Cybenetics, the independent lab behind the ETA (efficiency) and LAMBDA (noise) badges seen on power supply boxes, has introduced a third certification program with a different goal. According to Hardware Busters, the new standard, called Cybenetics SAFE, does not grade how efficient or quiet a power supply is. It asks whether the unit is safe to plug in at all. The standard is live now at Revision 1.2, dated July 2026.
Unlike ETA and LAMBDA, SAFE has no tiers and no numeric score. A power supply either earns Cybenetics SAFE Certified status or it fails outright, and a single miss in any sub-item is enough to sink the entire result.
Why Budget PSUs Specifically
Cybenetics’ full performance protocol tests efficiency across more than 1,450 load combinations, a level of scrutiny built for premium enthusiast units. Hardware Busters reports that Cybenetics considers this approach impractical for the budget segment, which is exactly where SAFE is aimed: bundled units, budget office builds, entry-level gaming PCs, and OEM replacement power supplies bought mainly on price. These units still carry the same fire, shock, and component-damage risks as any switching power supply, and per Cybenetics’ own framing, the budget segment is where corners are most often cut on protection circuitry, wire gauge, and genuine safety certification.
What SAFE Actually Tests
The standard runs seven categories, each scored pass or fail:
| Category | Focus |
|---|---|
| A | Electrical Safety Bench Tests |
| B | AC Input Protection and Tolerance (line fuse, MOV/TVS surge parts, inrush limiting, brownout survival) |
| C | PSU Protection Features (OCP, OPP, OVP, SCP, OTP) |
| D | PWR_OK Signal and Timing |
| E | Regulation, Ripple, Turn-On Overshoot, and Power OK Signal Accuracy |
| F | Cabling and Connector Safety |
| G | Agency Certification Marking |
Hold-up time is measured and reported alongside these categories but is not itself scored pass or fail.
The cabling rules are specific: 18 AWG minimum on the 24-pin, EPS, and PCIe connectors, 16 AWG on the 12V-2×6 connector, and no single cable feeding two EPS plugs on any unit rated above 550 W.
What SAFE Is Not
SAFE supplements existing mandatory regulatory certifications rather than replacing them. According to Hardware Busters, Cybenetics scaled the protocol to budget economics in a few specific ways: there is no minimum hold-up time requirement, no dynamic step-load transient testing, and hipot, insulation-resistance, and ground-continuity figures are pulled from the manufacturer’s accredited ISO/IEC 17025 report rather than re-tested in-house. Cybenetics independently measures only leakage (touch) current on its own bench.
Every certified unit ships with a teardown-level parts breakdown covering capacitor brands and ratings, the PFC/PWM and protection ICs used, and the specific MOV/TVS and NTC components. Manufacturers can also enroll certified models in Cybenetics’ CybenPass program, which runs ongoing checks on retail samples after certification.
Quick Explainer: SAFE vs. ETA/LAMBDA
- ETA and LAMBDA grade performance (efficiency and acoustic noise) on a tiered scale, aimed at enthusiast and premium units.
- SAFE grades whether a unit is safe to operate at all, pass or fail only, aimed at budget and bundled units.
- A power supply can carry any combination of these badges independently. SAFE does not replace mandatory regulatory certification, it checks whether that certification is genuine.
FULL STORY: Cybenetics Launches SAFE: a Pass/Fail Safety Standard for Budget Power Supplies: https://b2g.to/fgr2g
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More info:
Cybenetics ETA (superior to 80 PLUS) and LAMBDA grade performance (efficiency and acoustic noise) on a tiered scale, aimed at enthusiast and premium units.
SAFE grades whether a unit is safe to operate at all, pass or fail only, aimed at budget and bundled units.
A power supply can carry any combination of these badges independently. SAFE does not replace mandatory regulatory certification, it checks whether that certification is genuine