Thermaltake Toughpower 1500W PSU

ThermalTake Toughpower 1500W W1071 PSU

Manufacturer: Thermaltake
UK Price (as reviewed): £179.78 (inc. VAT)

There will always be those who want or need the extreme end of things and for that Thermaltake has them catered for with a full one thousand five hundred watts of power to keep them happy. Let’s be clear now: the average user doesn’t need this much power, but this PSU isn’t specced to be average – it's the most powerful unit that Thermaltake currently offers.

When we came to review 3-way SLI the first time, it was the only PSU we had that provided the necessary six PCI-Express connectors; Nvidia only certifies 1,100W and above suitable for 3-way SLI, with the only current exception being the Corsair HX1000W.

It’s not inexpensive by any means but it does make for a considerable investment if you want to build the u-l-t-i-m-a-t-e PC. Don’t poo-poo it because it’s TT either – the spec sheet reads as a considerable eye opener (120A of 12V power) and reading between the lines it still sounds good – it’s rated at 1,500W at 50˚C operation, rather than the 40˚C or 25˚C that some manufacturers use, and it focuses on using industrial grade components for quality rather than the usual “so silent you’d think you’re deaf" many other PSUs try to push.

Does Thermaltake provide a very capable PSU worthy of supplying 1,500W should you need it? We put it through its pace to find out.

Features

• Intel ATX 12V 2.3 and EPS 2.91 compatible
  
• Stable 1500W continuous output, peak power at 1600W (at 50℃ operating environment)
  
• Four 8-pin and four 6-pin PCI-E connectors design supports multiple high-end graphics card setup
  
• Supports Nvidia SLI & 3-Way SLI (in particular) and all other Multi GPU technologies
  
• Four independent +12V rails (Total Combined load of +12V is 120A)
  
• Modularised Cable Management system designed to eliminate clutter and improve airflow inside the case
  
• Active Power Factor Correction (PF>0.99) and high efficiency (up to 87 percent).
  
• Industrial grade components (capacitor, transformer, etc)
  
• High reliability: MTBF>120,000 hours
  
• Quiet and reliable 14cm ball-bearing fan
  
• Over Current, Over Voltage, Under Voltage, Over Temperature, Over Power and Short-Circuit protections
  
• Safety / EMI Approvals: CE, CB, TUV, FCC, UL, CUL, and BSMI certification

Warranty

Thermaltake provides a five year warranty with its products and even offers an “advanced RMA service” if you report a faulty unit within 10 days of purchasing, although it’s not specified what exactly this entails. Five years keeps it in line with Cooler Master, Corsair and some OCZ models, for example and it’s longer than what Antec, Enermax and Tagan offer, yet not quite as good as PC Power and Cooling’s seven year on its Max-Performance Turbo Cool PSUs. Check here but not here for more details.

Package

As you'd expect, this 1,500W power supply comes in one big ass heavy box. The PSU is packed between two thick pieces of foam and bubble wrap to keep it safe, while on top sits a comprehensive manual. Nestled down the side is a wallet full of the extra modular cables so you’ve got somewhere to keep the parts you don’t use, safe.