The latest articles on DEV Community by techverio official (@techverio_official_f9d22a). https://dev.to/techverio_official_f9d22a https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4221742%2F53183ff4-fad2-467d-b77f-277149031f9e.png https://dev.to/techverio_official_f9d22a en techverio official Mon, 02 Nov 2026 09:06:25 +0000 https://dev.to/techverio_official_f9d22a/how-i-size-a-power-supply-for-a-gaming-pc-a-simple-formula-12ic https://dev.to/techverio_official_f9d22a/how-i-size-a-power-supply-for-a-gaming-pc-a-simple-formula-12ic <p>Picking a power supply (PSU) is where many first-time PC builders guess. Here is the simple method behind most PSU calculators, so you can check any build in a minute.</p> <h2> The 4-step formula </h2> <ol> <li> <strong>GPU board power</strong>: for example RTX 4060 = 115 W, RTX 4070 = 200 W, RX 7800 XT = 263 W.</li> <li> <strong>CPU gaming power</strong>: 65 W chips usually draw 60-90 W in games; high-end K/X chips can pass 150 W.</li> <li> <strong>Everything else</strong>: add about 50-75 W for the motherboard, RAM, SSDs and fans.</li> <li> <strong>Headroom</strong>: multiply by 1.3-1.4 so the PSU runs in its efficient middle range and handles short power spikes.</li> </ol> <h2> Worked example </h2> <p>RTX 4060 + Ryzen 5 7600: 115 + 90 + 60 = ~265 W. x 1.4 = ~370 W.<br> A good 550 W unit is plenty, and leaves room for a GPU upgrade later.</p> <h2> Quality beats watts </h2> <p>A solid 550 W unit from a known brand is better than a cheap 750 W unit. Check for 80 Plus Bronze or better, a decent warranty, and the PCIe power connectors your card needs.</p> <h2> Want the math done for you? </h2> <p>I built a free <a href="https://techverio.com/psu-calculator/" rel="noopener noreferrer">PSU calculator at TechVerio</a> that does these steps for any CPU and GPU pair.</p> diy hardware