80 PLUS Gold PSUs are worth it if your system’spower requirementishighand you want to cut down on yourelectricity bill.
But for systems with modest power requirements, it might be anoverkill. The energy savings may not justify the higher upfront cost of the PSU.
Having said that, the superior build quality and warranties do make them a better option forfuture-proofingthough.
Let’s discuss.
Gold Power Supplies Reduce Electricity Bills
Gold-rated power supplies offer an impressive 90% efficiency at 50% load and 87% efficiency at 20% and 100% load.
This helps themminimize power wastagedrastically compared to lower-grade counterparts like Bronze and Silver.
As you may see, the Gold PSU wastes only 55 watts as heat while the Bronze one wastes 88 watts.
The minimal power wastage not onlyreduces heat generationbut is alsobetter for the environment. On top of that, it’ll cut down your long-term expenses.
In the example above, you’llsave around $50 in a yearwith an 80 PLUS Gold PSU. This can easily outweigh its initial spending.
So Gold PSUs are generally preferred if:
Extended Warranties and Better Customer Support
People often deny this fact, but manufacturers do integrate high-quality electronic components inGold power suppliescompared to Silver or Bronze.
Otherwise, the 90% efficiency wouldn’t have been possible.
Gold PSUs also come with anextended warranty periodand betterexchange/refund policies.
Although it depends on thePSU brand, you are more likely to get better customer support if anything goes wrong.
Essentially, go for Gold if you want tobuild a fail-safe systemwith somefuture-proofing.
When Are Gold PSUs Overkill
The 80 PLUS Gold PSU may not be worthwhile if you are just into normal computing.
In such cases, the power consumption is not high enough to make a significant difference in your electricity bill.
It’ll probably take you ages before the energy savings can compensate for theupfront cost of the PSU.
You could invest the money in other components instead of paying extra for higher efficiency.
Should You Get A Gold PSU?
Gold-rated PSUs are costlier because of two things—a few years of extra warranty and a slightly higherpower supply efficiency.
Regarding the build quality, the Gold-rated PSUs are certainly the better ones. But higher efficiency does not always mean higher quality.
There are a lot ofBronze and Silver PSUsthat can outperform the Gold too.
So, as long asyour power supplyhas80 PLUS certificationand is from atrustworthy brand, there should not be an issue. If you think the Gold ones create value, just go for it. The choice is all yours.
