There was a time when the power supply was the most neglected component inside the PC. The PSU was an afterthought for most, usually a generic unit that came bundled with a case. And there it would sit, often not-so-quietly, entrusted with the important task of supplying power to other components that were usually chosen with far more consideration and deliberation. Over time, the odds that a generic PSU's voltage lines would start sagging were pretty good. If you were lucky, this would only cause system instability. However, in more serious cases, other system components could be damaged.

Thankfully, the enthusiast community has taken power supply units more seriously as it has matured. We know there's much more to the equation than simply a wattage rating; we're looking for consistent DC voltages, minimal AC ripple content, high efficiency, low noise levels, and effective cooling—and those are just the basics.

Manufacturers have picked up on enthusiast, er, enthusiasm for quality power supply units, promising to deliver cleaner and quieter power more efficiently as wattage ratings scale skyward. Some have even developed unique features, including monitoring and control software, adjustable voltage lines, integrated USB hubs, and modular cabling solutions in attempts to differentiate their products in an increasingly crowded market.

To help make sense of the wide selection of power supply units available, we've rounded up eight contenders between 700 and 1000 watts from Antec, Corsair, Gigabyte, Hiper, PC Power & Cooling, Super Talent, Tagan, and Ultra. Keep reading to see how they compare in the real world and when pushed to their limits by our beastly test rig.