What is a Semi Modular Power Supply?

Over the years, some PC components have become more customized giving you the freedom to interact with them in a way you want. Especially, if we talk about the power supply units, these have evolved a lot in the past 15 years. Previously, PSUs were equipped with some unnecessary cables and there was no way to remove them at all. But now we have semi-modular and modular power supply units that allow users to attach or detach cables resulting in better cable management.

Modern-day power supply units are either semi-modular or fully modular. In a semi-modular power supply, some useful cables (motherboard or CPU cables) are attached to the power supply whereas less needed cables like SATA, PCIe, and Molex cables are detachable. This gives you enough room to attach the most needed cables to your PSU and remove the ones that are hanging around and occupying extra space inside your PC case.

Types of Semi-Modular PSUs

There are certain types of semi-modular units that you may come across:

• 24-pin power connector attached while all other cables detached
• 24-pin power connector, 8-pin, PCIe power connector attached while all other cables detached

Most semi-modular PSUs are equipped with non-detachable cables which also are the most important cables to run a computer. With most semi-modular power supply brands, you’ll find a CPU power connector and a 24-pin motherboard power connector.

Also Read About: What Wattage PSU Do You Need

Pros of Having a Semi-Modular Power Supply

There are numerous benefits that come with the semi-modular power supply, a few of them are mentioned here:

Better Airflow & Aesthetics

As we’ve said earlier, having less cable inside your PC case promotes maximum airflow. With all unnecessary cables out of the case, the inner section of your PC case will throw a stunning look as well. If you have a transparent PC case, then having less cable will add more aesthetics to your overall gaming rig.

Unwanted cables hanging inside a PC cable may come in contact with other parts like CPU or GPU fan and cause more damage. So, having a semi-modular PSU would be a great option to overcome this issue.

When there are cables hanging around inside your PC case, then it’s difficult for CPU fans to exhaust the hot air residing inside the PC case. As fewer cables are used in a semi-modular PSU, there’s less risk of the rising temperature inside a PC case.

Better Cable Management

Having better cable management inside a PC case is very crucial. There are several ways to do this, either you can tie the unwanted cables and move them to one side or you can use a semi-modular PSU to attach the most needed cables and stay away from the unnecessary ones.

Convenience

With semi-modular or fully-modular PSUs, you get more convenience when replacing a faulty power supply. With fewer cables to unplug, it’s easier to replace a semi-modular power supply as compared to a non-modular power supply.

So if any cable in a semi-modular power supply becomes faulty, you can simply take it out and replace it with a new one.

Efficiency

Semi-modular power supplies are more efficient compared to traditional non-modular power supplies. Also, you’ll find semi-modular PSUs with Gold, Platinum, and Titanium efficiency ratings.

Affordable

Semi-modular PSUs are affordable as compared to fully-modular PSUs. For budget gamers, we always recommend going with a semi-modular unit. But at the same time, modular PSUs are more expensive than non-modular power supply units.

Cons of Semi-Modular PSU

With so many benefits, there are some disadvantages that come along with modular PSUs:

Incompatibility

Although semi-modular PSUs allow you to attach or detach cables in available ports, there are some incompatibility issues to consider as well. Cables from the same brand may be incompatible with different models.

Bulky

Modular PSUs are bulky and take more space inside a PC case as compared to non-modular PSUs. If you have a full-tower or mid-tower PC case, then there won’t any issue in installing a modular power supply. But with PC cases with less space may have difficulties accommodating semi-modular or fully-modular power supplies. Make sure there’s enough clearance inside your PC case before you buy a semi-modular PSU.

Conclusion

So, you now know about what a semi-modular power supply is and the edge it carries over a non-modular power supply. Semi-modular PSUs are ideal for someone who is strict on budget and wants to build a gaming PC with a cleaner look.