Question Can using a 1200W PSU at low load levels (~5%/50-60W) for days/weeks cause damage?

[Morgray]

As the title suggests, I would like to ask if using a 1200W PSU for example the beQuiet Dark Power Pro 11 1200W at very low loads for long perios of time damage the PSU?

I am asking because the PC may sit idle for days/weeks on end roughly consuming between 50-60 W and I read on Tom's that running a (1200W) PSU at such a low load can indeed cause damage. Is this true?

Tom's Hardware Post I am referencing: https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/power-supply-efficiency-myths.194370/#post-2959428

"On large PSUs, I still recommend You s limit the max size so that Idle power is at least 10 %., Provided you can still stay below the 80% at max load. Reason for the 80% is more a longevity issue than cost savings. By design Very low power is hard on PWM circuits employed in Switching PSU. In fact the Initial Computer Power supplies would go up in smoke if Power output was zero (NO LOAD) - after a few years this was corrected (initially added resistor to provide a bias current - Then added a safty circuit to simply switch PSU off when No load is detected.. May be wrong on this but when the duty cycle becomes close to zero current accually goes very high" by RetiredChief

 

[Mr Evil]

No, it will cope without any probem. New, good quality PSUs have design features especially to make them more efficient at low load. Even old ones are fine - I have a cheap 500W PSU sitting next to me that runs at about 30W AC (given the efficiency of it, it's probably no more than 15W DC, or 3% of max load) for quite a lot of the day, and it's been fine for 7 years like that (and it was already a few years old when moved into that role).

 

[UsandThem]

+1 on the above post.

All you'll likely do is lose a little efficiency running such a small load. It won't hurt or damage anything.

 

[KentState]

I turn on sleep for my desktops that have 1kw supplies have not seen any issues. I doubt that they even draw 30w in that state.

 

[Morgray]

Thank you guys very much for the answers