Comparison be quiet! Pure Power 12 BP004 vs be quiet! Pure Power 12 M BN344

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").

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%.

The Cybenetics Lambda Certification System evaluates the noise levels of power supply units (PSUs), providing consumers with information about their acoustic characteristics. As a result, you can rely not only on the efficiency of the PSU but also on its noise level. Cybenetics Lambda certification levels include:

Standard — from 40 dB(A) to 45 dB(A) – noticeable noise;

Standard+ — from 35 dB(A) to 40 dB(A) – noticeable 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) – nearly silent.

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.

Number of 8-pin PCIe power connectors (6+2) provided in the PSU design.

Additional PCIe power connectors (of all formats) are used for additional power to types of internal peripherals that require more than the 75W supplied directly through the PCIe slot on the motherboard (a typical example is graphics cards). In PC components, there are two types of such connectors — 6-pin, providing up to 75W of additional power, and 8-pin, giving up to 150W. The 8-pin (6+2) connectors 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 connector is the most popular in modern PSUs.

As for the quantity, there are models on sale with 1 PCIe 8-pin (6+2) connector, 2 such connectors, 3 connectors, 4 connectors, and in some cases — 6 or more. Several of these connectors can be useful, for example, when connecting multiple graphics cards — or for a powerful high-performance video adapter equipped with multiple additional PCIe power connectors.

The cable system used in the power supply. According to this parameter, modular, semi- modular and non-modular devices are distinguished, here are their features:

— Not modular. The classic version of the design, used in computer power supplies from the very beginning and not losing popularity to this day. The wires in such systems have a non-detachable design, and additional cables are not provided for connection. As a result, the user has to deal with only those cables that the manufacturer provided, without the ability to remove or replace them (the only modifications available are the installation of additional accessories such as an extension cord or splitter). Because of this, such PSUs are less convenient than modular and semi-modular ones: their wires are often excessively long, and some of them are not used at all, while such an “economy” further clutters up the case, worsening air circulation and cooling efficiency. On the other hand, these shortcomings can be reduced to almost zero with careful selection of the PSU and careful wiring; and non-modular systems themselves are distinguished by reliability and at the same time low cost. It is because of these features that they are most common nowadays.

— Modular. Systems in which each cable is made detachable; special sockets are used for fastening wires. Thanks to this design, you can optimally organize the space inside the PC —...for example, remove unnecessary wires so that they do not interfere with air circulation in the system unit; replace a cable that is too long with a shorter wire (or vice versa); swap cables, etc. At the same time, modular systems are noticeably more expensive than non-modular ones, while they are considered somewhat less reliable due to the presence of "weak points" in the form of removable cable mounts.

— Semi-modular. A kind of compromise between the options described above: some of the wires in such power supplies are made non-removable, some are equipped with modular mounts. This makes it possible to partially combine the advantages and compensate for the disadvantages of the two systems: semi-modular PSUs are less expensive and more reliable than modular ones, and at the same time more convenient than non-modular ones. Usually, in systems of this type, the most important wires have a non-removable design, which are almost guaranteed to be used when assembling a PC, and secondary cables are equipped with removable mounts and can be removed if not needed. However, the specific features of a semi-modular PSU should be specified separately.

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.

The maximum current the PSU can deliver on the first +12V power line.

For more information on power lines in general, see the "+3.3V" section. Here, it is worth mentioning that 12V is the most popular voltage among computer power connectors. It is used in almost all such connectors (with few exceptions), and some plugs (for example, additional PCI-E power with 6 or 8 connectors) use only 12-volt lines — specifically in the +12V format. The division of +12V power into several separate lines is done for safety reasons — to reduce the current going through each individual wire and thus prevent excessive load and overheating of the wiring. However, some manufacturers do not specify the maximum current for individual +12V lines and provide only the overall value in the specifications; in such cases, this number is indicated in this section.