Flagship GPUs and CPUs demand a lot of power, and it doesn’t look like that will change anytime soon. If you’re building an ultra-high-end rig, the average PSU just won’t cut it. That’s where the best 1000 W PSUs come into the picture. These will reliably support even the most power-hungry components, allowing you to enjoy your blazing-fast framerates in peace.
When shopping at this price point, it’s understandable if you only want the best of the best. To that end, we’ve ensured that all the best 1000 W PSUs here are fully modular, boast a minimum 80 Plus Gold efficiency rating, and have a decade’s worth of warranty.
- Best 1000 W PSU Overall: Corsair’s HX1000i is a great all-rounder, offering laudable electrical credentials and efficiency at a reasonable price.
- Best 1000 W PSU Alternative: Antec’s Signature Series ST1000 is a sensible choice for its Titanium efficiency, quality componentry, and exceptional electrical performance.
- Best Premium 1000 W PSU: Asus’ ROG Thor Platinum II pairs its luxurious, mirror-like finish with quiet operation and good electrical performance.
- Best ATX 3.0 Compliant PSU: Be Quiet!’s Dark Power 13 performs wonderfully and has cutting-edge ATX 3.0 compliance.
Our Picks for the Best 1000 W PSU
1. Corsair HX1000i
Wattage | 1000 Watts |
Efficiency | Platinum |
Modularity | Fully Modular |
Form Factor | ATX |
Corsair’s 2022 refresh of the HX1000i offers a good spread of features for its competitive price. You get excellent build quality, Platinum efficiency, and a high-end fan with zero RPM functionality.
Unlike some of Corsair’s lower-wattage power supplies, the HX1000i doesn’t boast class-leading electrical performance. In Tom’s Hardware’s 12-volt load regulation test, the HX1000i posts a deviation of 1.66%, trailing behind other 1000-watt power supplies. While it isn’t the best out there, it’s still within safe limits and shouldn’t pose any issues.
There aren’t any surprises with the HX1000i’s efficiency performance. The 2022 model retains the 80 Plus Platinum badge, justifying it with an average efficiency rating of 92%. It’s an improvement over the old 2015 model, bringing the HX1000i up to date with competing Platinum-rated power supplies.
The good news continues with the HX1000i’s ripple suppression. Tom’s Hardware measured 28.19 mV of ripple on the 12-volt rail, less than 25% of the 120 mV limit. It’s not a class-leading power supply, but it’s perfectly safe and won’t cause issues for your components.
Corsair equips the HX1000i with a fluid dynamic bearing fan, not the magnetic levitation fan in some of its lower-wattage power supplies. As with many modern power supplies, the HX1000i runs its fan in a zero-RPM mode for silent operation at low power loads. The upshot is an average noise output under 27 dBA, which is excellent for such a high-wattage power supply.
You can tweak fan settings even more if you connect the HX1000i to your motherboard via the included USB Type-C port. This lets you manage fan speeds from within Corsair iCUE. It even lets you switch between single- and multi-rail modes if you’re so inclined.
The 2022 Corsair HX1000i is a good power supply, but we won’t claim that the Corsair HX1000i is the outright best power supply on the market. However, its balance of performance, quality, and price makes it an excellent all-around choice for most high-powered rigs.
2. Antec Signature Series ST1000
Wattage | 1000 Watts |
Efficiency | Titanium |
Modularity | Fully Modular |
Form Factor | ATX |
Antec’s Signature Series ST1000 is a compelling choice for those who demand a high-performance 1000-watt power supply without wasteful bells and whistles. Excellent electrical performance, an 80 Plus Titanium efficiency rating, and overclocking-friendly features combine to make this a solid pick for enthusiasts.
Antec’s ST1000 is built on SeaSonic’s 1000-watt platform, one of the best-performing PSU designs in this power range. So you’d expect the ST1000 to boast tight load regulation and ripple figures, and that’s precisely what you get here. It keeps 12-volt deviation at an astounding 0.05%, with only SeaSonic’s equivalent 1000-watt PSU keeping it company in the sub-0.1% category.
