Modular PSUs are very popular in the high-end PSU market because of their ease of use. These PSUs come with detachable cables, and thus we can eliminate cables we do not need. Although this suggests that we can mix and match PSU cables, one should never try that. Modular PSUs are of two types: fully modular and semi-modular. Let us look at the difference between these formats of PSUs.
What are Fully Modular PSUs?
All cables of a fully modular PSU are removable. This includes the 24-pin ATX cable, the CPU EPS cables, and all of the SATA and PCIe cables. All of these cables can be removed and plugged in as required. This makes the building experience much easier.
Fully modular PSUs are also the most expensive among these three form factors. Manufacturing separate cables and connectors cost extra money, which fuels the price of these power supplies up.
However, for a regular build, having detachable 24-pin ATX and 8-pin CPU connections does not make sense because everyone would need them no matter what computer they are building. This is where semi-modular PSUs come into play.
What are Semi-Modular PSUs?
Semi-modular PSUs do not allow you to take all of the cables off. Some cables that would be required in all cases by builders are permanently attached to the PSU. This does not simplify the building experience, but it helps in cost reduction on the manufacturer’s half and prevents cables from coming loose while installation. Plugging the PSU cables improperly can cause a bunch of issues in modular PSUs. These problems include system boot loops or no boot at all. These problems are solved to an extent with semi-modular PSUs.
Semi-modular PSUs still have removable PCIe, SATA, and other peripheral cables. So, the cable clutter stays under control too. They are cheaper as compared to fully modular PSUs, but cost quite a few bucks more as compared to a non-modular PSU.
At this point, you must have made out why semi-modular PSUs are a much better choice as compared to fully modular PSUs. They cost less, and can also cause much lesser issues as compared to their fully modular units.