If you've ever bought a power supply (PSU) for your PC, you're probably familiar with the various 80 PLUS ratings with different tiers like Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium. The whole' 80 PLUS' label refers to independent testing and certification that the power supply has at least 80% efficiency at different load levels. There's a lot more to it than that, but most PSUs on the market carry one of the many different 80 PLUs certification stickers.
Corsair has now stated that it's moving away from the 80 PLUS certification for the more detailed power supply certification that comes from Cybenetics. According to Corsair, modern power supplies require more detailed certification that expands beyond efficiency.
However, Corsair says that Cybenetics' efficiency profiles and testing better reflect real-world usage. "Cybenetics' testing methodology produces thousands of data points across all loads," Corsair writes. "Rather than the handful of measurements produced during 80 PLUS testing, ensuring more accurate results."
Cybernetics still uses a tiered rare metals system for rating efficiency, so the Gold, Platinum, Titanium, and so forth stickers will be familiar to consumers - there are six in total, starting from Bronze and going all the way up to Diamond.
In addition, there's a separate rating and assessment for noise levels, with a school-like grade system ranging from A++ to F denoting the noise levels you can expect from the PSU's fan or cooling system when in use.
And with that, Corsair has released the following chart outlining the company's 2024 power supply line-up with the new Cybenetics Efficiency and Nosie certification alongside the existing 80 PLUS Efficiency ratings. Corsair notes that its power supplies will exclusively use the Cybenetics ratings on all its PSU products in the future.
It's a notable change, and we could see other PSU makers follow suit in switching to Cybenetics.
