效率始終是電源設計的主要目標，因為電力轉換過程中的損耗通常會增加額外成本。
大數的力量
In 2004, the US EPA’s ENERGY STAR programme estimated around 10 billion power supplies in use worldwide — across computers, servers, printers, televisions, phones and more. That predates smartphones and the connected-device era, so the figure today is far higher.
Efficiency back then was poor. The same assessment found many designs converting only 30 to 60% of the power they drew, and the prevailing industry design guide for PC power supplies required just 70% efficiency at 50% load.
Certified designs today are in a different class. 80 PLUS® Titanium requires 94% at 50% load on 115 V, and the newer Ruby tier 95%. Cybenetics Diamond, which averages efficiency across the full load range rather than fixed points, requires 95% or higher on 230 V. Seasonic’s PRIME ENTERPRISE RX-1600 is the first ATX power supply certified 80 PLUS® Ruby at 115 V and 230 V.
At the same 50% load point, that is 70% to 95% in twenty years. Across billions of units, that difference is a substantial amount of electricity no longer lost as heat.
認證的發展歷程
Until the early 2000s, power supplies had no efficiency certification, and it was not until 2004 that the first initiative to create an efficiency standard emerged.
The 80 PLUS® program was created in 2004 by Ecos Consulting, an energy efficiency firm, and is today administered by CLEAResult, which acquired the program through Ecos’s successor company.
Sea Sonic partnered with Ecos Consulting at the time to work out uniform efficiency standards, and in 2005 became the first manufacturer to bring the world’s first 80 PLUS® certified PC power supply to market (the Seasonic SS-400HT). Since then, 80 PLUS® certified power supplies have become a de facto component in PC systems.
理解效率
效能認證有助於消費者了解電源供應器的效能表現。
效率百分比是透過輸出功率除以輸入功率得出；此數值越高，表示電源供應器的效能越佳。轉換過程中損失的輸入功率會轉化為熱能。
Higher-efficiency power supplies often require more advanced designs and components. However, an 80 PLUS® rating specifically certifies energy efficiency, not overall build quality. During certification, the power supply is tested at several load levels, including 100% of its rated output, to verify its efficiency under the defined test conditions.
Cybenetics
Cybenetics 個人電腦硬體測試與認證公司。其創立宗旨在於革新電源供應器的測試與比較方式，使終端使用者能更清晰地了解為系統選購的電源產品。
測量的的重要性
The basic test methodology is that Seasonic doesn’t take only three or four measurements to define the efficiency or noise output of a PSU. On the contrary, it is applied more than 1450 different load combinations, starting from a minimal load and up to a full one; we get the average efficiency and noise readings, which define the PSU’s efficiency and noise ratings.
This provides Seasonic with a complete operational map of the PSU, allowing us to evaluate not only efficiency and noise, but also voltage regulation, ripple, and other important performance data.
| 效率等級（115V輸入） | 效率 (1) (2) | Pf (3) | 5Vsb 效率 (1) (3) (4) | 吸血鬼電力 (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 鑽石 | ≥93% overall efficiency | ≥0.985 | >79% | <0.10 W |
 Titanium | ≥91% & <93% overall efficiency | ≥0.980 | >77% | <0.13 W |
 Platinum | ≥89% & <91% overall efficiency | ≥0.975 | >76% | <0.16 W |
 Gold | ≥87% & <89% overall efficiency | ≥0.970 | >75% | <0.19 W |
 銀 | ≥85% & <87% overall efficiency | ≥0.960 | >73% | <0.22 W |
 青銅 | ≥82% & <85% overall efficiency | ≥0.950 | >71% | <0.25 W |
| Efficiency Levels (230V inputs) | 效率 (1) (2) | Pf (3) | 5Vsb 效率 (1) (3) (4) | 吸血鬼電力 (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鑽石 | ≥95% overall efficiency | ≥0.950 | >78% | <0.12 W |
| Titanium | ≥93% & <95% overall efficiency | ≥0.940 | >76% | <0.15 W |
| Platinum | ≥91% & <93% overall efficiency | ≥0.935 | >75% | <0.18 W |
| Gold | ≥89% & <91% overall efficiency | ≥0.930 | >74% | <0.20 W |
| 銀 | ≥87% & <89% overall efficiency | ≥0.920 | >72% | <0.23 W |
| 青銅 | ≥84% & <87% overall efficiency | ≥0.910 | >70% | <0.25 W |
Cybenetics 全面且現代的方法論
- 無限制的樣本測量次數
- High ambient temperature
- 5VSB 量測
- 待機功耗測量
- 現代設備報告
- 右側效率徽章
80 PLUS®
80 PLUS® offers seven different efficiency certifications
| 80 PLUS | 115 V 內建非冗餘電源 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 PLUS | 5% | 10% | 20% | 50% | 100% |
 80 PLUS | - | - | 80% | 80% | 80% PFC ≥ 0.90 |
 80 PLUS | - | - | 82% | 85% PFC ≥ 0.90 | 82% |
 80 PLUS | - | - | 85% | 88% PFC ≥ 0.90 | 85% |
 80 PLUS Gold | - | - | 87% | 90% PFC ≥ 0.90 | 87% |
 80 PLUS Platinum | - | - | 90% | 92% PFC ≥ 0.95 | 89% |
 80 PLUS Titanium | - | 90% | 92% PFC ≥ 0.95 | 94% | 90% |
 80 PLUS Ruby | 85% | 91% | 93% PFC ≥ 0.95 | 95% | 91% |
| 80 PLUS | 230 V 內部非冗餘 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80 PLUS | 5% | 10% | 20% | 50% | 100% |
| 80 PLUS | - | - | 82% | 85% PFC ≥ 0.90 | 82% |
| 80 PLUS | - | - | 85% | 88% PFC ≥ 0.90 | 85% |
| 80 PLUS | - | - | 87% | 90% PFC ≥ 0.90 | 87% |
| 80 PLUS Gold | - | - | 90% | 92% PFC ≥ 0.90 | 89% |
| 80 PLUS Platinum | - | - | 92% | 94% PFC ≥ 0.95 | 90% |
| 80 PLUS Titanium | - | 90% | 93% PFC ≥ 0.95 | 95% | 91% |
| 80 PLUS Ruby | 85% | 91% | 94% PFC ≥ 0.95 | 96% | 92% |