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PC Building / 4 min /

How many watts does your gaming PC power supply need?

The number on a power supply is a ceiling, not what your PC uses all the time. A bigger PSU doesn't make your PC faster, but one that's too small can crash your games.

Add up your graphics card, processor and about 80 W for the rest, then leave room for power spikes and your next upgrade. Try it with the interactive below, then learn what the 80 Plus label really means.

Power supply load bar split into graphics card, processor and other parts, with a slider and a fan

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