Introduction and Features

The Toughpower 750W is Thermaltake’s newest flagship power supply targeted towards high-end power users and gamers who want a power supply with plenty of reserve capacity that is reliable, quiet and very efficient.

Thermaltake recently introduced five new power supplies in their Toughpower series, which range in output capacity from 600 to 750 watts.  These new models all feature a large 140mm cooling fan, high efficiency, active PFC, quiet operation, and ATX 12V 2.2 compliance.  In addition, the power supplies come with sleeved cables and include a silicone rubber mounting pad to help reduce noise.  We will be taking a detailed look at the top of the line Thermaltake Toughpower 750W PSU (W0117RU) in this review.

 

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Thermaltake Toughpower 750W Main Features

·         Up to 750 Watts continuous output power

·         ATX 12V 2.2 and EPS 12V compliant

·         140mm cooling fan with auto fan speed control for quiet operation

·         Tight voltage regulation (±3%)

·         High efficiency (83%) and Active PFC

·         Quad +12V outputs (up to 60A)

·         3-Year warranty

 

The Toughpower 750W power supply was evaluated on features and performance.  A full range of equipment was used to test the power supply under controlled load conditions.  In addition to measuring the power going in and coming out we looked at voltage regulation, electrical noise (AC ripple), airflow, sound level, efficiency and cost.  Here is a block diagram of the test bench setup and a list of the equipment I used during testing.

 

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  • FLUKE 87-III True RMS digital multimeter (Accuracy +/- 0.05% of 3-digit reading)
  • WattsUp? Pro — digital wattmeter and power analyzer (3% of displayed value)
  • Hitachi V-650F 60 MHz dual trace oscilloscope (Accuracy +/- 3% of input range)
  • Powerstat Variable Autotransformer, 1.4 KVA, 0-140 VAC
  • FLUKE  52-II digital thermometer (Accuracy +/- 0.3ºC/0.5ºF)
  • Extech Model 407736 digital sound level meter (Accuracy +/- 1.5 dB)
  • AccuLab V1-10kg digital balance (Accuracy +/- 1g)
  • Homemade PSU load tester — selectable loads (up to 470W)
  • Seasonic PSU load tester (up to 137W)

Establishing a controlled load is critical to testing and evaluating a PC power supply.  I built my own power supply load tester using 13 wire-wound, ceramic resistors of various sizes.  This unit can now place up to a 470 watt combined load onto the power supply being tested and includes independent +12V1 and +12V2 loads.  Different combinations of resistors can be switched in or out to select various loads.   In addition to my own load tester, I also used a load tester manufactured by Seasonic (75W and 137W loads).

 

The Toughpower 750W power supply is rated for a combined maximum load of 750 watts.  In addition to the power supply, the box also includes a power cord, mounting screws, printed User’s Manual, and a silicone rubber mounting gasket.  All of the cables are hard-wired, however there is another version of the Toughpower 750W that comes with modular peripheral cables.

 

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All the new Toughpower power supplies incorporate active power factor correction (PFC) so there is no AC line voltage selector switch on the rear panel.  Each unit has a power cord receptacle and On-Off switch.

 

Specifications (from the Thermaltake website)

  

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