Do you really need a 80+ power supply?

[Recon]

Is it a big deal to have a 80+ rating for you power supply unit? I am building a desktop next month and have a psu picked out that is 480W for $17.99 but its not 80+ or semi/fully modular. According to pcpartpicker.com the rig i have picked out has an estimated wattage of 130W. So that being said do I really need an expensive 80+ PSU? If so, why? If not then let me know. Thanks.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Messaggio originale di Ekkusubokkusu konturrora:

is saving $20 worth giving up stuff like this?

10 Year Warranty and unparalleled EVGA Customer Support

Heavy-duty protections, including OVP (Over Voltage Protection), UVP (Under Voltage Protection), OCP (Over Current Protection), OPP (Over Power Protection), SCP (Short Circuit Protection), and OTP (Over Temperature Protection)

^ That's what I never understood. In the end you are attempting to save 10-20 $ at the risk of setting fire or simply causing premature failure to your hundreds of dollars worth of hardware in your PC. It is NOT worth it.

Everything your hardware does, is doing that based on the power flow. If the PSU is poor, the entire PC is also poor at best... think about it.

[Monk]

the really cheap psu's mean they are so cheaply made that they wont pass the VERY l;eniant really 80+ standard rating, as such, they are really bad, i own ONE very cheap psu, it cost me about £12 on amazon, it is scary how badly made it is, it feels like a damn toy, the wires are so thin its a joke and i would genuinely be scared to actually use it in a system.

as it is, i bought it for 1 job, to power and bleed my custom loop, as i didnt feel like having my good kikt rapidly switched on and off over 2 days, and you know what, even at this job it fails, if i catch the cables wrong, it shuts off!!!

there are plenty of 'good' cheap power supplies around for very little extra than these ultra cheap pos', dont risk your system or home for the sake of saving a tenner.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

And a "cheap" 550W is NOT going to be nearly as reliable either; but that is just assuming it doesn't just go up in smoke or flames at some point.

You see many people in various forums such as even this one, people saying "Why is my stuff crashing or PC powering off, my hardware is good" The answer is usually the user has a poor PSU that does not have the capabilities of maintaining good power with the CPU + GPU at their max loads.

It's one reason why every PC I build, must pass a stress test of the CPU + GPU + RAM being maxed out for an entire 72 hour non-stop period before it's shipped out.

[igloosfolly]

Buy whatever is on sale for sixty bucks you will be fine. For 85 you get better cables most of the time. Diablotek now those babys catch on fire still see one every now and then on flea bay.

[Dr. Fronkensteen]

Why do so many people think 80+ certifications have anything to do with safety/quality? They are simply a measure of Efficiency.

That said. Do try to stick to well known/highly rated brands op.

[igloosfolly]

Cause they named em bronze,silver,gold and platnium like the stars you get on papers in the first grade. :D

[Astraea Kisaragi]

A better rated PSU wil also save energy, so compared non-80 it will eventually get back the cost.
Unless your country has free electricity, its a no-brainer.

Noname brand have often a tendency to put on it certifcations which they dont even have.

[Hare+Guu!]

Never skimp on psu. At the very least check a psu tier list from various hardware sites. Most of the top ones cost $80-100.

[Talby]

Messaggio originale di Bake-N-Cake:

Is it a big deal to have a 80+ rating for you power supply unit? I am building a desktop next month and have a psu picked out that is 480W for $17.99 but its not 80+ or semi/fully modular. According to pcpartpicker.com the rig i have picked out has an estimated wattage of 130W. So that being said do I really need an expensive 80+ PSU? If so, why? If not then let me know. Thanks.

One of the best benefits of having an 80+ unit, it will have PFC (power factor correction) which benefits your entire AC network. Good info on that here[en.wikipedia.org] (and the following sections toward the end of the page). It also sets a standard to meet at the very least, the majority of non PFC units tend to use lower quality components and also more likely be rated at peak power just to meet the absolute minimum requirements.

[OLDMAN]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOXTZizoknc