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Today we take a look at a new power supply from Thermaltake, the Toughpower PT 1200W, one of their latest Platinum ATX 3.1 certified units. This fully modular unit has achieved Cybenetics Platinum certification and there are three models available to purchase rated 850W, 1000W and 1200W. Today we look at the flagship (1200W) model in the range which is competitively priced in the UK. Is it worth the modest asking price? We find out today.
This 1200W PSU is being sold in the United Kingdom for £169.99 inc. VAT (HERE), so while it isn't ‘bargain basement' it is less than half the price of some of the highest cost Platinum rated units we have tested in the last two years. I would class this as affordable in the high end sector. We know this is a CWT design for Thermaltake and we will take a closer look at this later in the review when we open the unit for analysis.
Product Overview:
80 PLUS Platinum Certification
This unit is 80 PLUS Platinum certified, achieving up to 92% energy efficiency. High efficiency translates to lower power consumption, less waste heat, and reduced electricity costs, all contributing to a more sustainable operation, the Toughpower PT 1200W Platinum also supports Energy Star 5.0 energy standard making it suitable for use in Energy Star-compatible computers.
Continuous Power Output
Available in 850W, 1000W, and 1200W variants, this model provides guaranteed continuous power delivery even at elevated temperatures up to 40°C (104°F). This ensures robust performance during demanding applications and maintains stability in thermally challenging environments.
Fully Modular Zero Cable Platform
Adopting a fully modular design, the PT 1200W features an advanced Zero Cable Platform that removes internal cable clutter. All PCBs are interconnected through connectors rather than wires, which improves efficiency, cooling, and overall build quality.
Low-profile Etched Black Cables
The included low-profile etched black cables are flexible and space-saving, optimizing airflow and cable management inside the PC case. This design focus not only enhances aesthetics but also makes installation and future upgrades easier.
100% Japanese 105°C Electrolytic Capacitors
Only premium Japanese electrolytic capacitors rated at 105°C/221°F are used, ensuring long-term reliability and improved operational lifespan. These components are highly resistant to heat, which is crucial for power supply durability under sustained load.
Ultra Quiet 135mm Hydraulic Bearing Fan
Cooling is handled by an ultra quiet 135mm hydraulic bearing fan, chosen for its reliable airflow and silent operation. This advanced fan design enables efficient cooling while keeping the noise profile impressively low, suitable for quiet PC builds.
High Amperage Single +12V Rail
A single +12V rail design provides high amperage output, delivering stable and consistent power for power-hungry components like modern GPUs and CPUs. This design minimizes voltage fluctuation and maximizes system safety.
DC-DC and LLC Topology
The PT 1200W incorporates DC-DC and LLC resonant converter designs, ensuring more precise electrical output. This means improved voltage regulation across multiple loads, enhancing compatibility and resilience for sensitive components.
Intel C6/C7 States & ErP Ready
It is fully compatible with Intel C6/C7 low power states and meets ErP (Energy-related Products) directives, making it well-suited for energy-efficient systems and compliance with stringent global power consumption standards.
Comprehensive Industry Grade Protections
Built-in protections include OCP (Over Current Protection), OVP (Over Voltage Protection), UVP (Under Voltage Protection), OPP (Over Power Protection), OTP (Over Temperature Protection), and SCP (Short Circuit Protection). These comprehensive safeguards ensure the safety of the system and the longevity of the power supply.
10-Year Warranty
Thermaltake backs the Toughpower PT 1200W Platinum with a 10-year warranty, reflecting the brand's confidence in its product's reliability and offering long-term assurance to users.
The Thermaltake Toughpower PT 1200W arrives in a rather unusually coloured box – soft sage/olive green perhaps? (these fancy colours are an aspect Thermaltake tend to focus on and I like it). There is an image of the product on the front, along with a list of some of the key features – 10-year warranty, Fully modular ‘etched cables', 100% Japanese capacitors and ATX 3.1/PCIe Gen 5.1 compatibility.
The rear of the box highlights the connectors, the output, and the Platinum certified efficiency results. I assume the box was designed before Cybenetics gave it their Platinum certifications – as these logos appear to be sadly missing. These would add gravitas to the box in retail stores, but perhaps they will be updated later with a new revision.
