Overclockers Club » Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W Power Supply Review

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W Power Supply Review

paulktreg - 2011-05-10 13:36:33 in Power Supplies

Category: Power Supplies
Reviewed by: paulktreg
Reviewed on: October 18, 2011
Price: $359.99

Introduction:

Thermaltake Technology Co. Ltd., founded in 1999, manufactured the world's first turbine cooler for the Intel Pentium and AMD Athlon series processors in 2000. The Golden Orb was followed by the all copper Volcano 7 cooler in 2001 the same year Thermaltake became Intel's premier cooler solution provider in Asia Pacific. The company has moved on since then and now includes enclosures, power supplies, coolers for most applications, HDD enclosures, DC cooling fans and gaming accessories in its product line.

Following on from the recently tested Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1200W power supply OCC will be putting the Toughpower 1350W power supply through its paces this time around. The Toughpower series of power supplies offer +87% efficiency, a modular cable system, Nvidia SLI and AMD/ATI Crossfire certification along with power protection and performance that today's cutting-edge PC components require. Let's have a look at the power supply and see how well it performs.

Closer Look:

The Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W is packaged in a rather large box with a faded photograph of fan grill and modular cable connector panel on its lid along with some of the main features with model and wattage in black on a silver background. Five year warranty, Tt Eco-Friendly, 80 Plus Silver, SLI/Crossfire and AMD Game logos complete the picture. The bottom face of the box carries the technical specification and features which includes the types and quantities of connectors, a specification table, efficiency/load graph and technology features which include the use of 105°C Japanese sourced capacitors and the DC to DC convertors to improve efficiency. The side panels show the Thermaltake trade mark and both end panels give a list of the important features in twelve different languages.

Lift the lid and the user manual sits on top of the white foam enclosed power supply with the captive cables and modular cable bag tucked neatly down the side. The Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W power supply is enclosed in a black felt drawstring bag and comes with a good set of accessories that includes Velcro ties, case badge, mounting screws and power cord.

The Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W power supply is very well packaged and comes with a good set of accessories. All's well here so let's have a closer look at the power supply.

Closer Look:

The finish on the Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W power supply is a slightly textured matt black paint that tends to resist finger prints and offers a certain level of scratch resistance.

A hexagonal holed exhaust grill, mains input IEC connector and a large mains on/off rocker switch along with a small sticker indicating a universal mains input voltage of 115VAC to 230VAC make up the back panel. The front face of the power supply contains a small exhaust grill that will introduce a little warm air back into the enclosure along with the modular cable connector panel and captive cable exit port. There isn't any cable protection on the exit port but the metal edge is rounded and smooth and the cables and braided sleeve are firmly held in place with a cable tie just inside the power supply housing to prevent cable movement so damage won't be a problem. The modular connector panel is colour coded to assist in the wiring up process; 8 pin red connectors for the PCI-E cables, 6 pin black connectors for peripherals and a 8 pin black connector for the EPS12V cable.

The side panel most often visible is covered with a good quality label in silver and black with the Thermaltake logo and power supply wattage clearly shown along with a 80 Plus Silver logo. The fan grill is pressed from the metal enclosure which does away with the need for a separate metal wire type grill. The underside of the power supply carries a comprehensive specification label that includes the specification table, agency conformance marks and the usual warning about the dangers of opening up the power supply.

The captive cable set consists of a 24 pin motherboard connector and a 4+4 pin ATX12V/EPS12V connector, a sensible configuration that most users will definitely need. It's worth noting here that the motherboard connector doesn't split for use on older 20 pin motherboards but that facility just isn't needed on a 1350W power supply. The captive cable set is well made with plenty of connectors available and what's nice to see is six 8 pin PCI-E cables that use the full set of eight cables, no links or doubling up of wires into a single connector. In order to make up the full complement of eight PCI-E connectors Thermaltake have included two unbraided 4 pin peripheral to PCI-E adaptor cables which is a little disappointing but I imagine they'll very rarely be needed.

The 140mm cooling fan is a Thermaltake TT-1425B manufactured by Yate Loon with a part number of D14BM-12(L-SSS); a good quality 12VDC fan with a maximum speed of 1400RPM, air flow of 62.0CFM and a reasonably quiet noise level of 29dB.

