Power supplies may seem trivial and insignificant, yet they are one of the components that enable you to turn on and run your system. Without them, you cannot even boot your system. Being the only source of power, they are just as critical to your system’s smooth performance as your motherboard or processor. Ignoring them, therefore, could lead to a disaster waiting to happen, especially when it comes to a server, which is the only part of your network that is responsible for data flow and interaction between client devices.
In order for your system to function well, the power supply you pick must deliver the right amount of voltage to each component. Overvoltage can result in a short circuit or, if worse comes to worst, the breakdown of the entire system. There are several things to keep in mind when buying a power supply for a server. Not only that, with a huge variety, it’s also important to understand the distinctive features the most common types have.
The performance of your server depends on your power supply. You should, therefore, be just as prudent when buying a power supply as you are when purchasing a motherboard or processor. The best power supply is defined to be the one that protects your system should something go wrong with your mains or any of your system’s components. It cannot be classified as the best one if it lacks this ability.
If you are, however, are a busy bee or the type that doesn’t want to take trouble for everything, we’ve rustled up a quick, step-by-step guide for you.
Hold on a sec!
A question before we proceed: What is a server power supply, and how is it different from a PC power supply? The simple answer is it is more robust and has a higher wattage capacity, as it bears the load of the entire network. A server power supply’s specifications are higher than those of a PC power supply.
Let’s now move to our guide. Please note that these are general guidelines that should help you buy the right unit for your system, whether it is a PC or a server. You should, however, always evaluate the specific requirements of your system to find the best compatible device. There are various online tools available to help you determine your system’s compatibility.
How to Pick the Right Power Supply
Following are the three major aspects of a power supply you should take into account when on the lookout for the best power supply.
Wattage Capacity: You don’t want to waste your money on something you won’t utilize. You should carefully assess your system’s wattage needs and select a capacity that meets them. Getting a bit higher is a good idea, but going too high is a waste of money. If your system requires 450 watts, for example, a 550 or even 650-watt power supply is a smart choice. An 850-watt unit, on the other hand, would be excessive.
Form Factor: Most common desktop PC chassis can easily accommodate an ATX power supply. High-wattage units, on the other hand, are bigger than the industry norm of 5.5 inches. As a result, double-check the size compatibility box on your shopping list. An SFX power supply, which is smaller and more compact, may be required for a slim or tiny chassis.
Design: You should also think about the design. [Note that when we say “design,” we’re referring to the architecture of the unit, and not the aesthetics.] You don’t want a clutter of cables or obstructed airflow. Your performance will always be hampered by a messy setup.
If your chassis is spacious and doesn’t have a window or glass wall, you can tie the cables you don’t need and stash them behind your motherboard. If not, a modular power supply is worth the extra money.
Another Important Consideration: Efficiency
Now that we know what we need to take care of when buying a power supply, let’s shed some light on another important aspect of power supplies: efficiency. If you have an experience of buying an automobile, you must remember asking your dealer a common question: “How many miles per gallon will this one get?” Although power supplies don’t use fuel, they also have efficiency.
The term efficiency refers to the relation between power consumption and power production. The more efficient a power supply is, the less power it needs to produce a required amount. A power supply’s efficiency is measured in terms of how much AC (or, in some circumstances, DC) input power is required to generate a required amount of output power.
For example, a power supply that consumes 750 watts to produce 600 watts would be rated at 80% efficiency (i.e., 600/750 = 0.8). The remaining 15 watts would be wasted in the form of heat. Therefore, the less efficient a power supply is, the more heat loss it results in.
Apart from the additional cost of the electricity consumed to generate this lost energy, another disadvantage of an inefficient power supply is that this heat must be accounted for: cooling equipment will be required to dissipate it.
This example, however, holds true in an ideal setting, and since we don’t have some Star Trek-style super-efficiency, things aren’t always so simple. When it comes to the output range of a power supply, its efficiency isn’t linear or flat. When most power supplies are operating at the top limits of their capacity, they are at their most efficient. This means that an 800-watt power supply delivering 400 watts of output power (at 50% capacity) will be less efficient than a 500-watt power supply delivering the same 400 watts (80% capacity).
