PSU 110V vs 220V

[milesuy]

I have an AVR that has 220V and 110V output.

• Would a PSU last longer if I use the 110V output?
• Does 220V or 110V use less power (lower electric bill)?
• Where would you recommend plugging in the PSU 110V or 220V?

 

Edit: Forgot to mention that this PSU is used on a mining PC and a gaming PC.

Edit 2: AVR mean Automatic Voltage Regulator. 

Edited August 23, 2021 by milesuy

[GuiltySpark_]

Where do you live? What country? You don't get to choose which voltage your equipment uses, if you live in the US we use 110V, Europe 220V. 

 

Can you explain a little more about what you're doing here? AVR.. so a home theater type receiver? What does this have to do with a PSU? 

 

This post is incredibly confusing.

 

https://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plug-voltage-by-country/

[Glenwing]

2 minutes ago, rickeo said:

if you live in the US we use 110V, Europe 220V.

(US is 120 V and Europe is 230 V actually )

[Electronics Wizardy]

If you can pick, id go 240v, as psus re more efficent that voltage.

[milesuy]

4 minutes ago, rickeo said:

Where do you live? What country? You don't get to choose which voltage your equipment uses, if you live in the US we use 110V, Europe 220V. 

 

Can you explain a little more about what you're doing here? AVR.. so a home theater type receiver? What does this have to do with a PSU? 

 

This post is incredibly confusing.

I have a gaming PC and my AVR has 220V and 110V outlets. My gaming PC's PSU can accept 110V and 220V. Where should I plug it, and is there any advantage if I used 110V or 220V?

I live in the Philippines and our outlets are 220V.

[GuiltySpark_]

5 minutes ago, milesuy said:

I have a gaming PC and my AVR has 220V and 110V outlets. My gaming PC's PSU can accept 110V and 220V. Where should I plug it, and is there any advantage if I used 110V or 220V?

I live in the Philippines and our outlets are 220V.

I still don't know what this AVR is, is it a home theater type receiver? Don't plug your PC into that if that's what it is, you want to plug it directly into a wall outlet. Surge protectors and UPS's are obviously fine but not through another devices.

 

Please, tell us exactly what this "AVR" is you're mentioning.

 

[Oshino Shinobu]

6 minutes ago, milesuy said:

I have a gaming PC and my AVR has 220V and 110V outlets. My gaming PC's PSU can accept 110V and 220V. Where should I plug it, and is there any advantage if I used 110V or 220V?

I live in the Philippines and our outlets are 220V.

Both will work. Vast majority of the world (Including the Philippines) uses 220-240v so I'd just stick with that, no particular reason to use 110v. 

 

Just make sure if you're using 220v, you have your PSU set to 220v if there's a manual switch. 

[milesuy]

Just now, rickeo said:

I still don't know what this AVR is, is it a home theater type receiver? Don't plug your PC into that if that's what it is, you want to plug it directly into a wall outlet. Surge protectors and UPS's are obviously fine but not through another devices.

 

Please, tell us exactly what this "AVR" is you're mentioning.

AVR means Automatic Voltage Regulator. My AVR has the feature that "steps-down" the voltage from 220V to 110V.

[GuiltySpark_]

1 minute ago, milesuy said:

AVR means Automatic Voltage Regulator. My AVR has the feature that "steps-down" the voltage from 220V to 110V.

Is that a common acronym people use? That's Audio/Video Receiver whenever in the context I see commonly. Just use whatever your country uses. 

[CommanderAlex]

21 minutes ago, Glenwing said:

(US is 120 V and Europe is 230 V actually )

 

25 minutes ago, rickeo said:

if you live in the US we use 110V, Europe 220V. 

Also, 120V is really more residential, whereas 240V and 480V starts to become industrial (240V can and will be found in most US homes, as many appliances such as central-air conditioners and electric dryers, air compressors, will use 240V). 

[milesuy]

13 minutes ago, rickeo said:

Is that a common acronym people use? That's Audio/Video Receiver whenever in the context I see commonly. Just use whatever your country uses. 

I'm not sure about that, but it is a commonly used acronym in my country.

Examples:

https://shopee.ph/APC-UPS-650VA-360W-Uninterruptible-Power-Supply-(BVX650I-PH-Easy-UPS-4-Outlet-AVR-Surge)-i.432523784.8549474511?position=26#:~:text=UPS%2C 4 outlets%2C-,AVR,-/Surge) 100% Genuine

 

https://shopee.ph/Akari-AVR-500W-Servo-Motor-75-Copper-Wire-(AVR-SVC-500)-FREE-Extension-Cord(AEC-H1013)-Buy-1-Get-1-i.29256376.1876264039?position=52

 

https://shopee.ph/Panther-PVE-500-D-AVR-Relay-Type-Output-220V-AC-with-3-5-minutes-Power-on-Delay-i.226793333.7536778281?position=48#:~:text=Panther-,AVR,-Relay Type PVE

[Spotty]

7 minutes ago, rickeo said:

Is that a common acronym people use? 

Yes. AVR is the acronym for automatic voltage regulator. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_regulator

 

AVR's are more common in regions with poor mains power or when using a petrol generator where the voltage can fluctuate and drop. If you live somewhere with stable mains power you probably don't need an AVR.

 

39 minutes ago, milesuy said:

• Would a PSU last longer if I use the 110V output?
• Does 220V or 110V use less power (lower electric bill)?
• Where would you recommend plugging in the PSU 110V or 220V?

220V will be better for the power supply. Using 110V means double the current which is harder on the PSU. Power supplies are also more efficient at 220V.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, milesuy said:

I have a gaming PC and my AVR has 220V and 110V outlets. My gaming PC's PSU can accept 110V and 220V. Where should I plug it, and is there any advantage if I used 110V or 220V?

I live in the Philippines and our outlets are 220V.

Just leave it at 220V.  Switching from 220V to 110V is very inefficient.

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, rickeo said:

Is that a common acronym people use?

Yes.  Of course.  We're in the power supply subforums.  AVR is Automatic Voltage Regulator.  

[GuiltySpark_]

11 minutes ago, jonnyGURU said:

Yes.  Of course.  We're in the power supply subforums.  AVR is Automatic Voltage Regulator.  

I suppose, its just not something I've ever heard people talk about but I don't live where that's something people commonly have. 

 

AVR to me is Audio/Video Receiver and In my mind, I thought he was trying to plug his PC into the back of one which is a terrible idea.

 

[mariushm]

Keep the voltage the same as your country's voltage. In your case, 220v. 

 

Devices are more efficient at higher voltage. For example, a power supply may be 90% efficient producing 100 watts to components with 110v input, but may be 92% efficient producing those 100 watts with 220v input.

Computer power supplies that have a wide input range (for example 90v AC ..250v AC) do this by having an Active PFC circuit which boosts whatever input voltage you have to around 400-420v, and then use that voltage internally. This means less power is wasted in the form of heat in the power supply, because the power supply has to work harder to boost 110v to the internal 400v compared to boosting 220v to 400v. 

 

The AVR most likely uses a transformer  with multiple secondary taps to regulate the output voltage, but it may have a pass-through feature where if you have 220v AC input and you configure it for 220v AC output then it's a direct connection between outlets and you don't waste energy. 

If the AVR has to adjust voltage, then the energy goes through the internal transformer and that means there are losses in the transformer so you waste money there, and for devices that can accept a wide input voltage range, it's a pointless process - the device would accept 200v just as well as it would accept 240v, you don't need an AVR with such devices.