ROG vs. TUF Gaming vs. Prime: What’s the difference between ASUS power supplies?

Between our ROG, TUF Gaming, and Prime power supply lineups, we offer options in a wide range of styles ready for any build. Whether you prefer the bold gaming look of the ROG PSUs, the ruggedized aesthetic of TUF Gaming, or the classy retro-futuristic style of ASUS Prime, you’ll find an ASUS power supply that’s a perfect fit for your next PC. But the differences between our power supplies go much deeper than the surface. Some are high-wattage units built for the challenge of powering high-end desktops. Some are slim and trim units built for small-form-factor PCs. Others are affordable all-arounders ready for everyday machines.

So let’s take a close look at these PSUs. What’s the difference between ASUS power supplies? What separates ROG vs. TUF Gaming vs. Prime? Which one is best for your build? Here, you’ll find the answers to all these questions and more.

A power supply primer

If you’ve been building PCs for years, you likely already know your power supply lingo. But if you’re making plans for building your first PC, you’re probably encountering some technical terms for the first time. Here’s a quick breakdown of terms you’ll need to know to pick a power supply with confidence.

• Start with the right wattage. Power supplies range from less than 400W all the way up to 1600W, with the higher-wattage units intended to serve builders with the most powerful (and power-hungry) CPUs and GPUs. You don’t need to play guessing games to find out how much juice you need: use our free online PSU wattage calculator to get a quick recommendation.
• Get the right size for your chassis. Check the info provided by the manufacturer of your chassis to find out the maximum PSU length it can accommodate. Typical desktop PCs use the ATX form factor, so most of our power supplies will fit without any fuss. But Micro-ATX cases might not have enough space for longer ATX PSUs, and for even smaller chassis designs, you’ll likely need an SFX-L PSU like an ROG Loki model.
• If you’re going to be one thing, be efficient. Power supplies with an excellent 80 PLUS rating are more efficient at transforming the power from the outlet into usable power for your PC components. Efficient power supplies are not only better for your power bill, but they also produce less waste heat, increasing the expected lifetime of all parts inside. 80 PLUS ratings range from 80 PLUS Standard all the way up to 80 PLUS Titanium. In 2024, PSUs with an 80 PLUS Gold certification are so affordable that we think you should opt for Gold-certified models as a starting point.
• Keep the noise down. Don’t let distracting fan noise get between you and the PC experience you’re looking for. A Cybenetics Lambda certification gives you the clearest indication of how quietly a PSU will operate under load. If that information isn’t available, stick with the rule of thumb that a PSU with a higher 80 PLUS certification will run a bit quieter than a PSU with a lower certification, all else being equal.
• Make the right connection. The latest high-end graphics cards use 16-pin power connectors. For convenience, ideal performance, and the best aesthetics, get an ATX 3.0 PSU with a PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR connector that’s ready to supply up to 600W to your GPU. Otherwise, you’ll be making do with a clunky adapter.
• Secure a lengthy warranty. Power supplies from reputable manufacturers offer warranty periods of at least four to five years. Don’t settle for less. In fact, you should probably pursue more: most modern ASUS power supplies have a 10-year limited warranty.
• Find the right aesthetics. Aesthetics might not be at the top of your PSU shopping list, especially if you have a chassis with a PSU shroud. But if your power supply is going to be visible through your side panel, pick one that coordinates effortlessly with the rest of your build.

ROG Thor II series: high-end wattage and all the extras

PC builders today have a wealth of options when it comes to picking a CPU and GPU. If your gaming passion, creative workflow, or professional pursuit requires the services of top-end hardware, you need a PSU capable of delivering equally top-end wattage.

Owners of an Intel Core i9 CPU and a top-of-the-line ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090, for example, should be looking for a 1000W PSU at least – and most folks recommend rounding up a tier. That provides headroom for overclocking and a measure of future-proofing, and it helps ensure that the PSU can operate at peak efficiency. Click here for even more PSU wattage recommendations for a large variety of CPUs and GPUs.