A computer may operate in a number of modes, from standby to full speed and all in between. It will use the least amount of power while left idle on the desktop, more when used casually, and the most when completely loaded (3D graphics or intense computing). Hence, we shouldn’t make any assumptions about power usage consistency. Instead, at least two states must be considered: idle and full. Now let’s have a look at the efficiency of our 600W PSU under various loads.
So, what exactly occurred? Our ideal, straightforward explanation looks to have twisted out of shape. The PSU obtains maximal efficiency at 50 percent of its nominal capacity, as seen in the graph.
Now, a keen observer may argue that just increasing the output of the power source would solve the problem. While this is correct in theory, our helpful companion ignores one important point: idle mode. Most power supplies give trouble at this stage. Their efficiency plunges to 50 or 60 percent, if not less, when their load goes below 10%. Ironically, the power-saving technologies integrated into today’s components are worsening the situation. A powerful system with a capable graphics card can use as little as 65W while idle, but up to 500W when under stress. For this reason, you need to make sure the PSU isn’t overworked or underworked.
Let’s now assume our 600W PSU is supplying 65W to the system. How efficient is it now?
65/600 * 100% = 10.83%
However, if the PSU were 68% efficient, let’s see how much power it would consume to produce the same amount of power (i.e., 65W).
65/68 * 100 = 95.5
As you can see, if the PSU were rated at 68 percent efficiency, it would require far less power from the wall than when it were just 10.83 percent efficient.
Now, re-examine the diagram above. It displays two efficiency curves, one for a low-cost power supply and the other for a high-cost power supply. The low-cost PSU turns out to be a big power hog while the system is inactive, resulting in a larger long-term power bill.
This is, once again, only a hypothetical situation. We want to show you what happens in a real-life situation. As it turns out, we can easily account for the impact of efficiency on our calculations. Oh, and proving that low-cost power sources are often far more expensive in the long run than you may anticipate is just as easy.
However, please note that while efficiency is an important factor to consider, there’s more to a power supply than meets the eye. You can pick a power supply that is the right size and runs at maximum efficiency by precisely calculating the power consumption of your server system.
Cumulative energy losses from numerous servers running inefficient power supply setups may be considerable in enterprise-level data centers. It helps to pre-configure and measure your actual system under stress to get the most accurate measurement possible. For many clients, however, this technique is unworkable since it requires acquiring, setting, and running each component of the server system. As a result, some consumers who lack the resources to do such testing may find themselves with a power supply that has an unnecessarily higher wattage capacity.
Architecture
There are three main designs that power supplies come in: modular, semi-modular, and non-modular.
Modular Power Supplies
A modular power supply uses detachable cables as well as extra sockets to support efficient cable management, which is important for maintaining a desirable airflow across the unit. You don’t end up with a clutter of cables; you can just use the cables you need. Although they are the most expensive type, they are worth the extra dollars given the huge list of benefits they offer.
Semi-Modular Power Supplies
Semi-modular power supplies, as you might already have guessed from the name, have some but not all wires hardwired. Your major wires, such as the 24-pin, 8-pin CPU, and a PCIe cable, are all linked to one circuit board in a semi-modular power supply. Your modular choices include your SATA cables and, sometimes, an extra PCIe cable, in addition to the dedicated connections.
Semi-modular PSUs are an excellent way to cut costs on a fresh construction. You won’t have to worry about unused wires with these semi-modular PSUs because you’ll be plugging in most of the crucial pre-attached cables. It’s worth mentioning that braided cables aren’t entirely compatible with a semi-modular PSU, so keep that in mind if you’re thinking about obtaining cable modifications.
Non-Modular Power Supplies
Non-modular power supplies are similar to other power supplies in appearance and function, with the exception that the wires are all connected to a single circuit board inside. This reduces the cost of these unsightly components by speeding up production. These power supplies are common in budget setups, and although they do perform a good job of powering your system, the tangle of cords could give you sore eyes. The last thing you want is dust-covered wires all over your PC casing.
If you’re on a shoestring budget or constructing a system in a case with no windows, a non-modular PSU will suffice. However, be aware that the cables may collect dust, and the ventilation within the case will be compromised, putting additional strain on your components.
