Quick Answer
Power supply hold-up time measures duration unit maintains output voltages within specification after AC input loss. Internal bulk capacitors discharge stored energy, letting systems survive brief voltage sags or millisecond power interruptions. Verify manufacturer hold-up metrics before purchase. Deploy uninterruptible power supply hardware for true blackout protection.
Pros
- Blackwell architecture with DLSS 4 support is listed
- Dual BIOS lets you switch between Quiet and Performance profiles
- 2-slot design is listed for smaller chassis
- Dual ball fan bearings described as longer-lasting
- GPU Tweak III software is listed for tuning and monitoring
Cons
- No benchmark or verified performance results are listed
- Case clearance should be checked against listed dimensions
Pros
- 12GB GDDR6 memory, per manufacturer specifications
- Lists ray tracing support and AMD Infinity Cache
- PCI Express 4.0 interface and HDMI 2.1 output listed
- AMD RDNA 2 architecture named in the listing
Cons
- Renewed condition; the listing gives no condition details
- Listed weight of 1.1 lb conflicts with 4 lb package weight
- No customer reviews listed to verify performance
Pros
- 12GB GDDR6 memory, per manufacturer specifications
- AMD RDNA 2 architecture named in the listing title
- HDMI plus three DisplayPort outputs for multi-display setups
Cons
- Renewed condition; the listing gives no condition details
- No feature bullets or customer reviews listed to verify claims
What Hold-Up Time Means
Hold-up time is the interval during which a power supply unit (PSU) keeps its DC output rails within regulation after the AC input is lost. It is set by the energy stored in the primary-side bulk capacitor, which sits on the output of the active power factor correction (PFC) stage. The ATX design guidelines require at least 16 ms at 100% rated load, measured at nominal line input. Later ATX 3.x revisions raise this figure slightly. The current Intel design guide should be consulted for the exact value of a given revision.
The specification defines two timing points that matter in practice:
- AC loss to PWR_OK de-assertion: at least 16 ms at full load. The PSU keeps signaling a valid state while the rails are still good.
- PWR_OK de-assertion to rail collapse: at least 1 ms. This is the warning window the motherboard uses to halt the CPU and chipset cleanly before the rails fall out of tolerance.
The Energy Equation Behind the Number
The stored energy available to the DC-DC stage follows E = ½ × C × (V₁² − V₂²). V₁ is the bulk capacitor voltage at the moment of AC loss, typically 380-400 V DC from a boost PFC stage. V₂ is the minimum voltage at which the main converter (usually an LLC resonant half-bridge) can still hold regulation, commonly 280-320 V DC depending on topology and design margin.
For related maintenance and equipment benchmarks, review our technical guides on best gaming pcs, examine vr gaming pc specifications, and compare desktop gaming systems. You can also reference our analyses on 4k gaming desktops and multitasking gaming pcs. For industry engineering standards, consult PCI-SIG specification standards.
