Certification and Efficiency

Certification

So, OCZ offers a 80+ Platinum certification, tested by the 80PLUS organization (the people that certify and test efficiency). We already explained a little what that literally means. But what does such a certification entail?

Well, we have standard, bronze, silver, gold, and platinum certifications. A PSU that is certified 80 PLUS Gold or 80 PLUS Platinum is more efficient than a normal unit. Below you'll find a table that shows what efficiency levels a PSU has to achieve at a given load to make the grade for a specific certification level.

Above, you can see a diagram of how the PSU behaves efficiency wise.

The Mk III power supplies are certified by the 80PLUS organization to deliver a 92% energy efficiency at 50% load and still 90% efficiency when your PC idles. The product complies with the ErP (Energy Related Product) directive to ensure less than 1W of power is used in passive standby and off modes. We'll test that manually later on in the article. First have a peek at its impressive Wattage table:

That's heavy duty right there at ya ... the single +12V rail pushes 99.5 Amps x 12V = 1194 Watt along on that single rail, tied to it are 6x 6+2 Pin PCI-E connectors(!)  But let's have a peek at the more common features:

•  1200W Power Output with Single Strong 12V Rail
  The PC Power and Cooling PPCMK3S1200 power supply delivers continuous 1200W @ 50°C of safe, reliable output for your computer systems. One single strong +12V rail with 2 x 4+4-pin CPU power connectors and 6x 6+2-Pin PCIe connectors can juice up your high-end CPU and even multiple graphics cards.
• 80 PLUS Platinum Certified
  The 80 PLUS Platinum certified power supply provides ultra-high power efficiency of at least 89% (up to 92% under real world operating environments for this model) at any load between 20% and 100%, saving your money on your electrical bill, reducing heat in your computer's system and prolonging its life.
• Modular Cable Design
  The modular cable design allows use of only the cables you need for reduced system clutter and improved air flow.
• Comprehensive Protection
  Industrial grade protection circuitry (over-voltage, over-power, and short circuit) provides maximum safety to your critical system components.
• NVIDIA SLI Ready & AMD CrossFireX Certified
  The PC Power and Cooling PPCMK3S1200 is AMD CrossFireX and NVIDIA SLI Ready and comes with 6x 6+2 Pin PCI-E connectors enabling you to build a high performance multi-GPU gaming system.

Specs and features:

• Continuous output rated at a demanding 50°C ambient temperature
• Dual Thermal Control System: Normal Mode and Silent Mode operation
• Built with 100% Japanese low ESR 105°C capacitors for high reliability
• Single +12V rail for efficient power distribution in your system.
• Compliant with the latest ATX12V v2.31 and SSI PSDG standard for worry-free compatibility
• 140mm double ball-bearing fan varies RPM by load and temperature for whisper quiet operation
• 80PLUS Platinum certified for up to 92% efficiency under real world operating environments
• ErP compliant for low power usage in standby or off mode.
• Active Power Factor Correction (PFC) to effectively regulate input voltage
• Industrial grade protection circuitry, (over-voltage, over-power, and short circuit) for protecting your valuable components
• Unboxed Product Weight 2.88kg; 6.34lbs

Connectors wise you won't be let down either:

• 1 x 20+4-pin ATX
• 2 x 4+4-pin ESP/12V CPU
• 6 x 6+2-pin PCI-E
• 4 x 4-pin Peripheral
• 12 x 5-pin SATA
• 1 x FDD

But let's move onwards toward a nice photo shoot. A white power supply with a white background, that's gonna be swell ';)