The 80 Plus logo program, by Plug Load Solutions, has become a ubiquitous means for consumers to grade the functional quality of their PC power supply units (PSUs). The PSU is a vital component, as a durable one ensures you needn't replace it for years; and it reliably powers all the components in your PC. 80 Plus confines itself to the electrical switching efficiency of the PSU as a unit of grading, and assigns one of six grades, which are probably easier for consumers to grasp than grading by technically-superior certification agencies such as Cybenetics. An investigative article by Igor's Lab uncovers that licensing body has apparently significantly increased its licensing fees, which PSU manufacturers could pass on to consumers, especially in case of some of the lower-volume models.

The Igor's Lab article cites an 80 Plus licensing and certification policy document to reveal the cost-structure for certification, including what it costs for a manufacturer to enroll (a one-time license fee), and testing fees per unit. The "unit" here refers to an individual SKU, it is a flat fee and does not apply on a per-unit-sold basis. Per-SKU would mean each variant of a model has to be separately certified as it's a different SKU (for example, Corsair's HX series would be a model, and HX750W and HX850W would be "variants", and treated as two separate certifications).