirely rely on EVGA as it always did provide us with high-quality PSUs. And the one that we are reviewing here is no different. It offers 450W and is rated at 85% efficiency, which is quite amazing given its affordable price.
Just like the Thermaltake Smart, the EVGA 450W offers heavy-duty protections, including OVP, UVP, OCP, OPP, SCP, and OTP.
The 450W indeed won’t be enough to power high-end components. Still, for anyone looking to build an entry-level gaming rig and looking to save as much cash as possible, the EVGA 450W will be a solid option for this kind of circumstances.
The overall build quality is solid, and it’s equipped with a 120 mm fan. The fan was relatively quiet even during the stress test, and therefore, it will offer you the same or even a better experience when gaming. Besides, despite its budget-friendly price, EVGA has also included an external power switch for better safety.
What could have been better?
Well, for some of you who are using power-hungry components, the 450W might not be enough for so. Therefore, we highly recommend using a PSU calculator to know much energy you need.
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5-Cooler Master MWE White 450
If you are serious about giving life back to your old pre-built gaming PC and looking to install new and powerful hardware on it, then you will definitely need a high-quality PSU. And what else could you choose for this task other than the Cooler Master White 450W?
What makes it good?
The Cooler Master MWE White 450 is the most affordable PSU on this list. And despite not featuring anything special, it did its job pretty much well.
This power supply comes with a decent build quality along with high-quality internal components that gives it fantastic longevity.
In addition to that, the MWE White 450 comes with a quiet 120mm fan that doesn’t spin unless the temperature is high, which not only increases its lifespan but also offers you a quiet operation when the PC is on idle.
Furthermore, the MWE White 450 also features a single +12V rail, which offers consistent and amazing performance.
What could have been better?
Even though the Cooler Master is a great PSU, it’s a 450W only. Therefore, the amount of headroom you will have with this PSU for further expansion will be too small. And even though modern CPU & GPU are power efficient, you are more likely to change the PSU down the road.
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Conclusion
While we have always warned people from going cheap with power supplies, we have made an exception with this list. All the PSUs mentioned above are under the $50 price tag and will offer your PC enough power that it will need.
However, if you feel like you don’t want to buy a PSU just to replace it with the next incoming GPU generation, we recommend visiting our recent guide about the best PSU under $100, which we believe worth the money.