The printed circuit board is a little untidy and cluttered in places but with 1350W, even with the extra length, there's not much room. Two independent +12V power supplies can be clearly seen and this is hinted at by the specification table which shows 12V1 supplying the 3V3 DC to DC convertor and 12V2 the 5V DC to DC convertor judging by the combined wattages. This power supply is manufactured by CWT and uses Nippon Chemi-Con 105°C rated electrolytic capacitors as stated on the packaging.

The Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W is well packaged with a good set of accessories. It's a little untidy internally but the visible soldering is satisfactory and they've had to squeeze a lot in there but it shouldn't be a problem. Let's have a look at the specification and features then see how well it performs.

Specification:

Review Sample: Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W Power Supply, Part Number TP-1350M.

Ratings Table:

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W Specification Table (Model No. TP-1350M)
AC Input	115-230VAC 15A 50-60Hz
DC Output	3V3	12V1	5V0	12V2	-12V	5VSB
Maximum Load	25A	60A	25A	60A	0.8A	3.5A
Max Combined	750W		750W		9.6W	17.5W
Max Power	1350W

System Protection:

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W Power Supply (TP-1350M) System Protection
DC Rail	Over Current Protection	Over Voltage Protection	Under Voltage Protection
DC Rail	Protection Point
+3V3	48A Max	4.5V Max	2.0V~2.4V
+5V0	48A Max	7.0V Max	3.3V~3.7V
+12V	85A Max	15.6V Max	8.5V~9.5V
Short Circuit Protection: All output to ground.
Over Power Protection: Protection at 110%~150% full load.
Over Temperature Protection: PSU shuts down when temperature over 120°C.

Safety & Agency Approvals:

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W Power Supply EMI & Safety (Model No. TP-1350M)
EMI Regulatory	FCC, CISPR22 & BSMI.
Safety Standards	GOST-R, CUL/UL, TUV, CB & CE.

Power Supply Physical Characteristics:

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W Power Supply (TP-1350M) Physical & Environmental
Length	Width	Height	Weight
7.9in/200mm	5.9in/150mm	3.4in/86mm	X.Xlb/X.Xkg
Operating Temperature: 0°C to +50°C.
Operating Humidity: 20% to 90% non-condensing.
Mean Time Before Failure (MTBF): 120,000 hours minimum.

Power Supply Connectors:

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W Power Supply (TP-1350M) Connectors
20+4 Pin Motherboard	Captive	1
ATX12V 4+4 Pin	Captive	1
EPS12V 8 Pin	Modular	1
PCI-E 6+2 Pin	Modular	6
PCI-E 6+2 Pin	Adapter	1
PCI-E 6 Pin	Adapter	1
SATA Power	Modular	12
Peripheral 4 Pin	Modular	8
FDD 4 Pin	Modular	1

Power Supply Cable Lengths:

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W (TP-1350M) Power Supply Cable Lengths
Captive	PSU > 22" > 24 Pin Motherboard	1
Captive	PSU > 22" > 4+4 Pin ATX12V	1
Modular	PSU > 22" > 8 Pin EPS12V	1
Modular	PSU > 22" > PCI-E 6+2 Pin	6
Adapter	2 x Peripheral > 4" > PCI-E 6+2 Pin	1
Adapter	2 x Peripheral > 4" > PCI-E 6 Pin	1
Modular	PSU > 22" > SATA > 6" > SATA > 6" > SATA > 6" > SATA	3
Modular	PSU > 22" > Peripheral > 6" > Peripheral > 6" > Peripheral > 6" > Peripheral	1
Modular	PSU > 22" > Periph. > 6" > Periph. > 6" > Periph. > 6" > Periph. > 6" > FDD	1

Features:

Exactly as printed in the user manual.