Redundant Power Supplies
A redundant power supply could be described as a backup supply. If your primary supply fails for whatever reason, it will step in to give full power to the system, ensuring that there is no downtime. If your system has two identical redundant power supplies installed, the power supply configuration can be adjusted to redundant (1 + 1) mode. To improve efficiency, power is provided to the system evenly from both power supplies in redundant mode. The power supply arrangement is non-redundant (1 + 0) when just one power supply is fitted. The system is powered only by a single power supply.
However, please note that every server is different when it comes to redundant power supplies. Some people will utilize the primary power supply exclusively until it dies, at which time they will switch to the backup power supply. Others will strike a balance between the two in order to meet their energy requirements. It’s also possible to specify how the server should use the two power supplies in general.
Efficiency and Performance: The Two Go Hand in Hand
The efficiency rating of a power supply provides insight into how well it will operate. Nevertheless, you should be aware that the server you use a power supply with has a considerable impact on its efficiency. One power supply can run at different efficiency levels in two different servers.
How to Find Out the Efficiency Level: 80 PLUS
Because of the importance of efficiency, a fair grading system has been developed: 80 PLUS. The “80 PLUS” rating of a power supply could mostly be found next to its precious metal. To receive an 80 PLUS certification, a power supply must be at least 80% efficient, meaning that no more than 20% of the power it consumes is lost as heat. The 80 Plus certification indicated their efficiency level.
80 PLUS Certification Categories: Titanium, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze
The fundamental definition of the 80 PLUS certification has been modified to include more severe efficiency standards. The four levels of certification (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) each have their own set of requirements. As a result, an “80 PLUS Gold” or “80 PLUS Platinum” certified power supply is more efficient than one that isn’t. The more complex circuitry necessary to reach those levels, on the other hand, generally comes at a higher price.
PSUs with a 115V input were first certified, but 230V certifications have recently been introduced, with stricter requirements, because energy losses are minimized at greater loads with this voltage input. In the table below, you’ll find the internal certifications for the 80 PLUS 230V EU.
Safety: Your Top Priority
System safety should be one of your main concerns, as it should be with anything that deals with large amounts of electricity. Fail-safes are built into the best power supplies not just to safeguard the PSU, but also to protect your system in the event of an accident such as a power surge.
The power supply and motherboard are the only system components that connect directly to nearly every other piece of hardware in your system. Make sure that the power supply you’re planning to buy has built-in safety measures, such as OVP (Over Voltage Protection). This feature shuts down the PSU immediately if an excessive voltage is detected. If you have power fluctuations, for example, short circuit protection is a valuable feature.
Here’s a table with the most commonly used safety systems in modern PSUs. You can prevent your equipment from breaking down prematurely by ensuring that these qualities are present with your power source.
Every decent power supply should contain a supervisor IC. Unfortunately, some companies continue to claim “short-circuit and surge protection” on super-cheap versions with a conventional fuse and Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV). While this combination may be logically valid, such a combination is certain to fail.
Capacitors and Fans
Capacitors serve an instrumental role in ensuring a power supply’s long-term reliability. The APFC cap must be of exceptional quality. Furthermore, the secondary-side electrolytic caps must come from a reputable supplier and be rated at 105°C, not 85°C.
In addition to decoupling, capacitors are built into PSUs to smooth out to ensure smooth voltage and reduced ripple. They can also retain voltage charge and prevent DC current from passing through them (coupling). In the APFC converter, electrolytic capacitors are used as reservoir caps, and electrolytic capacitors are also used on the secondary side of most power supplies. These caps contain electrolyte, a conducting liquid, as their name indicates. If the fluid is of low quality, the capacitor will soon lose its properties and, in the worst-case scenario, explode. Many of you may remember the capacitor crisis that hit a range of electrical devices from 1999 to 2007.
The quantity of electrolyte in a capacitor depletes over time due to evaporation. Additionally, the same material might be used to fix a damaged plate within the capacitor, depleting the material once again. When the quantity of electrolyte in the capacitor diminishes, its electrical properties naturally change, limiting its useful lifetime. Polymer aluminum capacitors overcome these problems by using a solid electrolyte as a dielectric between the plates.
