The weight of your power supply does not influence its quality

[Inkriql]

There is a widespread belief among users that a way of knowing how good the power supply is is what weighs. In theory, such a statement would be based on the fact that, the better the internal components of the power supply are, and the more components that are put inside it, it is because the manufacturer of the same has wanted to create a higher quality model Facing the competition. Let's see if this statement has any part of reason.

The origin of this statement regarding power supplies is so old that it dates back to the times when the sources used passive PFCs. As you may know, PC power supplies can mount a passive PFC or an active PFC. The PFC (Power Factor Correction), is a circuit that is responsible for correcting the power factor of the network, electrical when entering the circuit of the power supply. By correcting and getting close to the "1" value, the efficiency of the power supply is increased.

Passive PFCs only get an approximation of 0.85, and do so based on copper coils. By custom, they used to be quite cumbersome, for carrying large windings. On the other hand, the current active PFCs use an integrated circuit, where a series of MOSFETS are installed, which ensure that the power factor reaches 0.99.

To the right of the previous image you can see the difference in size between a passive PFC and an active PFC. It was logical to think that the better this component was, the better the source would be.

However, source manufacturers soon began to emerge without too much scruple, replacing the PFC with a block of cement or steel inside the fountain. In this way, they took advantage of this equivocal belief of the users regarding the weight of the sources. However, today no power supply that reaches the market (especially the European) uses this type of PFC inside. With this, this theory of weight is disarmed by itself.
What really makes one power supply better than another?

Although it is true that the high-end power supplies are usually heavier than those of the mid-range (we don't want to say about the low-end ones, which weigh nothing), this extra weight is usually due to the use of certain components responsible for protecting the operation of the source. In this regard, the number of protections that the manufacturer claims to have its models are usually:

    Protection against network tensions.
    Over voltage protection.
    Protection against excess power.
    Protection against excess temperature.
    Short circuit protection.
    Protection against very low voltages.

Apart from all the above, the type of capacitors used in the construction of the source is also important. Whether these electrolytes or solids, the use of good capacitors helps the sources perform better when they work. This aspect is generally more complex to know, unless you find an analysis of the model you are interested in buying. Although many manufacturers announce that they use Japanese capacitors for their sources (which are the ones that are reputed to be the best).
Energy efficiency is what will give us the best clue about the quality of the source

Of course, something you can not ignore is the energy certification of the source. Generally, the higher the energy efficiency of this, the better the components that have been used in its construction. Here, perhaps, the problem could be that the quality leap between an 80 PLUS Bronze fountain and an 80 PLUS Gold is quite large. And manufacturers, in the vast majority of cases, have chosen to set aside the intermediate step between the two certifications: the 80 PLUS Silver.