| Thermaltake Toughpower QFan 650W Power Supply
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Conclusion:
In use, the Thermaltake Toughpower QFan 650W power supply is very impressive; providing excellent voltage regulation and near silent operation. Most high quality power supplies these days aim to be quiet, but Thermaltake takes a few extra steps to guarantee it on this unit.
The aesthetics of the unit are a little bit different from the norm, but everything is well done. The housing has a metallic finish that would be best described as the color putty, while also using a white fan. The hard-wired cables are well finished, with a rubber ring protecting them from abrasion where they enter the housing. All of the modular cables are also well done, with black mesh that is finished neatly using heatshrink tubing.
Speaking of the cables, the combination of hard-wired and modular cables was one area that struck me as odd with this unit. The 24-pin motherboard cable and an 8-pin PCI Express cable were hard-wired to the unit, while the 8/4-pin 12V cable was provided as modular. Many systems might not need this PCI Express cable, but they probably will need the 8/4-pin cable, making it seem more reasonable to have these two swapped.
There should be plenty of connections for drives and other peripherals, but the number of PCI Express connections makes it clear that this unit was not designed for high end gaming systems. Many units today have a total of four PCI Express connections, where this one offers a total of three. You have two modular 6-pin connections, and the one hard-wired 8-pin connection that can be adapted to become another 6-pin connection. With some high end cards requiring two PCI Express power connections, it is clear you just don't have enough connections to run more than one of these cards on this PSU.
Seeing the price for the Thermaltake Toughpower QFan 650W power supply leads to the biggest block to getting too excited about it. It is available from numerous online retailers, including Newegg.com where the price is $169.99 before tax or shipping. While this is most definitely a high quality power supply, the price is higher than comparable units with similar features and specifications. The 680W (non-modular) BFG Tech unit used in this review sells for $50 less ($75 after rebate), and modular units with similar total power ratings from Corsair, Antec, and BFG Tech might set you back $20-$50 less.
The performance and near silent operation of this power supply are definitely top notch, making it worth considering for a mid-range gaming system or HTPC. The key is finding a good deal, and being sure that the arrangement of hard-wired and modular cables will work for your build.
All things considered, the Thermaltake Toughpower QFan 650W power supply earns the Bigbruin.com awards of "Recommended" and "Whisper Quiet".
 
Pros:
» Solid performance
» Extremely quiet
» High efficiency
» Modular cables
» Well finished cables with black mesh sleeving and black/red connectors
» Includes rubber mounting gasket for vibration isolation
Cons:
» Expensive!
» Odd arrangement of PCI Express connections
» Funky color combination of metallic putty and white
» Four 12V rails, each rated for only 18A
Special thanks to Thermaltake for providing the Thermaltake Toughpower QFan 650W Power Supply to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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