Is an 80 Plus Series PC Power Supply Good for Gaming?
Introduction
Did you know that a non-rated PC power supply has an efficiency of 70%? It means that you are wasting 30% of the power as heat to your environment. In comparison, an 80-plus series gaming PSU guarantees 90% efficiency. These offer incredible savings, making the higher initial price a smart investment for your gaming rig.
Along with saving on energy bills, the 80-plus series power supply provides rock-solid stability for your gaming components. Imagine you are on the verge of taking the winning shot in your favorite FPS game, but the system lags or crashes with a blue screen of death (BSOD). The frustration could bring out the gamer rage. Nobody wants that!
If you are still on the edge or sceptical about whether to invest in these high-efficiency PSUs, then read through our article. By the end, you can make a clear, confident decision to invest in a high-end power supply that completes your gaming setup.
What is 80 Plus Certification?
CLEAResult, an energy consultancy firm, was established in 2004 by Ecos Consulting. As a third-party testing program, they aimed to ensure that all power supplies that undergo their testing meet minimum energy-efficiency standards of >80%. Their rigorous testing and reliable results made them a key player in power supply certification.
Calculating Efficiency
80 Plus determines how much power from the wall outlet (AC) is drawn by the PSU and how much it supplies to the PC components (DC). Then they use a simple formula:
To further understand the concept of efficiency lets take an example. If your PC requires 500W to run your favorite AAA or battle royale gaming title, an 80-plus-certified PSU will draw 625W from the wall. The extra 125W never reaches your graphics card, CPU, motherboard, RAM, or SSD. It's entirely lost as heat.
How it Works
The testing process for the power supply involves challenging criteria. The PSU must be able to maintain at least 80% efficiency at three critical load levels: 20%, 50%, and 100%. So whether you are gaming in 4K with ray tracing enabled or working on your new Google Docs document, the PC power supply should maintain its efficiency. Moreover, the certification also requires Power Factor Correction (PFC) of at least 0.9, which minimizes electrical noise and also reduces strain on your home electrical grid.
The Different Tiers of 80 Plus Ratings
The 80 Plus rating divides its tested power supplies into categories. These are named after precious metals so buyers can quickly identify the hardware they need. As the rating increases, it means the PC power supply manufacturer used premium-grade Japanese capacitors and advanced transistors to minimize heat loss. Here is a table elaborating the 80 Plus ratings:
|
Tier |
Efficiency at 50% Load |
Best Use Case |
|
Standard |
80% |
Entry-level or budget office PCs. |
|
Bronze |
85% |
Budget gaming builds with mid-range components. |
|
Silver |
88% |
Rare in the market. Often skipped for Gold. |
|
Gold |
90% |
The Gaming Standard. Perfect balance of cost and performance. |
|
Platinum |
92% |
High-end workstations and enthusiast gaming rigs. |
|
Titanium |
94% |
Extreme setups with RTX 5090 and silent PC builds. |
Benefits of Using an 80 Plus Power Supply for Gaming
Gaming is all about performance, and it takes extraordinary engineering to manufacture electronic devices that display the realistic graphics we see on screen. There are tens to hundreds of billions of transistors firing electric current with precise control. A sudden power change can disrupt the entire process, causing your hardware to lag and produce errors, which can lead to a system crash or, at worst, damage to components. Here are the top reasons why you should get an 80 Plus power supply for your gaming PC:
1. Stability and Peak Performance
When you run Cyberpunk 2077 or Alan Wake 2 at 4K resolution and raytracing enabled, there can be instances when there is a sudden peak in demand. That demand may cause voltage dips, resulting in micro-stutters or frame rate dips. A Gold and above 80 Plus certified PSU will ensure flat DC output with ripple suppressed under 120mV.
2. Thermal Management and Silence
With minimal wasted energy as heat, the PSU fan can run at lower RPMs. In some cases, the set to zero rpm when there is a minimal heat rejection requirement and passive cooling is sufficient. Moreover, heat radiated by the PSU can affect other heat-sensitive components, such as the GPU and RAM, potentially degrading gaming performance.
3. Future-Proofing and Protection
Certified equipment often comes with added features that make it suitable for all conditions. Typically, they will include:
- OVP/UVP: Over and Under Voltage Protection
- SCP: Short Circuit Protection
- PCIe 5.1 Ready: Many new 80 Plus Gold or Platinum units include the native 12V-2x6 power connector.
Note: Having a native 12V-2x6 power connector ensures your system is ready for next-gen, power-hungry GPUs without the need for messy adapters.
4. Global Versatility
If you decide to change regions or settle in another country, there's a chance you will have a 230V outlet. The 80 Plus series PSUs are slightly more efficient at 230V.
Efficiency and Energy Savings in Gaming Setups
Let's build on the example we mentioned in the introduction. For a typical gaming setup drawing 400W, an 80% efficient unit pulls 500W from the wall, while a 90% efficient Gold unit pulls only 444W. That is a saving of 56W every single hour. If you game for 4 hours a day at an average rate of $0.18/kWh
Choosing the Right Wattage and Features for Gamers
Picking the right wattage is a critical step in building a gaming PC. It requires evaluation of the PC components and finding the sweet spot for your build type while incorporating future-proofing aspects:
|
Step 1: |
Calculate your thermal design power (TDP) of all the gaming PC components. Especially consider the two most power-hungry components, the CPU and GPU. |
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Step 2: |
As we mentioned earlier, there can be microbursts of power demand that may double their nominal power requirement. It typically happens during intense, graphic-heavy scenes, such as explosions or physics-heavy scenes. To prevent crashes, consider a 20-30% buffer. So if your hardware TDP is 470W, then: Example: 470W + 30% Buffer = 611W. |
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Step 3: |
The 80 Plus-certified power supplies are most efficient at 50% load, which means that if your hardware requires 400W, buy an 850W Gold power supply for maximum efficiency and savings. |
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Note: The power supply performs best within the 20% to 80% load range. Which means if you select a PSU that is oversized for your gaming PC, it will maximize your energy savings, resulting in faster ROI.
Conclusion
As our final word, consider 80 Plus series-certified gaming PC power supplies to reduce heat output, energy waste, and power consumption. These power supplies are certified to power power-hungry gaming hardware, including GPUs and CPUs. They provide stable, clean power to components while maintaining voltage stability during microbursts in power demand. Moreover, they often come with OVP, UVP, SCP, and PCIe 5.1-ready features that are essential for protecting and powering expensive gaming hardware.
If you are looking for 80 Plus series PC power supplies that meet global standards and deliver ultimate performance for enthusiast-grade gaming hardware, consider ESGAMING power supplies. They use 100% industrial-grade 105°C Japanese electrolytic capacitors for enhanced reliability and longevity. The design includes ATX 3.1 compliance, native 12V-2x6 GPU connectors, and comprehensive protections like OPP, OCP, and OTP to ensure stable operation under high loads.
Founded in 2017, ESGAMING has quickly become a recognized emerging brand in high-performance computer components and accessories. From PC cases and power supplies to cooling systems, ESGAMING is dedicated to delivering creative, reliable, and well-crafted E-sport solutions for gamers, creators, and PC builders around the world.
For more information, visit www.esgamingpc.com