You learn that wattage isn’t just a number. It’s a promise. And not all promises are kept. A $20 700W PSU is a fire in a box. A $100 450W unit from a trusted brand can run a system that draws 440W, because it’s built to deliver its rated power continuously, not just for the first five minutes. The sticker tells you peak wattage or sustained? Most don’t say. You have to know.
High-quality units list the wattage specifically for the 12V rail, which is what powers your CPU and GPU. how to tell power supply wattage
Four hundred and fifty watts.
If the sticker is hard to read or partially obscured, you can use the model name to find specs online. You learn that wattage isn’t just a number
You learn that wattage isn’t just a number. It’s a promise. And not all promises are kept. A $20 700W PSU is a fire in a box. A $100 450W unit from a trusted brand can run a system that draws 440W, because it’s built to deliver its rated power continuously, not just for the first five minutes. The sticker tells you peak wattage or sustained? Most don’t say. You have to know.
High-quality units list the wattage specifically for the 12V rail, which is what powers your CPU and GPU.
Four hundred and fifty watts.
If the sticker is hard to read or partially obscured, you can use the model name to find specs online.