The Guide to PSU Modularity

Gaming PC power supplies can be non-modular, semi-modular, or fully modular. While the modularity of a power supply might not be the top priority in a PC build, it can become important when planning future upgrades and cable management. In this post, we'll explain and discuss the difference between PSU modularity.

Non-Modular Power Supplies

Non-modular power supplies are the most basic type of power supply on the market. They come with all of the necessary cables hardwired into the unit. Being hardwired into the unit, means you do not have the option to remove any cables you don't want to use. Additionally, non-modular power supplies typically don't offer as many features as their modular counterparts.

However, they tend to be more affordable than other power supplies, making them a good option for budget-conscious shoppers.

Semi-Modular Power Supplies

Semi-modular power supplies, such as our C Series Bronze, offer a middle ground between non-modular and fully modular units. They come with some cables hardwired into the unit but also include a selection of modular cables that can be used as needed. This gives you a bit more flexibility during the installation process and allows you to customize your cable management to some extent.

Semi-modular power supplies also tend to be more affordable than fully modular units, making them a good option for shoppers who want a bit more flexibility than what a non-modular unit offers but don't want to spend the extra money on a fully modular unit.

Fully Modular Power Supplies

Fully modular power supplies, such as our C Series Gold, offer the utmost flexibility when it comes to installation and cable management. As the name suggests, all of the cables on a fully modular unit are removable, so you only need to use the cables you need. This allows for a much cleaner and easier installation process since you won't have any excess cables getting in the way. You also have the option to use cables that make more sense for your particular build. For example, you might not need two different GPU cables - so you can remove one of them and swap it for an extra SATA power cable to access more storage. Fully modular units offer more features than non-modular or semi-modular units since they're typically aimed at enthusiasts willing to pay extra for those extra features.

That being said, the benefits of a fully modular PSU don't make as much sense to budget-conscious shoppers. You should only consider them as an option if cable management and flexibility are a priority for you.

What Power Supplies Do You Recommend?

While we do sell our own power supplies, we also want to be honest in what we recommend. If you're extremely budget conscious, you can find cheaper power supplies on marketplaces like Newegg.

However, we don't recommend going for a cheap power supply because it can quickly lead to problems in the future. Here's a Reddit Post from u/Squidwaan on how he lost his entire $1000 rig due to buying a sketchy Power Supply.

shameless plug warning

To avoid that nightmare, buy your power supply from us. At NZXT, we have an amazing series of ATX Power Supplies called the C Series. They're ultra-quiet, come with semi or full modularity, and are extremely energy efficient. You can feel safe knowing all of our PSUs come with a 5-year warranty.

One of our most popular options, the C550 Bronze, is one of the few 500W power supplies on the market that is both semi-modular and under $100.

With NZXT, you can trust that your power supply won't fault out on you, and you'll have a 5-year warranty to support it.