Are platinum power supplies excessive?

An 80+ Platinum certification means that a power supply is more efficient than an 80+ Gold certified power supply. Platinum certification is also awarded to some of the most reliable power supplies you can find on the market today. It’s better to overspend on your PSU than underspend.

When you’re shopping for a power supply, there are a few specs you need to look at instead of just looking at its power output. One of them has become very important in recent times: 80+ rating. But what is the difference between 80+ Gold and 80+ Platinum?

What is an 80+ rating, anyway?

We’ve got a whole article explaining exactly what an 80+ rating is and how it slowly but surely came to prominence in the power supply space. In short, it’s a voluntary certification that power supply manufacturers can use for their products to give buyers the assurance that the power supply they buy is as efficient as the manufacturer claims; in other words, that the power supply is being wasted. draw as little energy from your wall as possible.

Recently, a rating of 80+ has become very important. A PSU with a good rating is wasting little electricity, that’s true. But to achieve that, you also need to use very good quality components. As such, a good rating of 80+ is also something of a guarantee that a power supply is of high quality, and more importantly, reliable; It’s also why it’s common to see more expensive power supplies come with not only good 80+ ratings, but also warranties of up to 10 years from the date of purchase, or even 12 years with some manufacturers.

It’s not the only factor to consider when it comes to reliability; On the one hand, the brand and its reputation play an important factor. But it is a good indicator that you are buying something that will last you a lifetime.

RELATED: What is “80 Plus” certification on a PSU?

80+ Gold vs. 80+ Platinum: What’s the difference?

Basically, an 80+ Gold power supply is 87% efficient at 100% power load, while an 80+ Platinum power supply is 89% efficient at 100% power load. To put this into numbers, for a 700W PSU to provide 700W of power to the components inside your PC, it would draw 791W of power from the wall if it had a Gold rating of 80+. By comparison, an 80+ Platinum PSU would draw 777W. The excess +10% of the power is wasted, while the rest goes to your PC.

It is not an exact science. The rating means that a power supply is at least that efficient, but could very well be a bit more efficient than that. But ultimately, there is a 2% difference in minimum efficiency between Gold and Platinum rated power supplies. In the long run, it could make all the difference to your energy bill. Not a huge one, but a difference nonetheless.

There are other advantages too. An 80+ Gold power supply can get up to five years of warranty, while an 80+ Platinum can get up to ten years of warranty.

Is a platinum rating of 80+ over the top?

We have always argued that there is no such thing as overspending on a power supply. When we talk about power supplies, you should look for the best quality power supply that fits your budget. After all, you don’t just have to worry about efficiency, but more about keeping your components running smoothly. If one power supply dies, it could be catastrophic for your PC’s components and could very well kill your entire computer.

That being said, if you have the chance to get a Platinum rated 80+ power supply, you should go for it. If it’s from a reputable brand and has a multi-year warranty, plus that 80+ rating, that’s a good sign that it’s a reliable power supply that’s safe to use. If you can only afford an 80+ Gold that’s fine too as long as it’s coming from a reputable brand like Seasonic, but the 80+ Platinum hands out some of the most reliable power supplies on the market. It is a premium worth spending.