For today’s holiday buyers’ guide we are having a look at power supplies. Once again, I shall begin with discussing and clarifying a common misconception among users, that a higher wattage PSU is not always better.

What You Need To Know About Power Supplies

It is very important to keep in mind that all switching PSUs have been designed so as to deliver their maximum efficiency at about half-load (50% of their rated maximum capacity). The efficiency of a PSU at any given moment is tied to how many components it is powering (known as load), decreasing not only at higher loads but at lower loads as well. This is especially true at the low-end of the loading curve, usually below 15% of the unit’s rated capacity, where efficiency outright plummets.

It is wise to remember that the advertised performance of a PSU is within a specific load range (20% to 100% of its rated capacity) and the manufacturer is not obliged to include information on how much the performance degrades at sub-20% load conditions. Only the 80Plus Titanium guidelines dictate an efficiency requirement of 90% at 10% load. Therefore, if the goal is efficiency, the selection of a severely oversized PSU to combat the issue is both economically and practically senseless.

That being said, the selection of a PSU is based on both objective (e.g. wattage, performance) and subjective (e.g. design, modular cables) parameters. Therefore it is required of every user to be capable of making at least an educated guess about the power requirements of the system. Users frequently overrate the power requirements of their systems greatly. It is not uncommon for people – even store salespersons and experienced builders – to recommend a 1kW unit to a user with just two (or even one) high-performance GPUs. 

Meanwhile “wattage calculators”, though an improvement from blindly guessing, are usually simple tools that get their numbers from the design power (TDP) specifications of components. The TDP of a component does not represent the actual power requirements of a component –  it’s at best a broad guideline – and it also is next to impossible to place every single component of a system under maximum stress simultaneously. It also depends on how the manufacturer is actually calculating TDP. A system with a single CPU and a single mainstream GPU rarely requires more than 300 Watts.

If you are able to measure the actual power requirements of your system, keep in mind that you should not buy a unit that will frequently operate near its maximum capacity. Just as you would not run your car constantly near the red line, a power supply should not be under maximum stress for prolonged periods. A high-quality PSU can withstand it, but just because it can does not mean it should. Again, all switching PSUs deliver their maximum efficiency at roughly 50% of their rated capacity. Running a PSU at over 90% capacity for prolonged periods of time will not only reduce its performance but it will also make it hotter, louder, and decrease its expected lifespan.

With that in mind, while the recommendations of the online tools and calculators may be overestimated, they’re not overly so. Selecting a unit of the wattage they recommend is not usually a bad idea, as the recommendation usually is twice the actual power requirements of the system. The common mistake is that users usually seek to buy a significantly more powerful unit, thinking that having extra power helps, and end up with a severely oversized PSU for their system that will be both more expensive to purchase and will not operate at its peak efficiency.

Finally, getting to our recommendations, for easier reading we will split our recommendations into five main wattage categories with at least two units for each. One selection will be based on the maximum possible value (e.g. bang for the buck) and one will focus on the best overall performance.

300 to 450 Watts

It is likely that most power enthusiasts and gamers will discard this power range as “too weak”. The truth is that these units are adequate for a modern low-energy PC with a mainstream CPU and a single GPU. Sadly, it is not a very popular segment of the market and there is little competition, meaning that there is not a very wide selection of products for the users.

Our recommendation for a low-cost unit of reasonable quality and backed up with a good warranty is the EVGA 430 W1. EVGA introduced this unit last year, but it is based on an old Heroichi platform that offers very good power quality and excellent reliability. The platform got the basic 80Plus certification nearly a decade ago, which is not very efficient by today’s standards, but the W1 gets the job nicely done for a $34 product.

For several years in the row, the Seasonic SSR-360GP is our choice of a high-performance low wattage PSU. The 80Plus Gold certified 360W unit offers excellent power quality and long-term reliability, but costs nearly twice as much as the EVGA 430 G1. Sparkle offers an 80Plus Platinum unit based on a FSP platform for about the same price, but it is frequently out of stock and it is not (nearly) as popular as Seasonic’s model.

450 to 600 Watts

This is the power range with the largest selection of products and for a good reason, as it generates the largest portion of sales. It is extremely unlikely that a PC with a single CPU and a single GPU will overcome the output of such a PSU, even if overclocked.