Efficiency is another strong point of this platform. It handily meets 80 Plus Titanium requirements with an average efficiency of 96% across all loads. This is the power supply unit to use if you need an ultra-efficient 1000-watter.
Ripple suppression is also impressive despite the lack of in-cable capacitors to help control it. Tom’s Hardware’s chart shows it posting about 18.02 mV on the critical 12-volt rail. It’s not the best, but it’s still comfortably below the 120 mV limit.
The Antec’s fluid dynamic bearing fan is whisper-quiet, clocking in at an average of 24 dBA throughout its wattage range. You almost definitely won’t hear this over your system fans. Other great quality-of-life features include ample space between connections and flat power cables (beyond the 24-pin ATX), which combine to make cable management a breeze with the ST1000.
One interesting feature of the Antec ST1000 is its “OC Link” connector. This lets you connect two ST1000s to power high-end overclocked rigs. It’s an incredibly niche feature, but it should prove useful for competitive overclockers chasing world records.
Overall, Antec’s Signature Series ST1000 is a great option if you want excellent performance at a slightly lower price than SeaSonic’s offerings. The 10-year warranty is slightly shorter than SeaSonic’s 12-year guarantee, but you get some of the best load regulation for less than $300 in return. We think that’s a sacrifice worth making.
3. Asus ROG Thor Platinum II 1000 W
Wattage | 1000 Watts |
Efficiency | Platinum |
Modularity | Fully Modular |
Form Factor | ATX |
Asus’ ROG Thor Platinum II is a perfect PSU to top off a high-end showcase build. Its addressable RGB, OLED screen, and eye-catching platinum finish ensure you won’t mistake it for any other power supply.
But there’s more to a premium power supply than visuals, of course. It also needs to perform safely and reliably, starting with load regulation. Thankfully, the Asus also excels here, keeping all rails within safe specs. Only the 5-volt rail lags behind the others; even then, a 1.68% average deviation is nothing to worry about.
Efficiency is another strong suit, hitting a maximum of 94% at around half of the maximum load. It’s good enough to justify its 80 Plus Platinum efficiency rating.
The excellent internals bear fruit in the ripple testing, too. Guru3D put the Thor Platinum II through its paces and recorded impressively low ripple at all loads. Interestingly, the ripple is worst at 75% load. However, it’s still significantly under the 50 mV and 120 mV limits on the 5-volt and 12-volt rails even then. There’s absolutely nothing to worry about here.
Teardowns of the unit show great soldering quality, all Japanese capacitors, beefy heatsinks, and an ultra-quiet dynamic ball-bearing fan. The fan runs at a maximum of 475 RPM; combine that with a zero-RPM mode, and you’re looking at near-silent operation throughout its range.
The Thor Platinum II’s visuals also help set it apart from the pack. Sure, it isn’t the only RGB power supply on the market. But the Thor Platinum II’s RGB-lit corner, shiny finish, and OLED screen make it more visually appealing than most of the competition.
The Asus ROG Thor Platinum II isn’t a cheap power supply, even by 1000-watt standards. but if you’re looking for that trifecta of great looks, performance, and dependability, then there’s little else out there that compares.
4. Be Quiet! Dark Power 13
Wattage | 1000 Watts |
Efficiency | Titanium |
Modularity | Fully Modular |
Form Factor | ATX |
ATX 3.0 power supplies are harder to find than they should be. While many brands claim compatibility, few deliver when tested. Thankfully, Be Quiet!’s new Dark Power 13 is an exception, offering perfect ATX 3.0 compatibility and great performance.
Unlike other “ATX 3.0” power supplies, the Dark Power 13 has the electrical performance and cabling to fit all the latest standards. You get a 12VHPWR cable for Nvidia RTX 40-series GPUs and the circuitry to support all the extreme load fluctuations required by ATX 3.0 spec. Of course, you also get standard 6+2 PCIe connectors for AMD and older Nvidia cards.
