Classification of computer power supplies 80 PLUS: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titanium
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noble metals
The basic 80 PLUS energy efficiency certificate without a “metal” index, which is unofficially called “white” 80 PLUS due to the colour of the logo, implies an efficiency of more than 80% when the PSU is loaded at 20, 50 and 100% of its maximum power when powered as from an American 115-volt power supply, and from the European 230-volt. In the future, for simplicity, we will talk about efficiency only at a load of 50% and in east european power networks of 230 V. However, the ability of the PSU to operate in a wide input voltage range of 115 – 230 V is still useful in local country houses, where the voltage often sags much below 230 volts up to 170.
In order to work stably over the entire input voltage range with a gap both up and down (90 – 264 V), power supplies are equipped with an active reactive power correction (Active PFC) module, which, among other things, minimizes (often to tenths of a percent) interference generated by the device in the power supply network. By the way, it was Seasonic who was the first in the world to transfer its entire lineup to Active PFC.
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The value of the "white" certificate 80 PLUS in recent years, to tell the truth, has noticeably decreased — now only very simple power supplies are marked with it. In addition, in order to save money, many PSU manufacturers refuse official certification of 80 PLUS (the procedure is paid), simply indicating the efficiency of 80% in text on the PSU case. And some PSU models lack literally a few percent to the “white” 80 PLUS efficiency, which does not make them much worse. Or the PSU corresponds to the "white" 80 PLUS at an input voltage of 230 V, but does not correspond to 115 V. It should be noted that the circuitry of modern power supplies often provides several percent higher efficiency in 230 V networks than in 115-volt ones.
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| On the left is the official 80 PLUS Bronze logo (88% efficiency), on the right is a mimic under it is an extraneous logo with a lower efficiency at the “white” level of 80 PLUS (85%). |
With that said, we recommend choosing a modern PSU that is at least 80 PLUS Bronze certified. It implies an efficiency of at least 85% for half the load of the maximum PSU power in 230 V power networks. An example of a good inexpensive “bronze” PSU is the Seasonic S12III-500 — not modular, but with progressive separate DC-DC stabilization and a solid five-year warranty. But right behind the “bronze”, the 80 PLUS Silver certificate with an efficiency of 89% is now extremely rare. Models of "silver" PSUs presented on store shelves can be literally counted on the fingers of one hand.
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| "Bronze" Seasonic S12 III. |
And the difference in price between the "silver" PSUs and the much more energy efficient 80 PLUS Gold with 92% efficiency is negligible. A little more expensive are the 80 PLUS Platinum power supplies with 94% efficiency. In addition, an efficiency of over 90 percent also inspires the buyer with psychological confidence that he has at his disposal a truly energy-efficient PSU. In the Seasonic model range, there are the most “gold” and “platinum” power supplies, including the mid-price CORE and FOCUS series, which we will talk about in detail.
"Golden" power supply
Seasonic CORE is a series of computer power supplies from the beginning of the middle price range. It is represented by three powers (500, 550 and 650 W) and three cable management options: non-modular GC sub-series, modular GX and semi-modular GM. In the latter case, the processor and motherboard power wires are made fixed, while the rest are removable.
Two well-recognized certificates flaunt on the Seasonic CORE case at once: 80 PLUS Gold and TUF Gaming. The first implies an efficiency of at least 92% at half load on the PSU, and the second belongs to The Ultimate Force Gaming Alliance line of gaming computer components and accessories under the patronage of ASUS. All TUF devices are made in a single black-grey-yellow colour and compare favorably with increased reliability, which guarantees uninterrupted many hours of gaming sessions.
Circuitry at CORE is, of course, Seasonic's own design and manufacture, while many competitors in this price segment resort to rebranding off-the-shelf solutions from third-party OEMs. Seasonic CORE's operating principle is based on progressive DC-DC conversion, instead of less reliable group voltage regulation. Capacitors are used exclusively high-temperature (up to 105ºC) Japanese Nichicon, Nippon Chemi-Con and Rubycon.
