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The output power of the power supply, in other words, is the maximum power that it is capable of delivering to the system. For the computer to operate efficiently, the power supply must be greater than the total power consumption of the system at maximum load. The latter can be calculated by summing the power of individual components, however, in general, for office configurations , about 400 W — 450 W is considered sufficient, for medium gaming — about 600 W( 500 W, 550 W, 650 W, 700 W, 750 W), and for the top ones — power of 800 W and above ( 850 W, 1000 W and even more than 1 kW).

Efficiency, in this case — the ratio of the power of the power supply (see "Power") to its power consumption. The higher the efficiency, the more efficient the power supply, the less energy it consumes from the network at the same output power, and the cheaper it is to operate. Efficiency may differ depending on the load; the characteristics can indicate both the minimum efficiency and its value at an average load (50%).

It should be noted that compliance with one or another level of 80PLUS efficiency directly depends on this indicator (for more details, see "Certificate").

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.

The presence or absence of an 80+ certificate for the power supply. This certificate indicates high energy efficiency: to obtain it, the efficiency (see above) must be at least 80%, and in different modes (20%, 50% and 100% of the maximum load). There are several degrees of 80+:

— 80+. The original version of the certificate, assuming an efficiency of at least 82% (at least 85% for 50% load).

— 80+ White. The second name of the original 80+ certificate (see above).

— 80+ Bronze — efficiency not less than 85% (for half load — 88%).

— 80+ Silver — respectively 87% (90% for half load).

— 80+ Gold — 89% (92% for half load)

— 80+ Platinum — 90% (94% for half load).

— 80+ Titanium — 94% (96% for half load).

The power factor (see "PFC Type") must be at least 0.9 for the lower levels and at least 0.95 for the Platinum level. Also note that for redundant power used in server systems, the efficiency requirements are somewhat lower.

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 version of the EPS12V standard that the power supply complies with. The EPS12V standard was created primarily for high consumption PCs (with a power of more than 700 W, see "Power") and entry-level servers. Such power supplies have a 24-pin plug for the motherboard and an 8-pin processor power connector (sometimes more than one, see “MB / CPU Power” for more details). They are also more reliable than ATX12V. They are compatible with most ATX standard motherboards, however, in older motherboards, there may be problems with matching connectors, so this issue should be clarified separately (however, to solve this problem, in some power supplies, parts of the plugs are made removable, which allows them to be reduced if necessary to the dimensions of the connectors on the motherboard).

The number and type of connectors provided in the PSU to power the motherboard or processor.

This parameter is written as the sum of several numbers, for example, "24+4". The first number in such an entry means the number of contacts in the connector for powering the motherboard; in the vast majority of cases, this is just 24, since modern motherboards use a 24-pin connector as standard. The second number describes the socket for powering the processor; most entry-level and mid-range CPUs use 4-pin power, but powerful chips may require 8-pin power. There can be several 4- or 8-pin connectors — based on powerful high consumption processors.

A separate case is the blocks of the "24 (20 + 4)" format. They have two separate plugs — 20 pin and 4 pin, which allows you to power both 24-pin motherboards and older 20-pin motherboards from such power supplies. At the same time, such models do not provide a separate power supply for CPU — it is powered only through the socket, and the 4-pin plug cannot be connected to any other components except the motherboard.

Now on the market there are PSUs with such power supply for the motherboard: 24 pin (20+4), 24+4 pin, 24+8(4+4) pin, 24+8+8(4+4) pin.

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.