Compliance with Intel ATX 12V 2.3 & SSI EPS 12V 2.91 standards.
24/7 @ 50°C: Guaranteed to deliver 1350W continuous power.
80 PLUS Silver certified - with 87-91% efficiency @ 20-100% load under real world load conditions.
Double-forward switching circuitry offers low power loss and high reliability.
Unparalleled DC to DC convertors for 3V3 and 5V outputs to reach high efficiency.
Robust and dedicated dual +12V rails (60A for 12V1 & 12V2) design provides superior performance under all types of system loading.
High quality 105°C Japanese capacitors: ensure superb performance and reliability.
105°C Solid state capacitors: great stability at higher operating temperatures, frequencies and currents.
Multi-GPU ready: 8 x PCI-E connectors for PCI-Express graphics cards.
Designed to support quad core, Core i7 and Core i5 CPUs.
Active Power Factor Correction (PFC) with PF value of 0.99 at 20%, 50% and 100% loading.
Ultra-silent operation with intelligent 140mm cooling fan speed control.
High reliability: MTBF>120,000 hours.
Dimensions: 150mm(W)x86mm(H)x200mm(L).
Buil-in industry grade protections: Over Current, Over Voltage, Under Voltage, Over Power, Over Temperature and Short Circuit protection.
Safety/EMI Approvals: CE, TUV, FCC, UL, CUL, GOST, and BSMI certified.

All information courtesy of Thermaltake @ http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1245&ID=1985

Testing:

For more information on how we test our power supplies, please browse our testing methodology.

Short Circuit Protection:

I short circuited the 3V3, 5V0 and the 12V rail(s) in turn. The power supply did shut down, and once the short was removed and the unit switched off for at least one second, resumed normal operation. Although listed here at the beginning of the testing section, I tend to leave this test until the very end, in case it doesn't quite go to plan.

DC Output Voltage Load Regulation:

For the purposes of showing the results I have treated the 12V1 and 12V2 rails as a single rail. The measured voltage of both rails was virtually identical and the 12V load split approximately 50/50 across 12V1 and 12V2.

Mains Input Voltage 110VAC

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W (TP-1350M) DC Output Voltage Load Regulation
Supply = 117VAC/50Hz
PSU DC Rail	Rail Loading	Measured Voltage	Permitted Regulation	Actual Regulation
+3.3V	0	3.34V	3.3V±5%	+1.2%
+5V	0	5.11V	5.0V±5%	+2.2%
+12V	0	12.24V	12.0V±5%	+2.0%
-12V	0	12.44V	12.0V±10%	+3.7%
+5VSB	0	5.11V	5.0V±5%	+2.2%
Total PSU DC Loading = 0W (0% of Rated Maximum Output Power)

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W (TP-1350M) DC Output Voltage Load Regulation
Supply = 115VAC/50Hz
PSU DC Rail	Rail Loading	Measured Voltage	Permitted Regulation	Actual Regulation
+3.3V	3.19A	3.35V	3.3V±5%	+1.5%
+5V	4.83A	5.11V	5.0V±5%	+2.2%
+12V	18.07A	12.23V	12.0V±5%	+1.9%
-12V	0.35A	11.80V	12.0V±10%	-1.6%
+5VSB	2.08A	4.94V	5.0V±5%	-1.2%
Total PSU DC Loading = 271W (20% of Rated Maximum Output Power)

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W (TP-1350M) DC Output Voltage Load Regulation
Supply = 112VAC/50Hz
PSU DC Rail	Rail Loading	Measured Voltage	Permitted Regulation	Actual Regulation
+3.3V	8.11A	3.37V	3.3V±5%	+2.1%
+5V	9.60A	5.11V	5.0V±5%	+2.2%
+12V	45.53A	12.22V	12.0V±5%	+1.8%
-12V	0.36A	11.87V	12.0V±10%	-1.1%
+5VSB	2.08A	4.91V	5.0V±5%	-1.8%
Total PSU DC Loading = 647W (48% of Rated Maximum Output Power)

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W (TP-1350M) DC Output Voltage Load Regulation
Supply = 107VAC/50Hz
PSU DC Rail	Rail Loading	Measured Voltage	Permitted Regulation	Actual Regulation
+3.3V	12.55A	3.38V	3.3V±5%	+2.4%
+5V	14.44A	5.11V	5.0V±5%	+2.2%
+12V	94.53A	12.21V	12.0V±5%	+1.7%
-12V	0.37A	11.96V	12.0V±10%	-0.3%
+5VSB	1.96A	4.90V	5.0V±5%	-2.0%
Total PSU DC Loading = 1284W (95% of Rated Maximum Output Power)