EVGA has a very interesting option, the 500 B1, a product ideal for those seeking to combine good performance with value. It virtually is an advanced version of the Heroichi platform that the W1 is based on. The 500W unit is 80Plus Bronze certified that comes with a 3-year warranty and is currently selling for just $45 shipped.

The unit that offers the best possible performance and quality within this power range most likely is the fanless Seasonic SS-520FL2, but its retail price of $143 is disproportionately high. Therefore, our recommendation for a top quality and performance PSU goes to the Corsair RM550x, an 80Plus Gold modular PSU that provides outstanding power quality and is backed with a ten-year warranty.

600 to 800 Watts

PSUs with an output between 600 and 800 Watts are very popular amongst gamers and overclockers. They are powerful enough for dual GPU gaming systems and provide enough overhead for serious overclocking and mods. This power band is also popular among users that will be using just one GPU, as the power overhead frequently creates a feeling of security.

If you are seeking to combine performance with value, the Rosewill Hive 750W is a PSU that you cannot go wrong with. Rosewill nearly halved the price since our first review of the 850W version last year, which performed well but at the time cost a little too much. It may be a visually mundane product, but the current retail price of $55 is a steal for a quality 750W PSU.

The best PSU with an output between 600 and 800 Watts most likely is the Seasonic SS-760XP2 Platinum. It is an outstanding PSU that is overshadowed by its exceedingly steep price. For years in the row, the Seasonic SS-760XP2 retails for $150 and rarely appears into sales. If the top quality and performance of the SS-760XP2 cannot justify its excessive price for you, the Corsair RM750i is a much more reasonably priced alternative. The RM750i is very similar to the SS-760XP2, with the exception of being 80Plus Gold certified, but it comes with a longer warranty and has the bonus of a USB interface.

800 to 1100 Watts

This power range should be reserved for users that want to power high-end dual or triple GPU computers. We cannot go very cheap in this power range because we believe that long-term reliability is an absolute must whether we are considering a high-end gaming system or a professional workstation.

Our first recommendation for an inexpensive, yet reliable PSU in this price range would be the Corsair CS850M. There are several other high-quality units selling around the retail price of the CS850M, but this is one of the very few 80Plus Gold certified units below $100 with that kind of power output, perfectly combining performance, quality and value.

When performance is a greater concern than value, then Seasonic’s SS-1050XP3 is our primary recommendation. The modular 80Plus Platinum certified PSU delivers impressive performance and quality and Seasonic significantly reduced its retail price tag this year, bringing it down to $170 including shipping and virtually obliterating its competition.

Over 1100 Watts

If you require a PSU with this kind of output, chances are that you have at least three high-end GPUs and or a seriously powerful dual-CPU system with a lot of devices. These PSUs also find use in advanced servers and cryptocurrency mining systems. That being said, the PSU is going to be powering a rather expensive system, the function of which is frequently very important. Therefore, the selection of a “value” PSU within this power band is a complex procedure, as the PSU has to meet very high-reliability standards.

With that in mind, our recommendation goes to the Seasonic SS-1200XP3, a very reliable 80Plus Platinum PSU that retails for $230. It is definitely not the cheapest 1200W PSU available but it offers a very good combination of value, performance and quality. The EVGA SuperNOVA 1300 G2 also is a reasonable alternative, with a lower efficiency but also a lower price tag of $177.

For those that want the absolute best and cost is not an issue, Corsair’s AX1500i still is the undisputed champion. It is one of the very few 80Plus Titanium certified units available, has exceptional overall performance and outstanding quality. There is virtually no other PSU available today that combines the quality, performance, efficiency, and features of the AX1500i. The only problem is that the AX1500i currently retails for $400, enough money to buy a complete mainstream system.

Source: AnandTech – Best PC Power Supplies: Holiday 2016

Intel this week announced several initiatives to push into the emerging autonomous driving market. The company formally established a new internal organization called the Automated Driving Group (ADG) dedicated solely to the development of solutions for autonomous vehicles, and announced plans to invest $250 million in the creation of various technologies that enable autonomous driving. Intel has also teamed up with Delphi and Mobileye to develop a turnkey autonomous driving platform that could be used by different automakers. The first cars featuring the platform are expected to emerge in 2019.

