80 PLUS price hike may mean higher PSU prices

German tech site Igor's Lab points out that 80 PLUS is hiking its prices next year. While 80 PLUS has its flaws, it's become so ubiquitous that the logo carries a lot of value to a lot of enthusiasts. But to get 80 PLUS certified, power supply companies have to pay a lot of money to get units tested.

The company behind 80 PLUS has reportedly announced a significant price increase that will go into effect in 2021. While the impact may not be that big for PSUs that are sold in large volumes, there may be a noticeable impact on the pricing of lower-volume PSUs:

Plug Load Solutions has reportedly increased its per-SKU certification price by 3x. For a new model launched after 2021, this would mean an increase in flat licensing fees by tens of thousands of Dollars. If a manufacturer launched a PSU in 450 W, 550 W, 650 W, 750 W, 850 W, and 1000 W, they pay a flat $21,000. Interestingly, Igor's Lab reports that a manufacturer has to pay the licensing fees even for an OEM/whitebox PSU model that has already been certified by 80 Plus. The "OEM" here refers to the likes of CWT, Seasonic, HEC, Fortron, etc., who contract-manufacture PSUs for others. If a generic 650 W certified model is re-branded by a manufacturer, it incurs re-brand licensing fees.

Whether manufacturers will dare to drop 80 PLUS remains to be seen.

Source: TechPowerUp