ROG Thor power supplies are your first choice when you need a high-wattage model. The series starts at 850W and goes all the way up to 1600W with the ROG Thor 1600W Titanium. These PSUs offer similarly high levels of efficiency so that you can enjoy lower power bills, less noise, and less heat production. ROG Thor PSUs offer at least an 80 PLUS Platinum certification that attests to their capability of turning a watt of power from the wall into a watt of power for your PC with minimal waste. The top-end ROG Thor 1600W ascends even higher to an 80 PLUS Titanium rating.

Delivering that much juice for years of reliable service requires premium components and excellent cooling. We leaned on our years of expertise in designing custom cooling solutions for laptops, graphics cards, motherboards, and more to design special ROG heatsinks for our power supplies. With twice the volume of traditional designs, these heatsinks reduce temperatures inside the PSU by up to 20%. A large 135mm Axial-tech fan with our Wing-blade fan design and PWM control quietly moves cooling air through the unit to keep thermals in check. The fan is equipped with dual ball fan bearings for extended lifespan, and it shuts off entirely when PSU load is below 50% for silent operation. We’re so confident about the long-term performance of ROG Thor PSUs that we back them with a 10-year limited warranty.

Each ROG Thor PSU is bundled with a 16-pin PCIe cable that can pipe up to 600W of power. This cable lets you power an NVIDIA 40 Series GPU without the need for a clunky adapter, and when PCIe 5.0 graphics cards hit the market, you’ll be more than ready.

ROG Thor power supplies offer premium aesthetics with built-in RGB LEDs that you can synchronize with the rest of your gear through Aura Sync. Additionally, they include an OLED display that reports total power draw in real-time, making it easier for you to tune system performance and efficiency.

The ROG Thor 1600W has some special tricks up its sleeve, over and above what’s offered by other ROG Thor PSUs, that help it achieve its dazzling combination of wattage and efficiency. It’s ATX 3.0 compatible, and it’s equipped with gallium nitride MOSFETs that boast lower switching losses and improved efficiency compared to conventional silicon transistors, allowing the unit to swing massive amounts of current at high efficiency levels. A digital controller provides precise control over the GaN power array, facilitating lightning-fast responses to load changes. All told, the ROG Thor 1600W’s specialized hardware allows it to operate at astonishingly quiet noise levels. It’s earned a Cybenetics Lambda A++ certification for its quiet operation. In fact, Cybenetic’s testing has found it to be the quietest 1600W PSU on the market.

ROG Loki SFX-L series: premium power in a compact form factor

Many PC builders enjoy the puzzle of fitting high-performance components into a small-form-factor (SFF) chassis – and they love the space-saving end result. But many SFF cases don’t have sufficient internal space to accommodate a standard-sized power supply. Enter the ROG Loki SFX-L series. These slim-and-trim units ensure that you don’t have to compromise as you select your SFF build’s PSU.

At 125 x 125 x 63.5mm, these power supplies are surprisingly small, but they retain many of the features of the high-end ROG Thor series. Wattage starts at 750W and ranges up to 1200W – if you need a 1600W model, you’ll need a Thor. Most bear a premium 80 PLUS Platinum certification, but the ultra-efficient ROG Loki SFX-L 1200W Titanium boasts the highest 80 PLUS rating. These ATX 3.0-compatible power supplies are ready for just about any graphics card that you can fit into an SFF chassis.

ROG heatsinks facilitate lower temperatures and longer component lifespan, while a 120mm Axial-tech fan with our wing-blade design quietly moves cooling air through the PSU chassis. The fan features dual ball fan bearings for a long lifespan, and it will completely spin down under light loads for silent operation. Even the humble PCIe connectors get special attention. The PCIe connectors feature high-conductivity copper pins that improve thermal and power delivery safety performance, reducing heat by up to 15%. We back these durable, high-performance PSUs with a 10-year limited warranty.

With their high efficiency and exceptional cooling, these units remain quiet even under pressure. They’re among the quietest SFX-L power supplies on the market: the ROG Loki SFX-L 750W Platinum, for instance, earned a Cybenetics Lambda A+ certification for certified noise levels below 20dB.

