Comparison Seasonic Vertex GX Vertex GX-850 vs Seasonic FOCUS GX FOCUS GX-850

— 1 fan. The most common option. The power of such a system is quite enough to cool the power supplies, including Above average and relatively inexpensive. On the other hand, fan operation creates noticeable noise, especially in low-cost power supplies with small diameter fans (see "Fan Diameter").

— 2 fans. The second fan is usually installed in powerful power supplies, for which the power of one fan is not enough. The price for such efficiency, in addition to increased cost, is an increased noise level.

— to Semi-passive cooling. A function that allows you automatically turn off the PSU cooling system in situations where the load on the power supply is low and heat dissipation is reduced. It is found only in models with active cooling. Recall that systems of this type are more efficient than passive ones, but they consume additional energy and create noise during operation. Accordingly, at a light load, when intensive cooling is not required, it is more reasonable to turn off the fans — this saves energy and reduces the noise level.

— Passive(radiators). Compared to fans, heatsinks have a number of advantages: for example, they do not create noise at all and do not require their own power supply (thus reducing overall power consumption). On the other hand, they are much less efficient, as a result — the power...of power supplies with passive cooling does not exceed 600 watts. In addition, these PSUs are quite expensive.

The diameter of the fan(s) in the power supply cooling system.

The large diameter allows to achieve good efficiency at relatively low RPMs, which in turn reduces noise and power consumption. On the other hand, large fans are more expensive than small ones and take up a lot of space, which affects the dimensions of the entire PSU. We also emphasize that a small fan is not yet a sign of a cheap power supply — quite advanced models can also have such equipment, in order to reduce dimensions.

As for specific diameters, the smallest value that can be found in modern consumer-grade PSUs is 80 mm. The most popular option is 120 mm, this size gives good efficiency and a relatively low noise level at a reasonable price and dimensions. Larger diameters are somewhat less common — 135 mm and 140 mm.

A standard for power supplies that supplements the ATX specifications regarding power supply along the 12 V line. Introduced into use since the time of the Intel Pentium 4 processor. In the first series of the standard, the +5 V line was mainly used; from version 2.0, the +12 V line was introduced to fully power the components computer. Also in the second generation, a 24-pin power connector appeared, used in most modern motherboards.

The number of SATA power connectors provided in the PSU.

Nowadays, SATA is the standard interface for connecting internal hard drives, and it is also found in other types of drives (SSD, SSHD, etc.). Such an interface consists of a data connector connected to the motherboard, and a power connector connected to the PSU. Accordingly, in this paragraph we are talking about the number of SATA power plugs provided in the PSU. This number corresponds to the number of SATA drives that can be simultaneously powered from this model.

The number of Molex (IDE) connectors provided in the design of the power supply.

Initially, such a connector was intended to power peripherals for the IDE interface, primarily hard drives. And although the IDE itself is completely obsolete today and is not used in new components, however, the Molex power connector continues to be installed in power supplies, and almost without fail. Almost any modern PSU has at least 1 – 2 of these connectors, and in high-end models this number can be 7 or more. This situation is due to the fact that Molex IDE is a fairly universal standard, and with the help of the simplest adapters, components with a different power interface can be powered from it. For example, there are Molex - SATA adapters for drives, Molex - 6 pin for video cards, etc.

The number of PCI-E 8pin (6+2) power connectors provided in the PSU design.

Additional PCI-E power connectors (all formats) are used to additionally power those types of internal peripherals for which 75 W is no longer enough, supplied directly through the PCI-E socket on the motherboard (video cards are a typical example). In PC components, there are two types of such connectors — 6pin, providing up to 75 W of additional power, and 8pin, giving up to 150 W. And the 8pin (6 + 2) plugs used in power supplies are universal: they can work with both 6-pin and 8-pin connectors on the expansion board. Therefore, this type of plug is the most popular in modern PSUs.

As for the quantity, on the market you can find models for 1 PCI-E 8pin (6 + 2) connector, for 2 such connectors, for 4 connectors, and in some cases — for 6 or more. Several of these plugs can be useful, for example, when connecting several video cards — or for a powerful high-performance video adapter equipped with several PCI-E additional power connectors.

the 16-pin PCI-E power connector is designed to replace the existing 8-pin counterparts. It consists of twelve lines for current supply and four more for data transmission. The connector provides up to 600 W of additional power, which is a fourfold increase in power compared to 8-pin versions of the interface. Additional PCI-E connectors of all formats are used to power those types of internal peripherals that are no longer enough with 75 W supplied directly through the PCI-E socket on the motherboard.

The presence of at least one Floppy power connector in the PSU.

Initially, this connector was intended to power floppy disk drives, hence the name. It is also known under the designation "mini-Molex". Anyway, this standard is generally considered obsolete, but it is still used by some specific types of components, and therefore continues to be used in power supplies.

The presence of a braid in the complete wires of the system unit — for all or at least for some.

This feature has a positive effect on reliability, making the wire as resistant as possible to bending, abrasion, strong pressure and other similar influences; it also provides additional protection against accidental contact with sharp objects (for example, when repairing a PC). The disadvantages of braided wires, in addition to increased cost, are also increased thickness and greater rigidity than similar cables in conventional insulation. This can create some difficulties in organizing space inside the system unit.