Inside the box, the cables are in a nylon felt bag to the side, with the power supply underneath some literature.
Thermaltake include a region-specific power cable, some cable ties, mounting screws, a pamphlet on the unit, and a bag of modular cables. Our sample came direct from Thermaltake so this power cable is not relevant for the UK. If you buy this from SCAN or another retailer in the UK you will get the correct power cable.
The modular cable quality is excellent and the gauge ranges between 16 and 24 AWG. The PCIe cables are 16-18 AWG, the ATX connector cable is 16-20 AWG and the 12+4 Pin PCIe (600w) cable is 16-24 AWG. None of the cables have in cable capacitors. All of the cables are individually sleeved. Thermaltake call them ‘etched black'.
Thermaltake deserve some credit for the cable quality and amount of cables – this is a good configuration for a high power unit.
The power supply looks great with some quality case finishing. It measures 150mm (W) x 86mm (H) x 140mm (D) so it is relatively compact to suit a myriad of chassis designs. It weighs 1.72kg.
The top fan grille clearly allows for high levels of airflow with a full panel of large vents. The fan inside is 135mm and is said to be a high quality fluid dynamic bearing model, which we would expect in a high output Platinum unit. More on this later when we look inside.
One side of the unit is home to a power switch and connector socket. A vented panel is also in place here to help with airflow when under load.
The modular bay is split across two rows, all labelled for ease of use during the build phase. There are two 12V-2×6 headers.
The PT 1200W is capable of delivering 100A on the +12V rail, and 20A on both +3.3V and +5V rails.
The fan is mounted inside as shown in the image above left. There are four screws holding it in place. When removed and flipped around, we can see it is the branded with a Thermaltake sticker under Model number TT-13525 (CWT13525H12F-9). It is rated 12V 0.4A and made in China. It is a fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) fan and it is manufactured by CWT with a Thermaltake sticker simply placed on it.
As we mentioned earlier in the review, this is a CWT design and the topology is primary side APFC, Full bridge and Resonant Converter, with the secondary side synchronous rectification with minor rails generated by DC-DC converters. The transient filter has 2x X caps, 4x Y Caps, 2x CM Chokes and 1x MOV.
The PCB is quite small for a 1200 watt output power supply and there are several large heatsinks in place to help maintain cooling performance. Smaller heatsinks are on the secondary side.
In the primary stage are two 105C-rated Japanese capacitors from Nippon Chemi Con, rated 400v 470uF x2, for a total of 940uF. These caps are from the excellent KMW series. Rubycon, Nippon Chemi Con and Nichicon supply the electrolytic capacitors used in the unit. Nippon Chemi Con and Toshin Kogyo supply the polymer caps.
Soldering quality on the main PCB is pretty good overall – there are a few messy looking solder sections but nothing that would cause issues. The power supply offers OCP, OPP, OTP, SCP and UCP protections.
Correctly testing power supplies is a complex procedure and KitGuru have configured a test bench which can deliver up to a 2,000 Watt DC load.
We test ambient temperatures at 35C in our environment to greater reflect warmer internal chassis conditions.
We use combinations of the following hardware:
• SunMoon SM-268
• CSI3710A Programmable DC load (+3.3V and +5V outputs)
• CSI3711A Programmable DC load (+12V1, +12V2, +12V3, and +12V4)
• Extech Power Analyzer
• Extech MultiMaster MM570 digital multimeter
• Extech digital sound level meter
• Digital oscilloscope (20M S/s with 12 Bit ADC)
• Variable Autotransformer, 1.4 KVA
|
DC Output Load Regulation
|
||||||||||
|
Combined DC Load |
+3.3V
|
+5V
|
+12V
|
+5VSB
|
-12V | |||||
|
A
|
V
|
A
|
V
|
A
|
V
|
A
|
V
|
A | V | |
|
120W
|
0.90
|
3.32
|
0.93
|
5.00
|
8.95
|
11.98
|
0.50
|
5.00
|
0.20
|
-12.01
|
|
240W
|
1.62
|
3.32
|
1.63
|
5.00
|
18.45
|
11.97
|
1.00
|
5.00
|
0.20
|
-12.01
|
| 600W |
3.00
|
3.32
|
3.11
|
5.00
|
46.78
|
11.95
|
1.50
|
5.00
|
0.30
|
-12.01
|
| 900W |
4.01
|
3.32
|
4.05
|
5.00
|
70.86
|
11.93
|
2.00
|
5.00
|
0.30
|
-12.02
|
|
1200W
|
5.02
|
3.32
|
5.20
|
5.00
|
94.57
|
11.91
|
2.50
|
5.00
|
0.30
|
-12.01
|
Load regulation is good across the rails.
