Slashdot Mirror
Is It Worth Investing In a High-Efficiency Power Supply?
MrSeb writes "If you've gone shopping for a power supply any time over the last few years, you've probably noticed the explosive proliferation of various 80 Plus ratings. As initially conceived, an 80 Plus certification was a way for PSU manufacturers to validate that their power supply units were at least 80% efficient at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of full load. In the pre-80 Plus days, PSU prices normally clustered around a given wattage output. The advent of the various 80 Plus levels has created a second variable that can have a significant impact on unit price. This leads us to three important questions: How much power can you save by moving to a higher-efficiency supply, what's the premium of doing so, and how long does it take to make back your initial investment?"
I'd like to add to the above. It truly depends on circumstances.
If you're trying to be energy neutral or positive in your living (e.g you want to be off the grid with a wind/solar setup) then every efficiency gain will more than offset the cost of producing / storing the power required).
If you're just wanting to view movies / ebay / email an live in a McMansion, with the full home theater setup, then there's no point because the rest of your lifestyle says "Fuck the planet, I'm all right"