A Power Supply’s efficiency is essentially a rating of how the power supply can deliver output given the power draw. There are various ratings such as bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and titanium. It determines how much power the PSU can draw. A PSU can draw more than its rated wattage, so for example a 650W PSU can draw more based on the load, then the rest of the power not used becomes heat. This is what makes a power supply efficient. A 650W PSU which isn’t efficient may draw 1300W, meaning it loses 650W to heat, thus it gets wasted so it is not efficient. An efficient power supply, may only draw an extra 200W which will be wasted. This varies depending on the rating and load as well.
What is the 80 Plus rating?
The 80 Plus rating which is commonly associated with power supplies is used to say that the PSU is at least 80% efficient. This works in terms of 20%, 50% and 100% power loads. As discussed above about an inefficient PSU wasting power, an efficient 650W PSU would only draw about 800W maximum. This makes the power supply use less power, meaning a cheaper energy bill. Supernova Gaming only offers 80+ Power Supplies, and generally a Gaming PC or Workstation PC should be using these.
What is the difference between each rating?
Each rating will vary depending on how efficient they are. Within that 80 Plus threshold, these ratings will determine how efficient above that 80+ rating they are, so it is pretty much a sub category. So what’s the difference?
Efficiency Chart
| Load % | 20% | 50% | 100% |
| 80+ Bronze | 82% | 85% | 82% |
| 80+ Silver | 85% | 88% | 88% |
| 80+ Gold | 87% | 90% | 87% |
| 80+ Platinum | 90% | 92% | 89% |
| 80+ Titanium | 90% | 92% | 94% |
What’s the benefit of a more efficient PSU?
Some benefits you may see with a more efficient power supply is reliability of your system. This is because a less efficient PSU generates more heat. If anything kills technology the fastest, it is exposure to heat and humidity. The less heat being produced, the longer your system will last. So is it worth it to spend extra on a higher tier power supply? Yes. Absolutely. At Supernova Gaming, all of our PCs are built with high quality and efficient power supplies. The lowest rating we offer is a Bronze rating, and that is only available on a system which doesn’t even draw 350W.