Next we want to try Cross Loading. This basically means loads which are not balanced. If a PC for instance needs 500W on the +12V outputs but something like 30W via the combined 3.3V and +5V outputs then the voltage regulation can fluctuate badly.
| Cross Load Testing | +3.3V | +5V | +12V | -12V | +5VSB | |||||
| A | V | A | V | A | V | A | V | A | V | |
| 1190W | 4.0 | 3.32 | 3.0 | 5.00 | 88.0 | 11.93 | 0.2 | -12.01 | 0.50 | 5.01 |
| 240W | 19.0 | 3.32 | 22.0 | 4.98 | 2.5 | 11.99 | 0.2 | -12.00 | 0.50 | 5.00 |
The PT 1200W handled our cross load tests without any issues. When hit with 88A, the +12V rail held at 11.93.
We then used an oscilloscope to measure AC ripple and noise present on the DC outputs. We set the oscilloscope time base to check for AC ripple at both high and low ends of the spectrum. ATX12V V2.2 specification for DC output ripple and noise is defined in the ATX 12V power supply design guide.
|
ATX12V Ver 2.2 Noise/Ripple Tolerance
|
|
|
Output
|
Ripple (mV p-p)
|
|
+3.3V
|
50
|
|
+5V
|
50
|
|
+12V1
|
120
|
|
+12V2
|
120
|
|
-12V
|
120
|
|
+5VSB
|
50
|
Obviously when measuring AC noise and ripple on the DC outputs the cleaner (less recorded) means we have a better end result. We measured this AC signal amplitude to see how closely the unit complied with the ATX standard.
| AC Ripple (mV p-p) | ||||
| DC Load | +3.3V | +5V | +12V | 5VSB |
| 100W | 12 | 15 | 19 | 12 |
| 200W | 12 | 16 | 22 | 14 |
| 400W | 13 | 16 | 25 | 14 |
| 600W | 13 | 17 | 29 | 16 |
| 800W | 14 | 18 | 29 | 18 |
| 1000W | 15 | 19 | 30 | 20 |
| 1200W | 17 | 19 | 32 | 20 |
This unit passes our ripple suppression tests with any concerns and they fall within industry rated parameters. Both secondary rails peak close to 20mW under full load, and the +12V rail hits close to 40mV at full load. Strong results overall.
|
Efficiency (%)
|
|
|
100W
|
90.5
|
|
200W
|
92.4
|
|
400W
|
93.2
|
|
600W
|
92.8
|
|
800W
|
92.1
|
| 1000W | 91.5 |
| 1200W | 90.4 |
Efficiency is good overall, hitting around 93% at peak. This drops to just over 90% at full load. A solid set of results for this power supply.
We take the issue of noise very seriously at KitGuru and this is why we have built a special home brew system as a reference point when we test noise levels of various components. Why do this? Well this means we can eliminate secondary noise pollution in the test room and concentrate on components we are testing. It also brings us slightly closer to industry standards, such as DIN 45635.
Today to test the power supply we have taken it into our acoustics room environment and have set our SkyTronic DSL 2 Digital Sound Level Meter (6-130dBa) one meter away from the unit. We have no other fans running so we can effectively measure just the noise from the unit itself.
As this can be a little confusing for people, here are various dBa ratings with real world situations to help describe the various levels.