Mains Input Voltage 230VAC

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W (TP-1350M) DC Output Voltage Load Regulation
Supply = 248VAC/50Hz
PSU DC Rail	Rail Loading	Measured Voltage	Permitted Regulation	Actual Regulation
+3.3V	0	3.35V	3.3V±5%	+1.5%
+5V	0	5.11V	5.0V±5%	+2.2%
+12V	0	12.24V	12.0V±5%	+2.0%
-12V	0	12.45V	12.0V±10%	+3.7%
+5VSB	0	5.11V	5.0V±5%	+2.2%
Total PSU DC Loading = 0W (0% of Rated Maximum Output Power)

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W (TP-1350M) DC Output Voltage Load Regulation
Supply = 244VAC/50Hz
PSU DC Rail	Rail Loading	Measured Voltage	Permitted Regulation	Actual Regulation
+3.3V	3.19A	3.36V	3.3V±5%	+1.8%
+5V	4.81A	5.12V	5.0V±5%	+2.4%
+12V	18.13A	12.23V	12.0V±5%	+1.9%
-12V	0.36A	11.90V	12.0V±10%	-0.8%
+5VSB	2.08A	4.92V	5.0V±5%	-1.6%
Total PSU DC Loading = 271W (20% of Rated Maximum Output Power)

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W (TP-1350M) DC Output Voltage Load Regulation
Supply = 240VAC/50Hz
PSU DC Rail	Rail Loading	Measured Voltage	Permitted Regulation	Actual Regulation
+3.3V	8.19A	3.37V	3.3V±5%	+2.1%
+5V	9.60A	5.11V	5.0V±5%	+2.2%
+12V	46.36A	12.22V	12.0V±5%	+1.8%
-12V	0.36A	11.89V	12.0V±10%	-0.9%
+5VSB	2.08A	4.91V	5.0V±5%	-1.8%
Total PSU DC Loading = 658W (49% of Rated Maximum Output Power)

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W (TP-1350M) DC Output Voltage Load Regulation
Supply = 237VAC/50Hz
PSU DC Rail	Rail Loading	Measured Voltage	Permitted Regulation	Actual Regulation
+3.3V	12.97A	3.38V	3.3V±5%	+2.4%
+5V	14.32A	5.11V	5.0V±5%	+2.2%
+12V	94.78A	12.21V	12.0V±5%	+1.7%
-12V	0.37A	11.99V	12.0V±10%	-0.1%
+5VSB	1.97A	4.89V	5.0V±5%	-2.2%
Total PSU DC Loading = 1288W (95.5% of Rated Maximum Output Power)

The Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W power supply produced an excellent set of results in this section. The power supplies ability to maintain the major rails at a more or less constant voltage from zero to full load is particularly impressive. No problems here, so let's move on.

Testing:

Efficiency and Power Factor:

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W (TP-1350M) Efficiency & Power Factor
Supply = 110VAC/50Hz
DC Load (W)	0	271	647	1284
DC Load As A Percent Of Maximum	N/A	20	48	95
Efficiency (%)	N/A	88	87	84
Power Factor (PF)	0.83	0.99	0.99	0.99

The Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W is certified 80 Plus Silver which requires 85%, 88% and 85% efficiency at 20%, 50% and 100% DC loading with a power factor of 0.9 or greater at 50% DC loading. Power factor levels are rarely a problem, as is the case here, and the Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W gets closer than most to the efficiency requirements, 88%, 87% and 84%, following the OCC power supply testing methodology.

Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W (TP-1350M) Efficiency & Power Factor
Supply = 230VAC/50Hz
DC Load (W)	0	271	658	1288
DC Load As A Percent Of Maximum	N/A	20	49	95.5
Efficiency (%)	N/A	88	89	87
Power Factor (PF)	0.38	0.92	0.96	0.98

Lower power factor levels and better efficiency from a 230VAC supply but still very good.

Once again an excellent set of results from the Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W but what about electrical noise on the rails? Let's move on and take a look.

AC Ripple On DC Outputs:

I have consistently found the AC ripple levels on the DC rails to be more or less equal with an 110VAC or 230VAC mains supply. The results given below are for 230VAC only but I will continue to check the levels at 110VAC during testing and publish them below if there are any significant differences.