All In One HTPC Power Supply

All In One HTPC Power Supply

The first thing to know, is that not all power supplies are made equal. Power supplies with better fundamental designs that employ high quality components will be better. Try to stick to brands with a known track record. If you want, you can try to find power supplies with higher 80 Plus ratings. These ratings indicate the efficiency of the power supply. For a chart please visit the 80 Plus Wiki. My other suggestion would be to find a modular power supply. When working in a small confined space, such as a HTPC case, it is nice to only use the connectors you need.

Having said that, there is a slight conundrum when choosing a power supply for a HTPC build. Depending on your build your video card may require a power supply capable of outputting a large amount of amperage. For example when using the HD 6450 AMD recommends a 400 watt power supply. Does this mean your computer will use all 400 watts? Hell NO! Generally higher watt power supplies will be capable of supplying higher amounts of amps.  You probably won’t eclipse 150-200 watts. Maybe even less.

For the AMD APU, its much easier. There are several user reviews out there showing the an A6-3500 build uses less than 100 watts under full load. Essentially you can buy a power supply that has a max output of 150 watts and be fine.

NOTE: You can always opt for a picoPSU. Essentially these are very small DC power supplies, capable of outputting anywhere between 50-150 watts. You can use this power supply for an all in one HTPC build, however the number of connectors on these power supplies is limited. If you decide to expand your HTPC build later, you will run into problems. Also a picoPSU will require a power brick, much like a laptop adapter. Factor in the price of a picoPSU and power brick and you’ll spend about $50-$60 dollars. I will be recommending a picoPSU for a standalone HTPC build.

There are very few quality power supplies 300 Watts that are modular. Here are some of my recommendations:

Last but not least, lets go pick out some fans to keep your whole HTPC build cool.

Check back often for more guides to help you with your HTPC build!