Fellow reviewers I want an opinion please

[crmaris]

As many of you know I make reviews for TheLab.gr which is located in Greece (Europe) so we test our test samples with 230V.

So what 80plus specifications I must follow, the ones for 115V or the ones for 230V. I ask you this because someone questioned my efficiency testing procedure and told me that the 80Plus 115V is for multiple output and 80Plus 230V is for single output redundant power module so I must use the 115V specifications, which in my personal opinion is wrong.

Also in this paper it writes at 4.2.1 "An ac reference source shall be used to provide input voltage to the UUT. As is specified in IEC
62301, the input to the UUT shall be the specified voltage ± 1% and the specified frequency ±
1%. The UUT shall be tested at one of two voltage and frequency combinations: 115 V at 60 Hz
or 230 V at 60 Hz. The UUT shall be tested at one of the above voltage and frequency combinations that is closest
to its nameplate input voltage and frequency. If voltage and/or frequency ranges are not specified
by the manufacturer (or the nameplate value is unclear), the UUT shall not be tested."

[370forlife]

Your efficiency isn't wrong, it's just what the efficiency of the psu's on 230V is. Being in Europe, I'm sure most of your audience is also on 230V so it would only make sense to test on 230v. This way people could see what performance they will expect from the power supply.

But you can safely assume that a 80plus power supply that barely meets it's specification on 230V won't on 115V.

[Makalu]

well 80+ only tests ATX units at 115VAC yeah...but the ATX and SSI specifications say to test at both 115V and 230V (with the 80+ loading formula). ATX spec says to do the test at 50C...and they have 5VSB efficiency recommendations too that 80+ must have forgot about...hey it's ok it's ok I know it can get complicated and hard to remember to do everything in a test regimen

[crmaris]

my query is if it is right to use the 230V efficiency thresholds (that are for server, single output, PSUs) for judging what 80plus rating a desktop, multi output, PSU really has.

To give an example. I review a PSU that is supposed to be Gold and in 20% it has 87% efficiency. What thresholds I must use in order to judge its efficiency, since I live in Europe and I test with 230V current. The ones for 115V that are for multi output (non-redundant PSUs) or the ones for 230V (that are for server, redundant PSUs).

If I use the firsts then the PSU is indeed Gold but if I use the second ones then it isn't.


I have also emailed 80plus for this matter and I am waiting for an answer.

[Makalu]

well if you want to compare your results to 80+ ratings then you want to test at 115V...or you can just mention that it's usually around 2% higher at 230V

[crmaris]

I think in the end I will stick with plain efficiency numbers without any ratings etc. since there are no formal specifications for 230V multi-output PSUs.

[crmaris]

I got an answer from 80plus.org (ECOs)

Dear X, we have no standard for client PSUs at 230V and only certify for the program website at (1) approved test lab in the US.



If you are looking into an approximate, you can use the 115V level efficiency criteria and raise the levels by 1% to offset the benefit that highline operation offers.



In that manner (using 80 PLUS 115V as an example)



115V criteria

82, 85, 82% efficient at 20, 50, 100% operation level



Becomes



83,86,83



This is only an approximation and will not earn the 80 PLUS certification mark.



Best,




J. B.
Channel Manager

ecos

[Makalu]

I'd tell him that the efficiency calculations they do at 115V are only an approximation and just barely accurate to within 1% and that's for the units that they actually test so they might as well add a 230V approximate rating themselves....but I tend to be mean that way....