KitGuru noise guide
10dBA – Normal Breathing/Rustling Leaves
20-25dBA – Whisper
30dBA – High Quality Computer fan
40dBA – A Bubbling Brook, or a Refrigerator
50dBA – Normal Conversation
60dBA – Laughter
70dBA – Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA – City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA – Motorcycle or Lawnmower
100dBA – MP3 Player at maximum output
110dBA – Orchestra
120dBA – Front row rock concert/Jet Engine
130dBA – Threshold of Pain
140dBA – Military Jet takeoff/Gunshot (close range)
160dBA – Instant Perforation of eardrum
|
Noise (dBA)
|
|
|
100W
|
<28.0
|
|
200W
|
<28.0
|
|
400W
|
<28.0
|
|
600W
|
31.9
|
| 800W | 33.7 |
| 1000W | 37.5 |
| 1200W | 39.7 |
This is a quality fan and until about 800 watts is demanded it is pretty silent. At above 1000 watts load, the fan spins up to compensate and becomes audible. At full load it is clearly audible, but the pitch is quite pleasant (to my ears anyway). Thermaltake have opted for a slightly aggressive profile, so if you are very attuned to noise output it might be a little more noticeable than you would expect. For me, it was fine.
|
Temperature (c)
|
||
|
Intake
|
Exhaust
|
|
|
100W
|
35
|
38
|
|
200W
|
36
|
40
|
|
400W
|
38
|
44
|
|
650W
|
43
|
47
|
|
800W
|
45
|
53
|
| 1000W | 47 | 56 |
| 1200W | 50 | 58 |
Temperatures are well maintained throughout the load range thanks to the high levels of efficiency of the design and the pretty active fan profile.
The Thermaltake Toughpower PT1200W power supply performs very well in our testing and has proven rock solid in the last week of stress testing. While it seems weird to comment on box artwork, I quite like how Thermaltake often gravitate now to unusual and interesting colour schemes. I do not think i have ever seen a Soft sage/olive green coloured box. Shame the power supply wasn't finished to match the box!
Technically the unit is capable, if a little unremarkable. Load regulation results are fine, and ripple suppression is very good on all rails – a peak around 30mV on the primary +12V rail is reassuring to see. The unit passed the cross load test without issue and the adoption of a quality fluid dynamic bearing fan is appreciated.
Build quality is excellent and the CWT design implements a plethora of quality capacitors in both primary and secondary stages from Nippon Chemi Con, Nichicon and Rubycon – Japanese leaders in this field. It is always reassuring to see quality capacitors used in a power supply, even if it is somewhat expected in the higher end price bracket.
As mentioned this unit adopts a CWT Fluid Dynamic bearing fan design with a Thermaltake sticker on top, and it performs very well. Even though this is a reasonable quality fan (there are better I have tested, but it is still good), the operational profile is quite aggressive so at higher loads around 1000 watts and greater, it becomes clearly audible. I never found it painfully intrusive, but your mileage may vary.
In the United Kingdom this power supply is available for £169.99 inc VAT (HERE). While expensive, it is actually quite competitively priced, considering other models such as the 1200W ASUS ROG STRIX Platinum are £270 inc vat. If you are in the market for a capable, cost effective, high wattage Platinum unit, then this unit comes recommended. There are better Platinum rated power supplies available, but the pricing right now is very competitive in this sector.
Pros:
- Fully Modular.
- Excellent ripple suppression.
- Competitively priced in the UK.
- Quality capacitors in both primary and secondary stages.
- Load regulation is tight.
- Cybenetics Platinum rated.
- Reasonably quiet operation until you need 1000W or more.
- Dual 12+4 pin PCIe connectors (not really needed, but still).
- 10 Year warranty.
Cons:
- Can get louder at 1000 watts and higher.
- A lot of competition in the market.
- Better performers if you are willing to spend more money.
KitGuru says: The Thermaltake Toughpower PT 1200W is a very capable power supply with both tight load regulation and ripple suppression. The adoption of quality 105C-rated Japanese capacitors is reassuring along with a quality Fluid Dynamic bearing fan. At £169.99 inc. VAT in the United Kingdom it is also competitively priced. Recommended.
