After reviewing a handful of power supplies rated for 1000W or higher, we pushed back and decided to take a look at some units with more reasonable power ratings. Sure, there may be systems that need some of these over-the-top power supplies, but the vast majority of people can do just fine with something in the neighborhood of 600W-900W (or even less).
Thermaltake's high quality computer components have been featured in numerous reviews at Bigbruin.com, but it wasn't until the start of this review that I realized that the last PSU to be covered was way back in 2006. This review is going to take a look at a 650W unit from Thermaltake that incorporates a number of interesting features focused on delivering a reliable, low noise unit that will hopefully highlight what they have been up to over the last couple years.
The Thermaltake Toughpower QFan 650W power supply is shown in the promotional image above, and other than an atypical color scheme, not much is revealed about what might make this unit interesting. Before taking a look at the power supply provided for review, let's take a look at some of its features and specifications as taken from the official product page on the Thermaltake website.
Features:
» Extremely Quiet 140mm ball-bearing fan decreases 17% noise level
» Stable 500W continuous output (at 50C operating environment)
» Complies with ATX 12V 2.2 & EPS 12V 2.91 version
» Three independent & dedicated +12V rails provide stable and superior performance for PC system
» Supports Dual Core CPU and all Multi-Core GPU technologies
» Modularized Cable Management to eliminate clutter and improve airflow inside the case
» Independent Voltage Circuit: offers unflappable current delivery under heavy load
» Strict voltage regulation (±3%): provides steady voltage for system
» Active Power Factor Correction (PF>0.99) and high efficiency (up to 85%)
» Protections: Over Current, Over Voltage, and Short-Circuit protection
» Safety / EMI Approvals: CE, CB, TUV, FCC, UL, CUL, and BSMI certified
» Warranty: 5 Years
Specifications:
» AC Input Voltage, Frequency: 115 VAC ~ 230 VAC, 47 ~ 63 Hz
» Input Current: 100VAC / 8.0A max., 200VAC / 4.0A max.
» DC Output:
» 12V1: 18A
» 12V2: 18A
» 12V3: 18A
» 12V4: 18A
» 5V: 28A
» 3.3V: 30A
» -12V: 0.8A
» +5VSB: 3.0A
» Maximum combined Wattage:
» +3.3V: 99W
» +5.0V: 140W
» +12.0V: 624W
» Over Voltage Protection:
» +3.3V trip point @ 4.5 Vmax
» +5.0V trip point @ 7.0 Vmax
» +12.0V trip point @15.6 Vmax
» Over Current Protection:
» Not over 240VA for +5V & +3.3V output voltage
» 19A to 25A for +12V rails
» Total Power: 650W
The key points from the lists above include that this is a modular power supply equipped with a special cooling fan and four 12V rails rated at 18A each. Compared to other power supplies we have reviewed with about the same total power output, the rails don't have the highest rating, but testing will determine what that means in the real world. With individual 12V rails, especially with lower current ratings, it is possible to overload a single rail while other rails may be relatively unused. Many manufacturers are getting back to a single 12V rail design because of this, as the power required by some graphics cards could max out weaker rails.
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