Intel Bets on Self-Driving Cars

Intel has been working with various makers of cars for over a decade, so the company is not a complete newbie to the auto industry. For example, Intel’s CPUs have powered several generations of infotainment systems in many cars by various brands. However, when it comes to autonomous vehicles, much more sophisticated computing platforms are needed. Firstly, such platforms use a multitude of sensors in addition to sonar, LIDAR, odometry, and cameras. Secondly, they use very specific processing units that analyze sensory data in real time as well as AI technologies to make decisions.

Over the past few years, Intel acquired numerous companies to accumulate various types of IP it needs not only for autonomous vehicles, but also for many other AI-driven applications. For example, Intel bought Saffron Technology specializing in cognitive computing (AI + signal processing) in late 2015, a developer of driver assistance system called Yogitech in April ’16, machine learning specialist Nervana Systems in August ‘16 as well as computer vision expert Movidius in September ‘16.

All of Intel’s assets related to self-driving cars will now be poured into the ADG, which will be managed by Doug Davis, a long-time Intel veteran who oversaw the company’s efforts in embedded computing, networking, and IoT. Kathy Winter, who used to manage software and services for automated driving at Delphi, will assist Mr. Davis.

It is noteworthy that Intel did not form a group that would address cars in general and which goal would have been top-to-bottom platforms for autonomous systems. The company intends to address very specific components of future cars and will thus have to make sure that its platforms for autonomous vehicles are compatible with technologies developed by third parties. Initially, the company plans to develop a platform for self-driving cars with Delphi and Mobileye, but eventually it will inevitably have to work with the likes of NXP, Infineon or Renesas (the largest suppliers of automotive semiconductors, according to IHS).

Meanwhile, Intel’s CEO points out that every self-driving car is going to generate roughly 4 TB of data every day, which leads to three implications. Firstly, such cars are going to need powerful chips to process the data in real-time. Secondly, developers of autonomous driving platforms will have to own datacenters to analyze the vast amounts of data captured by vehicles and develop more sophisticated AI technologies. Thirdly, the communications infrastructure will have to handle increased amounts of data. Intel’s Xeon CPUs already power the majority of the world’s datacenters and the proliferation of autonomous cars will drive demand for the company’s processors in the future. In the meantime, ADG is supposed to bring more Intel chips to cars, creating new business opportunities.

First Intel-Powered Self-Driving Cars to Hit the Road in 2019

One of the first projects that the ADG will work on will be a platform for autonomous vehicles jointly developed by Intel, Delphi and Mobileye that is due in 2019. Another important project for the ADG will be collaborative work with BMW and Mobileye on an autonomous car platform that the former intends to use by 2021. Unfortunately, for now, Intel does not disclose any other efforts that its ADG will deal with.

Intel, Delphi and Mobileye have already developed a prototype of their platform based on Intel’s current-gen Core i7 CPU (they do not disclose which one, so we can think of everything between the i7-6600U and the i7-6950X) and an undisclosed Mobileye silicon. Intel says that over time the platform will migrate to a more powerful CPU to be introduced over the next few weeks, but we do not know whether that chip will power vehicles in 2019, when the platform is set to be used commercially. Meanwhile, Mobileye says that the platform will feature compute performance of approximately 20 TFLOPS (we suspect we are dealing with 8-bit integer operations here), which is in line with what NVIDIA expects from its Xavier SoC for self-driving cars that will start sampling in late 2017.

NVIDIA and a number of other companies have worked on solutions for autonomous cars for several years now, but while Intel is announcing its intentions to address self-driving vehicles only today, this does not mean that the company is starting only now and from scratch (still, it is evident that Intel is somewhat behind of its rival here). As a result of its recent acquisitions, the chip giant already has a lot of IP related to AI, deep learning, computer vision and other technologies needed for self-driving cars. Moreover, the company’s ADG intends to invest $250 million over the next two years in the development of technologies relevant for autonomous vehicles, such as connectivity, context awareness, deep learning, security, safety and so on.

The establishment of Intel’s Automated Driving Group is a sign that the company is taking autonomous vehicles seriously and plans to be a part of a major technology revolution (a good message to send to investors). At the same time, right now the ADG raises more questions than provides answers, at least, from a technology point of view. In any case, Intel promised to announce an element of the upcoming platform for self-driving cars in the next few weeks (CES is January) and perhaps this is when the company discloses more information about the upcoming solution.

Sources: Intel, New York Times.

Gallery: Intel Forms New Group for Autonomous Vehicles and Announces $250M Investment

Source: AnandTech – Intel Forms New Group for Autonomous Vehicles and Announces 0M Investment