80+ bronze silver gold?

[chanwei21]

PSU 600W : 15$
PSU 600W 80+ bronze : 40$
PSU 600W 80+ silver : 50$
PSU 600W 80+ gold : 60$

I was wondering whats up to the power supply with mark of 80+? and bronze, silver & gold?

 

[th3_ory]

80+ means that their atleats 80% efficienct at any cpu load or gpu.
Now their ATLEAST 80% efficient because the silver would be (lets just say) 85% efficient compared to the bronze hich is 80%. A gold would then have 90% efficiency.

I know these numbers are wrong but its just an idea

 

[Rammy]

It's a scale of measure to show how efficient (input power vs output power) a Power supply is. It's dependant on your input voltage (mains supply).
The basic 80Plus means that at 20,50 or 100% PSU load, the PSU is at least 80% efficiency, though this is only valid if you are using a ~115V supply.
Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum have standards that apply to both ~115 and ~230V supplies and represent incremental improvements in efficiency over the basic 80Plus standard.
80Plus Titanium is solely tested across ~230V, though it still represents a high level of quality and efficiency regardless of your location.

From a simplistic perspective, it gives you a good idea of the quality of components and the standards of production, but it's worth pointing out that all Gold (for example) rated PSUs are not equal. It is simply a measure of their efficiency, and while it can transfer benefits to longevity, quality and even cooling/acoustics, it's best to check out reviews from reputable sites to get a more complete picture.

 

[th3_ory]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOXTZizoknc

 

[Rammy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOXTZizoknc

All of that is true, but it's only relevant to countries that use 115V supply. The principle remains elsewhere but the values will change.

 

[chanwei21]

Best answer selected by chanwei21.