What 80 PLUS rating should I look for in a mining power supply?

For a single-GPU home mining build, 80 PLUS Bronze is the acceptable minimum, but 80 PLUS Gold is the sweet spot and the one most miners should target. The 80 PLUS rating measures how efficiently a power supply converts wall power into usable DC power, with higher tiers wasting less energy as heat. A Gold-rated unit running at its efficient load band wastes meaningfully less power than a Bronze unit, which adds up over months of continuous mining and also means a cooler, quieter PSU fan. Platinum and Titanium units cost more for smaller additional gains, so they only make sense if your electricity is expensive and the rig runs around the clock. Whatever tier you choose, buy from a reputable brand. A genuine Bronze unit beats a fake Gold one every time.