80 Plus
A certification programme showing that power supplies reach at least 80 percent efficiency at 20, 50 and 100 percent load; it has tiers from Bronze to Titanium.
// EXPLANATION
Higher tiers (Gold, Platinum, Titanium) mean less heat and lower electrical loss. The certificate only shows efficiency; on its own it says nothing about output ripple, protection circuits or component quality.
// ALSO KNOWN AS
80 Plus80+
// RELATED TERMS
Power supply unit (PSU)The unit that converts mains AC into the low-voltage DC (12 V, 5 V, 3.3 V) a computer needs.
RippleThe small alternating voltage superimposed on a DC output, caused by switching and mains frequency.
Power factor correction (PFC)A circuit that shapes the current a power supply draws from the mains to follow the voltage, improving power factor and harmonics.