So, why not use polymer capacitors exclusively to avoid the problems related to electrolytic capacitors? The main reason for this is that higher ESR electrolytic capacitors help to minimize unwanted oscillations, which can lead to instability. While low ESR is crucial in ripple filtering, it is not a good idea to reduce ESR in a power supply. This is why some re-cap efforts fail to meet expectations. Furthermore, the voltage rating of polymer capacitors is restricted. On the secondary side, this has no effect, but in the APFC converter, an electrolytic capacitor is necessary.
Fans, like capacitors, are important for maintaining the longevity of your power supply. There are several types of fan bearings, but three are the most common in modern power supply.
- Fans with sleeve bearings (30,000h lifetime)
- Fans with two ball bearings (40-50,000h lifetime)
- Fans with fluid dynamic bearings (FDB) and hydrodynamic bearings (HDB) (50-150,000h lifetime)
The best type is FDB, which produces less noise and has a long life. Double ball-bearing fans are also common in high-end PSUs due to their high quality. Meanwhile, low-cost power supplies frequently use sleeve-bearing fans. They aren’t suitable for horizontal installation because oil within the bearing travels to one of the shaft’s sides, resulting in non-uniform friction protection.
How to Calculate Your Wattage Requirements
When buying a new power supply, a common query is “How many watts would be enough?” And the answer is, “It depends on the unique requirements of your system.”
Server systems, on average, require more watts to operate. For a system with liquid cooling, a high-performance motherboard, and two GPUs, a high-power PSU is necessary.
With no knowledge of your hardware, it’s impossible to make a precise recommendation. However, you may get an estimate of how much power you’ll need by utilizing a power supply calculator [many vendors provide these] or estimating the specific amount of power consumed by each internal component of your system.
While there are numerous online calculators to help you figure out how much power your system would use, they all estimate the maximum requirement. They then use the information to create a (generous) prediction based on the peak efficiency of the PSU at 50 to 55 percent load. The downside is that this method overlooks usage when the machine is not in use, which is when efficiency is at its lowest.
The table below is meant to serve as a guide, demonstrating how much power a particular component is estimated to consume under certain loads. If you know the exact values for your components, plug them in and do the calculation instead.
Calculating the total consumption at idle and under load should be simple now that we know how much power each component consumes.
When evaluating higher-wattage power supplies, keep in mind that a 650-watt power supply does not use 650 watts by default. Regardless of the maximum production capability, if your system requires 400 watts, your power supply will deliver 400 watts. Increased power does not always imply increased energy consumption; it just indicates that the supply can provide more watts if necessary. However, having a high-wattage power supply is useless if your computer doesn’t require it, so you might be better off choosing a power supply that meets your wattage needs.
You also need to take into account your new power supply’s continuous vs. peak power capability. A power supply’s peak power is the maximum power it can deliver, whereas its continuous power is the number of watts it can deliver under normal conditions. When you strain your PC to its limitations, such as when playing high-end games or doing intensive computing, you’ll hit peak power.
If a requirement for additional watts arises, your power supply should be able to manage it for a short period of time, but it should not become the norm. Rather than depending just on peak power capabilities, ensure that the power supply you choose can generate enough continuous power.
Power Consumption
We’ll use four PSUs as an example for this section of the study: a cheap, strong unit (purple), an 80 PLUS-certified unit (blue), another 80 PLUS Bronze unit (orange-brown), and lastly an 80 PLUS Gold unit (yellow) capable of delivering between power 500W and 525W.
To ensure that our low-cost power supply could dependably achieve 500W, we have chosen a capacity of 750W. When we examine their efficiency curves for the same workload, we may find some substantial (and unwelcome) differences.
Power supplies may seem trivial and insignificant, yet they are one of the components that enable you to turn on and run your system. Without them, you cannot even boot your system. Being the only source of power, they are just as critical to your system’s smooth performance as your motherboard or processor. Ignoring them, therefore, could lead to a disaster waiting to happen, especially when it comes to a server, which is the only part of your network that is responsible for data flow and interaction between client devices.
