Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

[c_hegge]

http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/3...ew-normal.aspx

Looks like we won't be seeing cheapies sold anymore in Aus. As of October 1st, all PSUs sold here have to be at least 80+ silver compliant.

Personally, though, I can't see the authorities load testing and confirming every PSU model sold here, so my guess is, we're just gonna start seeing more models with faked 80+ certifications.

[japlytic]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

I think this would contribute to less harmonics on the grid and less poor quality units on the market - could there be fake compliance labels coming soon?

On eBay Australia, a FSP 450W unit (80 Plus Silver) starts at about $100 and a 650W unit for about $120.

Better have good warranties for such units...

[c_hegge]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

could there be fake compliance labels coming soon?

Thay already exist. Shaw, A-Power and Aywun all have models with faked 80plus logos.

On eBay Australia, a FSP 450W unit (80 Plus Silver) starts at about $100 and a 650W unit for about $120.

Better have good warranties for such units...

I know the ones you mean, but unfortunately, they use junk (CapXon) caps, so I hope they do come with a good warranty, as you're gonna need it.

[ratdude747]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

Sounds like a lot of honestly well made workstation PSU's that are 80+ bronze are off the market now... I'd hate to be a server/workstation builder over there.

[c_hegge]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

^
Yeah, I do think they could have allowed for 80plus bronze as well, especially when PSUs are more efficient here on 230V.

[Uranium-235]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

I guess this means OEM's like Dell and HP will start having to put those in their new offerings? That might limit the market over there. Way to further stunt the desktop market australia

[Pentium4]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

I like how the the PSU with the circle/cross is a Shaw just like the one you tested I think you are right though there will probably be quite a few fake 80+ units out there, at least they have good intentions?

[cheapie]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

Looks like we won't be seeing cheapies sold anymore in Aus.

I can't be sold in Australia any more?

[c_hegge]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

^

[Shocker]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

I have another idea: Would it be feasible to require a minimum 5-year warranty on PSUs???

[mariushm]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

Some companies already offer 5 to 7 years warranty for their higher end models.

My probably 1 year old already Seasonic X-650 has 5 year warranty, the Corsair 1200i I think (and possibly the other models ending with i) have 7 years warranty etc etc

You guys in Australia sure are getting screwed with the prices. I would think with Taiwan, China and the other countries so close to you, you would have reasonable prices.

Even with 24% vat we have in this stupid country (well, not the country, the people running it are stupid) the prices here are smaller at lots of power supplies. Not to mention I can just hop on Amazon.co.uk/.de/.fr and order one from outside.

Yeah, on topic... it's silly not to allow 80+ bronze, it's not much efficiency difference between the two standards.

I would probably make a law imposing a 25-50 cents per imported unit fee (or a smaller fee for chargers/adapters/wallwarts as those are still power supplies) which would go into establishing a lab and hiring engineers that would randomly buy power supplies from market and test them for EMI, safety, pfc, doing at least 90% of their advertised wattage for 6-8h continuously etc etc
If they're not good, block sale, give importer chance to fix issues if possible and pay for retesting and certification...

IMHO you just can't trust the importer to give you a random sample of units for testing, best way would probably to ask some random people to order a psu so the order is not traced back to the lab testing the power supplies

[Shocker]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

I know many high-end PSUs already have such warranties. The key word here is require.

Can't think of any excuse for one to fail in a shorter time.

[mariushm]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

No, I don't see the need for more than the already established minimum warranties.
In Europe, that's 2 years. 2 years is enough. 3 years would be better, but I wouldn't press on it.

People who buy cheap power supplies also buy the cheaper hardware, more unreliable, are also the people are less knowledgeable who may throw their computers away when Windows is screwed or when the next Windows version shows up.
They're also the type of people that won't take care of the computers, who never open up the case after the computer is bought, who don't clear the dust, so there's a large number of failures not caused by technical problems.

Pretty much any power supply can be killed if the owner doesn't blow out the dust at least once a year or so.

