PSU calculator
for Indian builds.

What your wattage number actually means

The calculator shows you peak gaming load - the sustained draw when your CPU and GPU are both working hard. Real-world usage is lower most of the time: browsing, Discord, light gaming pulls maybe 40-60% of that peak. But your PSU needs to handle the worst case without breaking a sweat.

Here's the thing most guides don't tell you: a PSU running at 100% rated load runs hot, ages faster, and has zero safety margin for spikes. Transient power spikes - especially from modern GPUs like the RTX 5000 series - can hit 1.5-2x the reported TDP for milliseconds. NVIDIA's own spec sheets acknowledge this. The RTX 5090 has a 575W TDP but needs a 1200W PSU recommendation for exactly this reason.

The 20-25% headroom rule

Once you know your peak draw, add 20-25% before picking a PSU. This isn't arbitrary padding - it keeps your PSU in its efficiency sweet spot, extends capacitor life, and handles transient spikes without tripping OCP.

A ₹90k 1440p build pulling 290W at load needs at least a 365W capable PSU - which means a 550W unit (at ~53% load). That's the ideal zone. Going up to 650W gives you breathing room for a future GPU upgrade.

Why 80 Plus Gold is the only rating worth caring about in India

Electricity in India isn't cheap. In Tier-1 cities, rates hit ₹8-12/kWh. A Bronze-rated PSU runs at 82-85% efficiency. Gold runs at 87-90%. A gaming PC running 4 hours a day, 300 days a year, with a 300W draw wastes roughly 10-15kWh more per year with Bronze. That's ₹80-180 annually - over 3 years that gap pays for Gold's price premium. Buy Gold.

Platinum and Titanium make sense for 24/7 servers. For a gaming rig, the price jump from Gold to Platinum isn't worth it.

India-specific realities that change the PSU equation

Indian mains voltage is inconsistent. In Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities - and even in some metros - voltage can swing between 190V and 250V during peak hours or monsoon season. A decent PSU with active PFC handles this fine. A cheap one without can fail and take components with it.

Power cuts are a real consideration. If you're in an area with frequent load-shedding, your PC reboots hard every time power returns. This causes surge stress on the PSU. A modular unit from a reputable brand will handle this far better than a generic SMPS.

Don't buy unbranded or generic PSUs from local assemblers even if they claim "600W." The Indian market has always had a surplus of relabelled 300W units claiming 600W. If the box doesn't say 80 Plus on it, it almost certainly isn't.

Which PSU wattage for which GPU tier

Modular vs non-modular: does it matter?

For sub-₹50k builds with compact cases, modular cables are a genuine quality-of-life upgrade - airflow in small cases matters. For mid-tower builds, non-modular is fine if you tuck unused cables. I wouldn't pay ₹2,000+ for modularity on a budget build, but at the ₹90k+ tier, fully modular is worth it.

Semi-modular is a solid middle ground - the 24-pin ATX and CPU cables are always needed anyway. For GPU and SATA cables, being able to run exactly what you need is genuinely cleaner.

Don't undersize your PSU trying to save money

A PSU failure under load doesn't just kill the PSU - it can take the GPU, motherboard, or both. The ₹1,500 "savings" on a budget PSU can cost ₹15,000 in repairs. If the calculator puts you right on the edge of a tier, go up. Always.

Frequently asked questions