Standout aesthetics make ROG Loki power supplies the perfect choice for showcase builds. They feature a high-contrast black and white design that lends itself to white or black-themed builds – though there’s a special version of the ROG Loki 850W Platinum that leans into white and metallic hues for a showstopping look. Eight addressable RGB LEDs in the fan can be customized with Aura Sync and synchronized with the rest of your compatible gear.

ROG Strix Gold Aura Edition series: all-around excellence with great style

ROG Strix Gold Aura Edition power supplies take the basic DNA of the top-end Thor and Loki designs and distill it down into designs that are more attainable for a wider audience. With their premium cooling solutions, excellent efficiency ratings, and customizable style, they’re a great fit for gaming-first builds everywhere.

These PSUs start at 750W and range all the way up to 1200W, and each one features an 80 PLUS Gold certification and a 10-year limited warranty. Like all ROG power supplies, they’re built from the ground up for premium cooling. They’re encased in an aluminum chassis that acts as a heatsink for the internal power transformer. Paired with high-performance copper pins for the PCIe connectors, ROG heatsinks, and an Axial-tech fan, this chassis design ensures low temperatures and quiet operation. You’ll see excellent Cybenetics Lambda certifications across the entire series – on average these units emit less than 20dB of noise.

ROG Strix Gold Aura Edition power supplies are well-suited for supplying juice to the latest graphics cards on the market. These ATX 3.0 compatible PSUs are fully compliant with the latest voltage and current regulation guidelines for next-gen hardware, and they include a 16-pin PCIe cable ready to pipe up to 600W of power to next-gen PCIe 5.0 graphics cards.

As you expect from ROG, bold style comes standard with ROG Strix Gold Aura Edition PSUs. They’re draped in a classic black finish that coordinates easily with most PC hardware, and they catch your eye with a contrasting hexagonal mesh that slashes across the exterior. Addressable RGB lighting built into the ROG logo on the side adds a touch of customizable style.

TUF Gaming Gold series: durable power built for gaming

Not every power supply is destined for the limelight. In many builds, this hardworking component gets hidden under a PSU shroud or tucked into a separate chamber where it doesn’t get seen at all. If you’re assembling such a PC, your priorities for a power supply might focus entirely on efficiency, durability, and budget.

The TUF Gaming Gold series delivers on all three fronts. Whether you need an entry-level 750W unit, a powerful 1200W model, or something in between, you’ll find a TUF Gaming Gold PSU available at a great price. You won’t have to compromise on efficiency, as each bears an 80 PLUS Gold certification, and they’re ATX 3.0 ready so that you can confidently pair them with the latest graphics cards on the market.

We build TUF Gaming Gold series PSUs to go the distance. We select military-grade components for these units, including capacitors rated for 105° Celsius operation and up to a 170,000-hour lifespan. A protective conformal coating envelops the PCB to protect against short-circuits caused by moisture, dust, and debris. Like ROG Strix PSUs, these models also boast high-performance copper pins and Axial-tech fans with dual ball fan bearings. We’re so confident in the long-term performance of these units that we back them with a 10-year limited warranty.

ASUS Prime Gold series: affordable, dependable power for any build

One of the most trusted names in the business for mainstream PC builders is ASUS Prime. Our Prime motherboards ensure that you can get cutting-edge, dependable hardware at a great price. ASUS Prime Gold PSUs share the same vision, as they bring efficient and durable power delivery to all-around PCs and gaming rigs.

We think that efficient operation shouldn’t be a premium feature limited to high-end builds, so even our most affordable ASUS Prime Gold PSU bears an 80 PLUS Gold certification. ASUS Prime Gold PSUs are compliant with ATX 3.0 guidelines and are bundled with a 16-pin PCIe cable ready for next-gen graphics cards. For great cooling, they’re equipped with a large 135mm fan that spins on dual ball bearings for a long lifespan. To give you confidence that your PSU is ready to go the distance, we back ASUS Prime Gold models with an 8-year limited warranty.

These affordable power supplies even boast a cheerful and versatile design. Two sides of the housing are painted white and two are painted black, allowing you to orient the PSU to match your build’s colorway.