Difference between Linear Power Supply and SMPS:

The Difference between Linear Power Supply and SMPS is given in table below

Features

Linear Power Supply

SMPS

Efficiency 25-50 per cent 65-75 per cent
Temperature rise 50-100 °C 20-40 °C
Ripple value Even 5 mV possible Higher, 25 to 50 mV
Overall regulation Even 0.1% is possible 0.3% is common, tighter regulation is difficult to have
Magnetic material Use of stalloy or CRGO core Use of ferrite core
Weight 20-30 W/kg About 60 W/kg
Cost Advantageous for smaller units up to 10-15 W, but bigger units are costlier Higher cost because of more and special components
Reliability More reliable Depends upon availability of suitable transistors
Transient response Faster (in μs) Slower (in ms)
RF interference None Can pose problem unless properly shielded
Complexity Less More