80 Plus Gold or Platinum? 1200W or 1600W? Which PSU Should You Choose?

If you are into mining cryptocurrency then you might be wondering about the power supply that is required.

There are lots of Power Supply Units (PSU) that are available but they come with different W. But, which PSU should you choose for your mining rig.

Today I will show you how to choose PSU for 6GPU to all the way to 12 GPU mining rigs.

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Cryptocurrencies have opened up a lot of income opportunities. And mining is surely one of them. By mining a cryptocurrency you are not only making some money.

But you are also helping out the cryptocurrency community positively. So mining is really a critical activity in case of a mineable cryptocurrency.

In our other posts, we have covered topics like building mining rigs, maintaining them etc. We have also talked about choosing graphics cards and motherboards. And in this guide, I am going to help you shop a power supply for your next mining rig.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST PSU

In my opinion, the best way to choose a PSU for your mining rig is by calculating the consumption of your rig. Generally, it is 900 watts and higher.

After figuring out the power consumption you need to look for a good PSU. A good PSU usually comes with an 80 Plus efficiency rating. So I consider this another feature to look out for when shopping for power supplies.

Also, consider checking the warranty information. A good PSU usually comes with a respectable warranty figure.

SOME OF THE BEST POWER SUPPLIES

Now let’s look at the picks for this list.

FOR THE BEGINNER MINERS – EVGA SUPERNOVA 1200 P2

If you are just starting out in the field of cryptocurrency mining then it’s wasteful to get an expensive power supply. Because of obvious reasons.

Usually, beginner miners have 4-6 graphics cards mining rig. And generally, these graphics cards are cheap AMD RX ones. So in that case, your rig will consume about 1000 watts of electricity.

So a 1200W power supply will be enough.

That is why I suggest getting the EVGA SuperNOVA 1200 P2 if you have a low power mining rig. It is a 1200W power supply with 80 Plus rating.

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80 Plus Platinum rating to be exact. Which means that this PSU is about 92% efficient in 115V AC. And this figure goes even higher to 94% in 220V to 240V AC. So in the best case scenario, expect the power supply to supply at least 1100 watts of power.

The EVGA SuperNOVA 1200 P2 power supply uses a superior vertical double layer transformer. This main transformer increases the power output significantly.

And unlike many other PSUs, allows this PSU to supply 12V on a single rail! This high amperage +12V single rail design can deliver up to 99.9A.

EVGA also claims to use Japanese Chemi-Con solid state capacitors to increase the efficiency and lifespan of the unit.

The power supply also features a dual-ball bearing high-performance 140mm fan. This fan helps in dissipating the heat rapidly to ensure stable performance of the PSU.

The fan also has an ECO mode which is helpful for reducing noise. You can turn this on with just a push of a button. But I believe it is of very low importance to a miner. As for a miner, the most important thing is optimal power delivery.

The EVGA SuperNOVA 1200 P2 is a fully modular power supply. Which means that there will be less clutter and more space to work with.

It has 12 SATA, 8 PCIe (six 8 (6+2)-pin and two 6-pin), and 5 four-pin Molex connectors. So you get enough connectors to hook up your graphics cards and components.

On Amazon, you can buy this PSU for as low as $399 which is a fair price for a PSU of this quality. (Price may change)

If you are going to use this PSU then you can run 6 GPU Mining Rig. You can attach 6 GTX 1070/ GTX 1070Ti with this PSU.

FOR THE HOBBYIST MINERS – EVGA SUPERNOVA 1600 P2

Let’s assume that you are not a beginner miner anymore. You have a few mining rigs running 24/7. And you need a reliable power supply for your operations.

Well looks like I have just got the right power supply for you. It is the EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 P2.

Just like it’s younger sibling EVGA SuperNOVA 1200 P2, the 1600 P2 is also an 80 Plus Platinum certified power supply.

The only difference is that it can deliver 1600 watts of power consistently. So if your mining rig consumes about 1400W of power then you can use this power supply without any doubts.

EVGA has carried forward most of the features from EVGA SuperNOVA 1200 P2 to the 1600W model. So the 1600 P2 also features the vertical double layer transformer, Japanese solid state capacitors, the 140mm heavy duty fan etc.

It even has the same single rail design like the 1200 P2.

But in this case, instead of 99.9A of current, the +12V rail of 1600 P2 can deliver up to 133.3A! Yes, you heard it right. The single rail of the EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 P2 can deliver a whooping 133.3A.

This power supply is also a fully modular power supply. And EVGA is very generous when it comes to providing connectivity options.

You get 14 PCIe (nine 8 (6+2)-pin and five 6-pin), 16 SATA and 6 four-pin Molex connectors. The power cables are sleeved to prevent breakage and shorting.

If you are thinking about using this PSU for mining. You can build 6 GPU VEGA 64/56 Mining rig or 7 GPU GTX 1080 Mining Rig.

I usually prefer Nvidia Cards for mining because they can do well on both the algorithms like equihash & ethash.

Currently, this PSU is selling for only $459 on Amazon!

FOR THE ULTIMATE ENTHUSIAST – EVGA SUPERNOVA 1600 T2

This pick is for the ultimate cryptocurrency miners who have powerful mining rigs. The EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 T2 is a 1600W power supply just like EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 P2. But the only difference is the 80 Plus rating. In case of the P2, it is 80 Plus Platinum but in case of T2, it is 80 Plus Titanium.

So on paper, it is more efficient than the P2. To be exact it is 94% to 96% efficient under typical load.

We see similar features in the EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 T2 like the P2 model. Even the high amperage single rail design is consistent in this product line.

This fully modular power supply has 16 SATA, 14 PCIe (nine 8 (6+2)-pin and five 6-pin), and 6 four-pin Molex connectors. So you get plenty of connectors to plug in your components comfortably.

Currently, you can buy this PSU on Amazon for $682. So technically you are getting this power supply for 200 bucks more than the P2 model.

If you buy two of these PSU then you will be good to go with 12 GTX 1080Ti for mining.

FINAL THOUGHTS

You might be wondering why did I choose three power supplies from EVGA. Considering there are other popular brands like Corsair, Seasonic, Thermaltake etc.

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Well, the reason is very straightforward. EVGA is a reputed company when it comes to computer components. All of their products just oozes quality.

And the power supplies are not exceptions as well. I am not implying that Corsair or Seasonic power supplies are of poor quality. But when it comes to EVGA vs Corsair or EVGA vs Seasonic I will always choose EVGA.

EVGA also offers 10 years of warranty for all the three products mentioned above. Which is a big plus if you ask me. And talking from my own experience, EVGA never disappoints its customers.

This brings us to the end of this article. I hope enjoyed this one like our other articles and guides. Thank you for being a part of the Coinsuggest family.