In order for your system to function well, the power supply you pick must deliver the right amount of voltage to each component. Overvoltage can result in a short circuit or, if worse comes to worst, the breakdown of the entire system. There are several things to keep in mind when buying a power supply for a server. Not only that, with a huge variety, it’s also important to understand the distinctive features the most common types have.
The performance of your server depends on your power supply. You should, therefore, be just as prudent when buying a power supply as you are when purchasing a motherboard or processor. The best power supply is defined to be the one that protects your system should something go wrong with your mains or any of your system’s components. It cannot be classified as the best one if it lacks this ability.
If you are, however, are a busy bee or the type that doesn’t want to take trouble for everything, we’ve rustled up a quick, step-by-step guide for you.
Hold on a sec!
A question before we proceed: What is a server power supply, and how is it different from a PC power supply? The simple answer is it is more robust and has a higher wattage capacity, as it bears the load of the entire network. A server power supply’s specifications are higher than those of a PC power supply.
Let’s now move to our guide. Please note that these are general guidelines that should help you buy the right unit for your system, whether it is a PC or a server. You should, however, always evaluate the specific requirements of your system to find the best compatible device. There are various online tools available to help you determine your system’s compatibility.
How to Pick the Right Power Supply
Following are the three major aspects of a power supply you should take into account when on the lookout for the best power supply.
Wattage Capacity: You don’t want to waste your money on something you won’t utilize. You should carefully assess your system’s wattage needs and select a capacity that meets them. Getting a bit higher is a good idea, but going too high is a waste of money. If your system requires 450 watts, for example, a 550 or even 650-watt power supply is a smart choice. An 850-watt unit, on the other hand, would be excessive.
Form Factor: Most common desktop PC chassis can easily accommodate an ATX power supply. High-wattage units, on the other hand, are bigger than the industry norm of 5.5 inches. As a result, double-check the size compatibility box on your shopping list. An SFX power supply, which is smaller and more compact, may be required for a slim or tiny chassis.
Design: You should also think about the design. [Note that when we say “design,” we’re referring to the architecture of the unit, and not the aesthetics.] You don’t want a clutter of cables or obstructed airflow. Your performance will always be hampered by a messy setup.
If your chassis is spacious and doesn’t have a window or glass wall, you can tie the cables you don’t need and stash them behind your motherboard. If not, a modular power supply is worth the extra money.
Another Important Consideration: Efficiency
Now that we know what we need to take care of when buying a power supply, let’s shed some light on another important aspect of power supplies: efficiency. If you have an experience of buying an automobile, you must remember asking your dealer a common question: “How many miles per gallon will this one get?” Although power supplies don’t use fuel, they also have efficiency.
The term efficiency refers to the relation between power consumption and power production. The more efficient a power supply is, the less power it needs to produce a required amount. A power supply’s efficiency is measured in terms of how much AC (or, in some circumstances, DC) input power is required to generate a required amount of output power.
For example, a power supply that consumes 750 watts to produce 600 watts would be rated at 80% efficiency (i.e., 600/750 = 0.8). The remaining 15 watts would be wasted in the form of heat. Therefore, the less efficient a power supply is, the more heat loss it results in.
Apart from the additional cost of the electricity consumed to generate this lost energy, another disadvantage of an inefficient power supply is that this heat must be accounted for: cooling equipment will be required to dissipate it.
This example, however, holds true in an ideal setting, and since we don’t have some Star Trek-style super-efficiency, things aren’t always so simple. When it comes to the output range of a power supply, its efficiency isn’t linear or flat. When most power supplies are operating at the top limits of their capacity, they are at their most efficient. This means that an 800-watt power supply delivering 400 watts of output power (at 50% capacity) will be less efficient than a 500-watt power supply delivering the same 400 watts (80% capacity).
A computer may operate in a number of modes, from standby to full speed and all in between. It will use the least amount of power while left idle on the desktop, more when used casually, and the most when completely loaded (3D graphics or intense computing). Hence, we shouldn’t make any assumptions about power usage consistency. Instead, at least two states must be considered: idle and full. Now let’s have a look at the efficiency of our 600W PSU under various loads.