The 500-watt version of Seasonic CORE delivers 492 W on the main +12-volt line, that is, almost one hundred percent of the nominal value, and two 6 + 2-pin graphics card connectors are available. This is more than enough to power any PC, even with a flagship processor and graphics card. The length of the most problematic processor cable for concealed laying is more than 65 cm.
The Seasonic CORE is cooled by a quiet 12 cm fan from Hong Hua (an old fan partner of Seasonic), however, on a conventional plain bearing. However, hydrodynamics in this price segment, in principle, is not found. And Seasonic is so confident in CORE's durability, including its cooling system, that it's backed by a seven-year warranty. No other PSU manufacturer in the price segment up to a hundred dollars can boast of such a thing. In addition, Seasonic CORE implements every single level of protection: OCP and OPP from overload, OVP and UVP from over and under voltage, SCP from short circuit and OTP from overheating.
"Platinum" power supply
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Seasonic FOCUS is a representative of the upper middle price range for PC power supplies. There are three FOCUS sub-series to choose from: the GM Energy Efficiency Gold certified semi-modular, the fully modular Gold GX and the modular PX Platinum. Power depending on the series varies from 500 W to 1 kW. In a separate sub-series SGX, PSUs of the miniature SFX format were taken out.
If more affordable Seasonic PSUs can boast of their own circuitry, DC-DC conversion, Japanese high-temperature capacitors and ultra-low voltage ripple on all lines, then the hybrid cooling system is a privilege of the FOCUS series (and the flagship PRIME). The principle of its operation is that up to 30% of the maximum load, the fan does not rotate at all, thereby not only reducing noise to zero, but also extending its service life and minimizing dusting of the internal components of the PSU.
After 30%, the Seasonic FOCUS turntable spins at low speeds, but even at 100% load it remains quite quiet — all thanks to the hydrodynamic bearing and high efficiency. Simply put, low noise is the result of low heat loss. The 80 PLUS Platinum certification implies that less than 6% of the electricity is converted into waste heat, that is, at half load from 650 W — only 20 W, which the fan dispels playfully. No wonder the turntable of the "platinum" FOCUS rotates a third slower than that of the "gold".
The most versatile, in our opinion, is the 650-watt Seasonic FOCUS PX model. The power of its +12 V main line is 648 W, and there are four graphics card connectors, which allows you to power a bunch of NVIDIA SLI, NVLink or AMD CrossFire. All cables are made removable: it is proposed to neatly lay the necessary ones in the PC case using reusable Hook-and-loop ties, and store the excess ones in a convenient complete case.
In general, the Seasonic FOCUS PX-650 is one of the best power supplies for a gaming or professional work PC, which will be used for many hours a day almost without days off. It is extremely energy efficient and quiet, with more than enough wire length and quantity for various PC components. All this is complemented by a ten-year warranty. Buying something more powerful, such as a kilowatt Seasonic Prime PX with a 12-year warranty, makes sense only if you plan to build a PC with three or four video cards at the same time.
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| "Titanium" passive Seasonic PRIME Fanless TX-700. |
findings
Despite the fact that a “bronze” power supply is enough for a frugal buyer, and a “gold” or “platinum” power supply is optimal for a demanding buyer, technological progress does not stand still and even more energy-efficient 80 PLUS Titanium PSUs with an efficiency of at least 96%. At first glance, this is only 2% more than Gold, or 8% more than Bronze. But if we measure the efficiency not by wasted kilowatts of electricity (fortunately, it is relatively cheap in our area), but by the generated side heat, then the difference begins to be felt much stronger. In addition, only Titanium guarantees high efficiency at ultra-low load (less than 10%).
All this is especially important for power supplies with completely passive, that is, fanless cooling, such as the Seasonic PRIME Fanless TX-700. At half load (350W), thanks to the "titanium" energy efficiency, only a negligible 14W is converted into heat. If the certificate were "bronze", the heat dissipation would be as much as 42 W, which would make it simply impossible to implement passive cooling. However, in addition to energy efficiency, other PSU functionality is also being gradually improved. For example, the brand new Seasonic Connect received a remote block for convenient wiring behind the back wall of the PC case. Further it will only be more interesting!
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| "Golden" Seasonic Connect with a remote block for connecting cables. |
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