You are planning on getting a new PSU and wondering if PSU can affect FPS. You have been beating yourself up about it. Don’t worry. You are not alone.
Can PSU affect FPS?
I have been building my computer for a few years, which is why I had to do tonnes of research on things like this. I am sure you will not leave this article with disappointment.
Finish reading this post, so you can buy your new PSU right away.
Can PSU cause FPS drops?
Yes, a PSU can cause an FPS drop when the PSU can’t provide enough power required by your system. It usually happens if the PSU has lower wattage than what’s required by the computer or if the PSU or PSU cables are defective and can’t provide stable voltage. Also, check out our separate post on why to use PSU shroud.
This is why it is very important to buy a PSU after calculating the total power required by your system. Your PSU wattage rating must be higher than your PC’s maximum wattage rating for smooth usage.
Okay, if PSUs can negatively affect FPS, then can they affect positively? Like can a good PSU improve performance or FPS?
Here’s a complete guide on are PSU cables universal.
Your curious mind asks:
Does a good PSU improve performance?
No, it doesn’t. Getting a good PSU with a very high wattage rating will not increase your PC’s performance or FPS. You just have to make sure your PSU can provide an adequate amount of power.
A better PSU will just last longer and may put less stress on your PC’s components. FPS will not get any better with a better PSU. Your PSU just has to provide enough wattage.
Okay, you get it. No increased performance. But what about speed?
If you don’t know about your PSU then check out what power supply you are using.
Does power supply affect speed?
PSU can only affect speed if your PSU is not powerful enough for all the components in your PC. Less wattage rating than your PC requires can affect your PC’s overall performance when you overclock it. PSU can’t drastically increase PC’s speed with a higher wattage rate.
There is no performance benefit for having a power supply that can supply drastically more power than your components can draw.
Can PSU cause stuttering?
A bad PSU may result in unexpected shutdowns or damage to some components. FPS drops or stutters are usually because of low CPU/GPU performance due to computational load, data loading, thermal throttling, or other computational processes on your machine.
If PSU doesn’t cause stuttering or FPS drops, how about low GPU usage?
You have guessed it right. PSUs don’t cause low GPU usage either. Insufficient CPU/GPU performance or bottleneck usually causes low GPU usage due to some shortcoming of either graphics or the motherboard.
Have some time to spare? Quickly check out our epic guide on do modular PSUs come with cables.
By the way;
You may have a question in mind:
Can a bad PSU slow down a PC?
A bad PSU will cause system crashes, freezes, power loss, blue screen, and failed components. Bad PSUs do not seem to slow down computers directly. Voltage instabilities can cause stress and heat, which in turn can affect performance.
Getting a better PSU will not boost up your computer’s performance unless you have been using a PSU which wasn’t providing enough power to your PC. Although, that is not a performance boost but optimal performance, which your PC is supposed to be doing anyway.
A bad power supply can decrease the lifespan of your computer’s components.
So, Can PSU affect RAM?
PSU can affect RAM but usually when the PSU is bad. It can result in RAM errors without causing any damage to the RAM. PSUs are designed in such a way that it doesn’t let anything harm the RAM unless it is a very cheap non-branded PSU.
Will a bad PSU cause CPU to overheat?
A bad PSU doesn’t cause a CPU to overheat directly, but there is an indirect link. PSU with a bad ripple may cause stress on the system, which may lead to increased heat production. Other than that, there is absolutely no other way A PSU can cause overheating of the CPU. Also, don’t forget to check out our experts tested best budget Corsair PSUs.
Cheap PSUs are built without bad ripple/power, under-voltage, and short circuit protection, which may damage the motherboard, RAM, and other essential components if the power source doesn’t provide clean power.
A cheap PSU may not cause all the problems mentioned above if the power outlet supplies stable power to your computer.
A cheap/underrated/failing PSU may damage the components of your PC in the long run. It decreases the lifespan of your PC.
This is why it is always wise to get a decent PSU, if not expensive, as it is one of the most important parts of your computer.
Follow our guide to know will PSU fit in my case.
Final Thoughts
The amount of power you use will depend on how you use your machine. Processors and video cards do not operate at the maximum capacity most of the time, and the power they draw will depend on your utilization. If you use a non-branded, underrated PSU, that may cause some FPS drops, but that rarely happens.
Blue screens, sudden shutdowns, damage of components are the most common consequence of a bad, non-branded, or underrated PSU.
Your PSU will not perform better than what your motherboard allows, but it will perform optimally if you get a PSU that provides more wattage than your PC requires. Getting a higher rated PSU will come in handy when you do a future upgrade on your PC, requiring more power, i.e., a new graphics card.
