The digital or electronic ballast ,simply outperforms magnetic counterparts. The digital ballast operates 30% more efficiently, is much smaller, and thus produces less heat than a magnetic ballast. The biggest advancement digital ballasts made is their dimmable function. This allows growers to regulate wattages, and fine-tune the light intensity to what they want their plants to receive at a given time. The main complaint about digital balances is the RFI they create, so be sure your ballast features RFI or EFI shielding!