So, what exactly occurred? Our ideal, straightforward explanation looks to have twisted out of shape. The PSU obtains maximal efficiency at 50 percent of its nominal capacity, as seen in the graph.
Now, a keen observer may argue that just increasing the output of the power source would solve the problem. While this is correct in theory, our helpful companion ignores one important point: idle mode. Most power supplies give trouble at this stage. Their efficiency plunges to 50 or 60 percent, if not less, when their load goes below 10%. Ironically, the power-saving technologies integrated into today’s components are worsening the situation. A powerful system with a capable graphics card can use as little as 65W while idle, but up to 500W when under stress. For this reason, you need to make sure the PSU isn’t overworked or underworked.
Let’s now assume our 600W PSU is supplying 65W to the system. How efficient is it now?
65/600 * 100% = 10.83%
However, if the PSU were 68% efficient, let’s see how much power it would consume to produce the same amount of power (i.e., 65W).
65/68 * 100 = 95.5
As you can see, if the PSU were rated at 68 percent efficiency, it would require far less power from the wall than when it were just 10.83 percent efficient.
Now, re-examine the diagram above. It displays two efficiency curves, one for a low-cost power supply and the other for a high-cost power supply. The low-cost PSU turns out to be a big power hog while the system is inactive, resulting in a larger long-term power bill.
This is, once again, only a hypothetical situation. We want to show you what happens in a real-life situation. As it turns out, we can easily account for the impact of efficiency on our calculations. Oh, and proving that low-cost power sources are often far more expensive in the long run than you may anticipate is just as easy.
However, please note that while efficiency is an important factor to consider, there’s more to a power supply than meets the eye. You can pick a power supply that is the right size and runs at maximum efficiency by precisely calculating the power consumption of your server system.
Cumulative energy losses from numerous servers running inefficient power supply setups may be considerable in enterprise-level data centers. It helps to pre-configure and measure your actual system under stress to get the most accurate measurement possible. For many clients, however, this technique is unworkable since it requires acquiring, setting, and running each component of the server system. As a result, some consumers who lack the resources to do such testing may find themselves with a power supply that has an unnecessarily higher wattage capacity.
Architecture
There are three main designs that power supplies come in: modular, semi-modular, and non-modular.
Modular Power Supplies
A modular power supply uses detachable cables as well as extra sockets to support efficient cable management, which is important for maintaining a desirable airflow across the unit. You don’t end up with a clutter of cables; you can just use the cables you need. Although they are the most expensive type, they are worth the extra dollars given the huge list of benefits they offer.
Semi-Modular Power Supplies
Semi-modular power supplies, as you might already have guessed from the name, have some but not all wires hardwired. Your major wires, such as the 24-pin, 8-pin CPU, and a PCIe cable, are all linked to one circuit board in a semi-modular power supply. Your modular choices include your SATA cables and, sometimes, an extra PCIe cable, in addition to the dedicated connections.
Semi-modular PSUs are an excellent way to cut costs on a fresh construction. You won’t have to worry about unused wires with these semi-modular PSUs because you’ll be plugging in most of the crucial pre-attached cables. It’s worth mentioning that braided cables aren’t entirely compatible with a semi-modular PSU, so keep that in mind if you’re thinking about obtaining cable modifications.
Non-Modular Power Supplies
Non-modular power supplies are similar to other power supplies in appearance and function, with the exception that the wires are all connected to a single circuit board inside. This reduces the cost of these unsightly components by speeding up production. These power supplies are common in budget setups, and although they do perform a good job of powering your system, the tangle of cords could give you sore eyes. The last thing you want is dust-covered wires all over your PC casing.
If you’re on a shoestring budget or constructing a system in a case with no windows, a non-modular PSU will suffice. However, be aware that the cables may collect dust, and the ventilation within the case will be compromised, putting additional strain on your components.
Redundant Power Supplies
A redundant power supply could be described as a backup supply. If your primary supply fails for whatever reason, it will step in to give full power to the system, ensuring that there is no downtime. If your system has two identical redundant power supplies installed, the power supply configuration can be adjusted to redundant (1 + 1) mode. To improve efficiency, power is provided to the system evenly from both power supplies in redundant mode. The power supply arrangement is non-redundant (1 + 0) when just one power supply is fitted. The system is powered only by a single power supply.
