80 Plus expands podium for Bronze, Silver & Gold
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Considering the only product that is rated at silver is a prototype and even the best today only scrape through the bronze standard, i think it'll be a looong time before we see a sensibly priced commercial grade Gold standard PSU.
But thats a good thing, it'll encourage companies to continue improving efficiency, and i expect the first gold standard PSU will be a big seller around here.
But thats a good thing, it'll encourage companies to continue improving efficiency, and i expect the first gold standard PSU will be a big seller around here.
Of course there are supplies out there which claim highish efficiency
(for higher loads).
http://www.supermicro.com/newsroom/pres ... 073107.cfm
(for higher loads).
http://www.supermicro.com/newsroom/pres ... 073107.cfm
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After further thought, I realized I neglected to mention a quibble about the 80 Plus program that occurred to me the very first time it was presented to me... so this was added:
A QUIBBLE ABOUT HEAT
My only quibble with the 80 Plus program is that the qualifying tests are conducted at normal room temperature, typically 25°C. (Thermal conditions during each test are not disclosed in the test reports for public consumption.) This is fine at 20% load, but by 50% load, and certainly at 100% load, the temperature of the actual working environment for any PSU rated higher than about 300W will invariably be hotter than the typical room. Not only does a PSU have to deal with its own internal heat generated during the AC/DC conversion, but also the heat of the components in the computer system it is powering.
As some of the approved models in Bronze are rated for very high output (750W to 1200W), at 50% or 100%, the heat they're generating is prodigious. Even at 82% efficiency, the heat produced with 1000W output comes to 219W, which will invariably cause an increase in the operating temperature of the PSU and its immediate environment inside a computer. Why does this matter? The efficiency and capacity of electronic components such as capacitors decreases as temperature rises. At high loads with real applications inside a real chassis, a PSU gets hot and its efficiency tends to decline. By conducting the qualifying tests in unrealistically cool conditions, many of the higher power models that fare well in the 100% load test get off easy. A more thermally rigorous test would see fewer high power units achieve such high efficiency numbers.
Adding thermal requirements and conditions to 80 Plus could complicate testing. It may also make it more difficult to achieve 80 Plus qualification. Then, there's the question of what to do about the nearly 500 models that 80 Plus has already qualified. Still, from the perspective of realistic testing, the absence of thermal requirements in 80 Plus today seems a deficiency that should be addressed.
Last edited by MikeC on Fri Mar 21, 2008 5:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
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I may be missing something but even when testing the PSU open bench at 25° it would have to dissipate its own heat, no?
So the point would be reduced to the fact that the PSU will, in general, have higher temperature at the in take than open bench testing provides it. (This is not insurmountable, AFAIK there are a few cases that provide outside air to the PSU)
So the point would be reduced to the fact that the PSU will, in general, have higher temperature at the in take than open bench testing provides it. (This is not insurmountable, AFAIK there are a few cases that provide outside air to the PSU)
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For sure, but its own heat would be much more easily dissipated when the PSU is sitting in an open room.oberbimbo wrote:I may be missing something but even when testing the PSU open bench at 25° it would have to dissipate its own heat, no?
OK, you can put it that way. The difference is not small. I believe it would affect 80% of all tested units' efficiency results at 100% load. Some of them only marginally, but others by many percentage points.oberbimbo wrote:So the point would be reduced to the fact that the PSU will, in general, have higher temperature at the intake than open bench testing provides it. (This is not insurmountable, AFAIK there are a few cases that provide outside air to the PSU)
One immediate hurdle that any proposed change runs into is the existing 80 Plus database of tested & approved PSUs. If the test parameters change, do those have to be retested? This could prove the biggest stumbling block.
I just noticed that the Climate Saving Computing initiative targetsFartingBob wrote:Considering the only product that is rated at silver is a prototype and even the best today only scrape through the bronze standard, i think it'll be a looong time before we see a sensibly priced commercial grade Gold standard PSU.
But thats a good thing, it'll encourage companies to continue improving efficiency, and i expect the first gold standard PSU will be a big seller around here.
seem to correspond to these new levels. They list (equivalent of) Bronze for Jul '08-09, Silver for Jul '09 - '10, and Gold for Jul '10 - '11.