But ATX 3.0 compatibility is useless if the power supply can’t perform its duties adequately elsewhere. Fortunately, there’s no reason to be concerned about that here. The Be Quiet! Dark Power 13 turns in a solid performance, with stable voltages on all rails. There’s nothing to worry about here.
Efficiency is predictably excellent, offering a minimum of 92% efficiency even with light loads. This is the minimum efficiency rating demanded by the ATX 3.0 spec, so it’s good to see that Be Quiet! has truly ticked all the boxes here.
Unlike some of the company’s cheaper power supply units, the Dark Power 13 comes with 100% Japanese capacitors, ensuring the unit’s longevity. To that end, Be Quiet! Backs the Dark Power 13 with a decade-long warranty, another improvement over its cheaper models.
One area where Be Quiet! hasn’t changed much is the Dark Power 13’s fan setup. The company maintains its philosophy of low-noise active cooling, eschewing a zero-RPM fan mode here. While some users may lament the omission, the Dark Power 13’s SilentWings fluid dynamic bearing fan runs quietly, only hitting 33 dBA at high loads.
One area where some users may be disappointed is the cabling. The Dark Power 13’s cables are all braided, with in-cable capacitors. In-cable capacitors are helpful, as they help minimize ripple. However, it’s a shame when other power supplies manage to keep ripple under control without them.
Overall, though, the Be Quiet! Dark Power 13’s minor cable issues can’t detract from all its other strengths. Its solid electrical performance, low-noise operation, and ATX 3.0 compatibility make it a strong contender if you want a future-proof 1000-watt PSU.
Should You Buy a 1000 W PSU?
There’s no right or wrong answer here, as it depends entirely on your rig’s power consumption. The best way to find out is to use a power supply calculator; select all your components from the handy drop-down menus, and the calculator will tell you how much power your gaming PC will likely consume.
For example, a high-end rig with a liquid-cooled Intel Core i9-13900K and Nvidia RTX 4090 can draw between 800 to 900 watts when gaming. In that case, a 1000-watt power supply is probably a necessity. But if you’re running more mainstream hardware, you likely won’t need that much DC output from your power supply.
A mainstream rig with an air-cooled AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and Radeon 6700 XT will have much lower energy consumption, to the tune of 500 watts. So you can save money and go for a good 650-watt PSU instead.
Thousand-watt power supplies are also useful if you’re overclocking. Running CPUs and GPUs beyond their stock clocks increases their power draw, sometimes significantly. The i9-13900K, for example, consumes around 250 watts at stock clocks but can draw more than 300 watts if you push it hard. Add a high-end GPU to that, and you may find that even 1000 watts aren’t enough.
It may be tempting to splurge on a 1000-watt power supply just for the sake of it. But even if you can afford it, there’s probably no reason to do so unless you’re running top-of-the-line, power-hungry hardware. So don’t get ahead of yourself when choosing a power supply; buy one that suits your wattage requirements to avoid wasting money.
Check out our guide to choosing a power supply for more tips and suggestions to help you get the right PSU for your rig.
Closing Thoughts
Buying the best 1000 W PSU is a big investment, but it’s worth it if you’re building a monster rig. High-capacity PSUs like these will not only provide the necessary power but also do so in a safe and controlled manner. They’ll ensure that your expensive components run at their best for years to come, which isn’t something you can rely on with a cheap PSU.
For most users, Corsair’s HX1000i is the best place to start. It’s not the best power supply unit here, but it hits a sweet spot of price and performance that few competitors can match. But if you don’t mind paying more for one of the best power supplies in this category, then the Antec Signature Series ST1000 is the power supply you want.
Just realized that 1000 watts is a bit too much for you? Check out our list of the best 850 W PSUs for lower-wattage options.
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