Seasonic has not only updated their PSUs as they have also adapted to modern times by offering excellent products at affordable prices. Some years ago, it would have been impossible to find such an incredibly well-performing unit for a price tag below $200, but the increase in competition has apparently reduced prices, so users in need of a strong high-quality PSU don't have to empty their wallets completely anymore. Since Titanium units have become available, Gold-certified ones are also more often than not considered mid-end. The product I evaluated today costs 170 bucks and offers very high performance levels that can easily be compared to almost all Platinum units. Put official certification labels aside and the practical difference in efficiency between this model and its Platinum sibling is very low, and it surely doesn't justify the huge price gap of around 60 bucks. If you are a smart buyer who actually reads product reviews and doesn't decide on the next purchase solely based on marketing material or on the efficiency certification, you will have already figured that the Gold-certified SS-1050XM2 offers much more performance for the buck than the very expensive Platinum SS-1050XP3. Both are based on the same platform with only minimal component differences that allow for a slightly higher efficiency at normal loads with the Platinum-certified unit.

The Gold-certified SS-1050XM2 packs very good performance and is incredibly reliable, thanks to its Japanese components. If you need to save a significant amount of money and a 1.77% efficiency drop isn't import to you, pick this unit over its excellently performing sibling, the Platinum SS-1050XP3. This PSU's only downside is its noisy fan—it could have been much quieter had Seasonic only loosened up its fan profile or endowed it with a longer semi-passive operation. Such an incredibly efficient unit won't produce much heat, so lower fan speeds wouldn't threaten this unit's reliability over time. The recently released Seasonic Snow Silent unit seems to offer a silent fan profile, and we will thankfully soon see a Gold-certified version of the unit with a lower price tag.