Maybe the future isn't all that far away.
http://www.climatesaverscomputing.org/p ... faq.html#4
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There appears to be one Silver rated PS:
http://80plus.org/manu/psu_80plus/psu_join.php
* June 8, 2008* web address has been modified to:
http://80plus.org/manu/psu/psu_join.aspx
http://80plus.org/manu/psu_80plus/psu_join.php
* June 8, 2008* web address has been modified to:
http://80plus.org/manu/psu/psu_join.aspx
Last edited by alleycat8675309 on Sun Jun 08, 2008 12:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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It's a reference design by NXT, which makes IC controller chips for use in switched mode power supplies. They make the parts... and show PS makers how to use them with reference designs such as this. Obviously, they're trying out a very high efficiency part.alleycat8675309 wrote:There appears to be one Silver rated PS:
http://80plus.org/manu/psu_80plus/psu_join.php
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Actually, since 80 Plus has become an integral part of the the Energy Star spec for computers, it's international. Plus Climate Savers is supporting it too.mcv wrote:So as long as they aim at the European market, there's no problem. Apart perhaps from the fact that 80plus is a North American initiative...
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http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20080418PD217.html
I'm still surprised that Seasonic/Corsair haven't gotten any of their newer designs certified Bronze yet. I suppose they would have to do a redesign or at least spec different components to meet the 80 Plus Bronze standard. I'm wondering how long it'll be before they respond to Enermax's Pro82+ and Modu82+ lines.
Just to put that in context vs the 80 Plus categories.90Plus to become new power supply standard in next 3-5 years, says Delta executive Kung-Tien Huang, Taipei; Steve Shen, DIGITIMES [Friday 18 April 2008]
Code: Select all
Parameters Load@ 80 Plus Bronze Silver Gold 90 Plus
20% 80% 82% 85% 87% 90%
Efficiency 50% 80% 85% 88% 90% 90%
100% 80% 82% 85% 87% 90%
These days everything is 'ultra' or 'platinum' or 'extreme'... I much rather put 80plus on my psu box than '80plus bronze' .. which sounds inferior!
I'm very surprised at these names, from a marketing POV they suck!
Bronze - 80 plus ultra
Silver - 80 plus ultra extreme
gold - 80 plus ultra extreme deluxe hardcore..
Or what is wrong with Enermax.. 82+ ,87+ .. higher number, good marketing..
But i'm just an engineer..
I'm very surprised at these names, from a marketing POV they suck!
Bronze - 80 plus ultra
Silver - 80 plus ultra extreme
gold - 80 plus ultra extreme deluxe hardcore..
Or what is wrong with Enermax.. 82+ ,87+ .. higher number, good marketing..
But i'm just an engineer..
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not ignoring those loads either...
I just would like to see the main certification label have a number that directly correlates to the PSU's efficiency - not just an Olympic medal standing.
How about listing the efficiency range on the certification's logo?
80/80 with black color label
82/85 with bronze color label
85/88 with silver
87/90 with gold
90/90 with holographic chroma flair rainbow paisley label
I just would like to see the main certification label have a number that directly correlates to the PSU's efficiency - not just an Olympic medal standing.
How about listing the efficiency range on the certification's logo?
80/80 with black color label
82/85 with bronze color label
85/88 with silver
87/90 with gold
90/90 with holographic chroma flair rainbow paisley label
Um, I see rising prices in the very near future!
What better way to drive up the demand, and thus the prices of PSU's by starting the old numbers game...
I mean, look what it's done for the CPU market!
I mean, look what it's done for the CPU market!
I found a 90Plus PSU here, in french.
Translation.
Probably not even close to go retail, and maybe not even real. The strange thing is that's called 90Plus Gold, that's just confusing.
Translation.
Probably not even close to go retail, and maybe not even real. The strange thing is that's called 90Plus Gold, that's just confusing.
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I'm wondering if that's just marketing double-speak going on. a) There is no such thing as 90plus (that I know of) so in theory, they could just be making it up as it sounds better than 80plus. b) The little label on the window only says "Meet Energy Star 80 plus program criterion". Doesn't say anything about 80plus bronze/silver/gold. c) 800/1100 watts.... Ug.
I'm going to remain skeptical on this one for the moment until there's more info.
I'm going to remain skeptical on this one for the moment until there's more info.