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.
Cybenetics Efficiency
Cybenetics Efficiency is a power supply unit (PSU) energy efficiency certification system that serves as an alternative to the 80 PLUS standard. It is more accurate as it considers efficiency at various load levels (10%, 20%, 50%, 100%) and at different input voltages (115V, 230V). The labeling of this system is identical to 80 PLUS:
Bronze — overall efficiency from 82% to 85% at 115V input voltage and from 84% to 87% at 230V;
Silver — 85 – 87% and 87 – 89% respectively;
Gold — from 87% to 89% (115V) and from 89% to 91% (230V);
Platinum — 89 – 91% at 115V and 91 – 93% at 230V;
Titanium — 91 – 93% (115V) and 93 – 95% (230V);
Diamond — ≥ 93/95%.
Cybenetics Noise
The Cybenetics Lambda certification system evaluates the noise level of power supplies (PSU), providing consumers with information about their acoustic characteristics. As a result, you can rely not only on the efficiency of the power supply but also on its noisiness. There are the following Cybenetics Lambda certification levels:
Standard — from 40 dB(A) to 45 dB(A) – noticeable noise;
Standard+ — from 35 dB(A) to 40 dB(A) – distinct noise;
Standard++ — from 30 dB(A) to 35 dB(A) – moderate noise;
A- — from 25 dB(A) to 30 dB(A) – moderately quiet;
A — from 20 dB(A) to 25 dB(A) – quiet;
A+ — from 15 dB(A) to 20 dB(A) – very quiet;
A++ — less than 15 dB(A) – virtually silent.
SATA
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.
+3.3V +5V
The maximum power that the PSU is capable of delivering on the + 3.3V and + 5V power lines.
See "Maximum current and power" for details on power lines in general. Here we note that the power lines + 3.3V and + 5V are used both in the general connector for the motherboard (for 20 or 24 pins), and in specialized plugs — in particular, the SATA power connector (both) and Molex (only +5V, in addition to +12V). The power of these lines is a rather specific parameter, rarely required in fact; it is usually the same for both voltages, so it is indicated in the general clause.
