Cooling system
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Active cooling system. Uses a fan that constantly operates to remove heat from internal components. Unlike passive cooling, the active system provides better heat dissipation and stability under high loads, preventing overheating. However, it creates noise. To eliminate this, fans in such power supplies can have dynamic speed control (AFC – Automatic Fan Control), reducing speed at low power consumption.
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Semi-passive. Active cooling systems with automatic fan shutdown in situations where the load on the power supply is low and heat generation is reduced. Let us remind you that systems of this type are more efficient than passive ones, but they consume additional energy and create noise during operation. Accordingly, at low loads, when intensive cooling is not required, it is wiser to turn off the fans — this saves energy and reduces the noise level.
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Passive(radiators). Compared to fans, radiators have a number of advantages: for example, they do not create any noise and do not require their own power supply (thus reducing overall energy consumption). On the other hand, they are significantly less efficient, as a result — the power of power supplies with passive cooling does not exceed 600 W. In addition, such power supplies are quite expensive.
Braided wires
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.
Manufacturer's warranty
Manufacturer's warranty provided for this model.
In fact, this is the minimum service life promised by the manufacturer, subject to the rules of operation. There are both models with a small
warranty up to 3 years, and more advanced power supplies, in which the warranty can reach
7,
10 years and even
12 years. In general
, a 5-year warranty(for example) does not mean that the device will fail after the specified time. Most often, the actual service life of the device is much longer than the guaranteed one.
Specific warranty periods may vary even for similar drives from the same manufacturer. So not
Lighting
The power supply has its own
backlight. This function does not affect the technical characteristics, its role is purely aesthetic, and therefore it is worth paying attention to power supplies with backlight, first of all, for those who care about the individual design of their own PC. Note that the specific functionality of the backlight may be different. The simplest systems are single-colour, more expensive solutions may provide several colour options, and the most advanced type of backlight in this regard is RGB, with the ability to select almost any shade at the request of the user. In addition, some systems are able to synchronize with the backlight of other PC components; See "Light Timing" below for more on this.