However, please note that every server is different when it comes to redundant power supplies. Some people will utilize the primary power supply exclusively until it dies, at which time they will switch to the backup power supply. Others will strike a balance between the two in order to meet their energy requirements. It’s also possible to specify how the server should use the two power supplies in general.
Efficiency and Performance: The Two Go Hand in Hand
The efficiency rating of a power supply provides insight into how well it will operate. Nevertheless, you should be aware that the server you use a power supply with has a considerable impact on its efficiency. One power supply can run at different efficiency levels in two different servers.
How to Find Out the Efficiency Level: 80 PLUS
Because of the importance of efficiency, a fair grading system has been developed: 80 PLUS. The “80 PLUS” rating of a power supply could mostly be found next to its precious metal. To receive an 80 PLUS certification, a power supply must be at least 80% efficient, meaning that no more than 20% of the power it consumes is lost as heat. The 80 Plus certification indicated their efficiency level.
80 PLUS Certification Categories: Titanium, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze
The fundamental definition of the 80 PLUS certification has been modified to include more severe efficiency standards. The four levels of certification (Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) each have their own set of requirements. As a result, an “80 PLUS Gold” or “80 PLUS Platinum” certified power supply is more efficient than one that isn’t. The more complex circuitry necessary to reach those levels, on the other hand, generally comes at a higher price.
PSUs with a 115V input were first certified, but 230V certifications have recently been introduced, with stricter requirements, because energy losses are minimized at greater loads with this voltage input. In the table below, you’ll find the internal certifications for the 80 PLUS 230V EU.
Safety: Your Top Priority
System safety should be one of your main concerns, as it should be with anything that deals with large amounts of electricity. Fail-safes are built into the best power supplies not just to safeguard the PSU, but also to protect your system in the event of an accident such as a power surge.
The power supply and motherboard are the only system components that connect directly to nearly every other piece of hardware in your system. Make sure that the power supply you’re planning to buy has built-in safety measures, such as OVP (Over Voltage Protection). This feature shuts down the PSU immediately if an excessive voltage is detected. If you have power fluctuations, for example, short circuit protection is a valuable feature.
Here’s a table with the most commonly used safety systems in modern PSUs. You can prevent your equipment from breaking down prematurely by ensuring that these qualities are present with your power source.
Every decent power supply should contain a supervisor IC. Unfortunately, some companies continue to claim “short-circuit and surge protection” on super-cheap versions with a conventional fuse and Metal Oxide Varistor (MOV). While this combination may be logically valid, such a combination is certain to fail.
Capacitors and Fans
Capacitors serve an instrumental role in ensuring a power supply’s long-term reliability. The APFC cap must be of exceptional quality. Furthermore, the secondary-side electrolytic caps must come from a reputable supplier and be rated at 105°C, not 85°C.
In addition to decoupling, capacitors are built into PSUs to smooth out to ensure smooth voltage and reduced ripple. They can also retain voltage charge and prevent DC current from passing through them (coupling). In the APFC converter, electrolytic capacitors are used as reservoir caps, and electrolytic capacitors are also used on the secondary side of most power supplies. These caps contain electrolyte, a conducting liquid, as their name indicates. If the fluid is of low quality, the capacitor will soon lose its properties and, in the worst-case scenario, explode. Many of you may remember the capacitor crisis that hit a range of electrical devices from 1999 to 2007.
The quantity of electrolyte in a capacitor depletes over time due to evaporation. Additionally, the same material might be used to fix a damaged plate within the capacitor, depleting the material once again. When the quantity of electrolyte in the capacitor diminishes, its electrical properties naturally change, limiting its useful lifetime. Polymer aluminum capacitors overcome these problems by using a solid electrolyte as a dielectric between the plates.