Longer warranties will not increase the reliability of such power supplies, the manufacturer will still get the same number of failures more or less, but you'll only increase the unit price because they'll have to cover for the increased number of failed power supplies the manufacturer will see in those 5 years.

See, the people who look at higher warranties, you just know they'll also take more care in the products they buy and are somewhat more knowledgeable about the product. The product will also be a bit more expensive and is generally bought by people that build their own computers and know how to take care of them. It's another market.

On my Seasonic X-650, the 12v mosfets are on the back side of the PCB with thermal pads linking them to the case of the power supply, so they're basically cooled

[Shocker]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

They're also the type of people that won't take care of the computers, who never open up the case after the computer is bought, who don't clear the dust, so there's a large number of failures not caused by technical problems.

Quite possibly because the big-name PC manufacturer tells them not to, or because they think it's dangerous to open up the PC case.

[mariushm]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

Or they just don't know or don't care how computers work.

For example, my mother has the habit of making various small things to put under vases or flower pots, similar to this thing (but with better colors and different shapes ) : http://www.etsy.com/listing/90943393...et-multi-color

She was so used to put stuff like this on top of the TV and as the old style crt tv had vents all over the back it was not a problem.

But she has a hard time understanding that it's not OK to put something like that on top of the computer tower because it blocks the vent on the back of the power supply (that's on top of the tower). To her, the white tower is just ugly and doesn't want to scratch the paint putting a vase or flower pot directly on the tower.

My mother would just call me if the computer stops working and I'll just have to replace the psu if it dies... now do you think she will stop putting stuff on top of pc after that? Yes, she will, for a few months, then she'll forget.

There's lots of people like my mother, and lots of people worse than my mother. She's a bit afraid to use the computer, so the computer is treated very well.. other people punch the pc, kick it, turn it off by pulling the plug etc etc etc

So anyway, while it may be nice to have larger warranties, for a big part of customers a warranty larger than 2-3 years won't affect them. But large warranties affect everyone, because everyone pays for that big warranty, the cost of the warranty is included in the sale price.

[ChaosLegionnaire]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

yea that law might just limit consumer choices for good power supplies. there are some good 240v only psus but in order to have 80plus certification, a psu must be universal ac capable. therefore, those good 240v only psus will have to go out the window.

vaguely remember seeing some sff psus that can go up till 90% efficiency but are 240v only. they really should phrase that law in a better manner instead due to that loophole in the 80 plus certification process. e.g. all psus sold should have a minumum of 85% efficiency at an input voltage of 240v.

[c_hegge]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

^
That's basically what the law states. If the PC is tested and has an 82/85/82% efficiency at 20/50/100% Load on 240V, it will pass. However, you don't have to have it tested if the PSU is 80plus silver or better.

[Heihachi_73]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

"There is a clause in the regulation where products that ship in quantities of less than 200 units will not need to comply with the rating..."

Which means that HongKongFlyApartCompany, LLC will simply ship their cheap and nasty 800W-which-is-really-350W PSUs through hundreds of different "small time" vendors with a myriad of new brand names in lots of 200 or less. If they can get away with selling pirated movies in the middle of shopping malls, they can get away with selling throwaway non-compliant electronics to budget-conscious buyers, fake CE "China Export" logo and all. Also, it won't stop anyone from buying and importing cheap and nasty PSUs from overseas (e.g. from eBay).

[c_hegge]

Re: Interesting new Australian law regarding PSUs

"There is a clause in the regulation where products that ship in quantities of less than 200 units will not need to comply with the rating..."

That is inaccurate. The only mention in the fact sheet of PCs that ship in quantities of less than 200 states that they don't need to be tested to comply if they use 80+ silver PSUs.

For a single computer model, with an annual manufacturing quantity of less than or equal to 200 units, it will be exempt from TEC requirements if it uses an 80Plus Silver internal power supply (IPS) or an external power supply (EPS) meeting the requirements of energy performance mark V.

However, I don't think this law will affect the sale of individual components much. I'm pretty shaw that HongKongFlyApart Company (R), LCC PSUs will still be available for repairs and for DIYers.