Comparison Gamemax GM Series GM-500 vs PrologiX PSS PSS-400

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 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 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 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 6-pin (6pin) PCI-E power connectors provided in the power supply.

Such connectors are used for additional power supply of 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). The 6-pin connector on the power supply additionally provides another 75 W — thus, when using this connector, it becomes possible to connect boards with a power consumption of up to 150 W.

Note that some video cards have several connectors for additional power at once. Thus, the PSU can provide both one PCI-E 6pin plug, and two such connectors. However, in general, this type of plug is used quite rarely — this is due to the spread of a more convenient and versatile 8pin connector in the “6 + 2” format, which can be used both as six- and eight-pin (see below for more details).

The maximum values of current and power that the PSU can provide on individual power lines.

The power line can be simply described as a pair of contacts for connecting a particular load; one of these contacts is “ground” (with zero voltage), and the second has a certain voltage with a plus or minus sign, this voltage corresponds to the voltage of the power line. In this paragraph, it is + 3.3V (such power is present in 20- and 24-pin connectors for motherboards, in SATA power connectors and some other types of connectors).

In general, power and currents are rather specific parameters that the average user rarely needs — mainly when connecting high-power components such as video cards, as well as when starting a PSU without a computer to power other electronics (for example, amateur radio stations). It is also worth mentioning that the sum of the maximum powers on all lines can be higher than the total output power of the PSU — this means that all lines cannot operate at full power at the same time. Accordingly, when the PSU is fully loaded, some of them will produce less power than the maximum possible.

The maximum current that the PSU is capable of issuing + 5V to the power line. For more information about power lines in general, see "+3.3V". Also note here that + 5V power, in addition to connectors for motherboards (for 20 and 24 pins), is also found in Molex and SATA plugs, as well as some other specific types of connectors.