So, why not use polymer capacitors exclusively to avoid the problems related to electrolytic capacitors? The main reason for this is that higher ESR electrolytic capacitors help to minimize unwanted oscillations, which can lead to instability. While low ESR is crucial in ripple filtering, it is not a good idea to reduce ESR in a power supply. This is why some re-cap efforts fail to meet expectations. Furthermore, the voltage rating of polymer capacitors is restricted. On the secondary side, this has no effect, but in the APFC converter, an electrolytic capacitor is necessary.
Fans, like capacitors, are important for maintaining the longevity of your power supply. There are several types of fan bearings, but three are the most common in modern power supply.
- Fans with sleeve bearings (30,000h lifetime)
- Fans with two ball bearings (40-50,000h lifetime)
- Fans with fluid dynamic bearings (FDB) and hydrodynamic bearings (HDB) (50-150,000h lifetime)
The best type is FDB, which produces less noise and has a long life. Double ball-bearing fans are also common in high-end PSUs due to their high quality. Meanwhile, low-cost power supplies frequently use sleeve-bearing fans. They aren’t suitable for horizontal installation because oil within the bearing travels to one of the shaft’s sides, resulting in non-uniform friction protection.
How to Calculate Your Wattage Requirements
When buying a new power supply, a common query is “How many watts would be enough?” And the answer is, “It depends on the unique requirements of your system.”
Server systems, on average, require more watts to operate. For a system with liquid cooling, a high-performance motherboard, and two GPUs, a high-power PSU is necessary.
With no knowledge of your hardware, it’s impossible to make a precise recommendation. However, you may get an estimate of how much power you’ll need by utilizing a power supply calculator [many vendors provide these] or estimating the specific amount of power consumed by each internal component of your system.
While there are numerous online calculators to help you figure out how much power your system would use, they all estimate the maximum requirement. They then use the information to create a (generous) prediction based on the peak efficiency of the PSU at 50 to 55 percent load. The downside is that this method overlooks usage when the machine is not in use, which is when efficiency is at its lowest.
The table below is meant to serve as a guide, demonstrating how much power a particular component is estimated to consume under certain loads. If you know the exact values for your components, plug them in and do the calculation instead.
Calculating the total consumption at idle and under load should be simple now that we know how much power each component consumes.
When evaluating higher-wattage power supplies, keep in mind that a 650-watt power supply does not use 650 watts by default. Regardless of the maximum production capability, if your system requires 400 watts, your power supply will deliver 400 watts. Increased power does not always imply increased energy consumption; it just indicates that the supply can provide more watts if necessary. However, having a high-wattage power supply is useless if your computer doesn’t require it, so you might be better off choosing a power supply that meets your wattage needs.
You also need to take into account your new power supply’s continuous vs. peak power capability. A power supply’s peak power is the maximum power it can deliver, whereas its continuous power is the number of watts it can deliver under normal conditions. When you strain your PC to its limitations, such as when playing high-end games or doing intensive computing, you’ll hit peak power.
If a requirement for additional watts arises, your power supply should be able to manage it for a short period of time, but it should not become the norm. Rather than depending just on peak power capabilities, ensure that the power supply you choose can generate enough continuous power.
Power Consumption
We’ll use four PSUs as an example for this section of the study: a cheap, strong unit (purple), an 80 PLUS-certified unit (blue), another 80 PLUS Bronze unit (orange-brown), and lastly an 80 PLUS Gold unit (yellow) capable of delivering between power 500W and 525W.
To ensure that our low-cost power supply could dependably achieve 500W, we have chosen a capacity of 750W. When we examine their efficiency curves for the same workload, we may find some substantial (and unwelcome) differences.
As just proved, buying a high-efficiency 500W power supply isn’t a universal solution. These graphs, on the other hand, should demonstrate that selecting the right “size” power supply is as important as ensuring its quality and efficiency. You can only obtain the best result if all three aspects are taken into consideration.
So, let’s summarize
A power supply should not be chosen on the spur of the moment.
More than just looking for the most watts at the lowest price should go into finding the best one for your server. Consider the form factor, efficiency, amperage, protection, and the cables you’ll want, as well as any other features you need.
Take your time when selecting a power supply, especially a server power supply for a mining rig, since the best server power supply for mining may last for years and have a major impact on your server’s efficiency.
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