Thermaltake Toughpower W0133RU 1200W PSU

It occasionally happens that we get to realize our dreams be they big or small. As a computer enthusiast and an avid gamer, my dreams are often centered around that next piece of equipment. Though sometimes it’s just a wee gadget or a mere trinket that I wish to add to my treasure chest, sometimes it’s something big. Lately, I’ve been dreaming big – livin’ large, so to speak, in the backwaters of my mind. I’ve been dreaming of a monster rig, a monster gaming rig. And my dream is about to be realized.

FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS

Features

• Stable 1200W continuous output (at 50°C operating environment)
• Four independent & dedicated +12V rails (12V1,12V2,12V3,12V4) provides superior performance for PC system.
• NEW! Three 8pin and three 6pin PCI-E connectors design supports Multi-GPU Graphic card.
• Supports Dual Core CPU / Quad Core CPU / Nvidia SLI & Quad SLI 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 87%).
• Industrial grade components (capacitor, transformer, etc)
• High reliability: MTBF>120,000 hours.
• Quiet and reliable 14cm ball-bearing fan.
• Noise Preventive Silicon Pad – Effectively reduces vibration noise by as much as 80%.
• Protections: Over Current, Over Voltage, Under Voltage, Over Temperature, Over Power, and Short-Circuit protection.
• Safety / EMI Approvals: CE, CB, TUV, FCC, UL, CUL, and BSMI certified.

Total Output Connectors

20+4-pin Main Connector X 1
4+4 pin power connector X 1
8-pin power connector X 1
5-pin S-ATA Connector X 8
4-pin Peripheral Connector X 8
Floppy Connector X 2
6-pin PCI-E Connector X 3
8-pin PCI-E Connector X 3

 

PACKAGING & CONTENTS

The Thermaltake Toughpower W0133RU 1200W power supply comes packed in styrofoam inside a pretty tough cardboard box. Though not exactly gorrila-proof, it’s pretty well protected. I had the added advantage of having mine shipped to me inside of another cardboard box with lots of brown paper in there to keep it from shifting around. I wouldn’t advise having this shipped without that extra protection.

Upon opening the Thermaltake box I was pleasantly surprised to find the manual up front and center so I didn’t have to go digging for it. I always read the manual first no matter how mundane it may seem and that habit alone has saved my keister on more than one occasion.

Though encased in styrofoam, the PSU itself is further protected by bubble wrap. I really wouldn’t expect anything less and I’m glad that I wasn’t disappointed. I’m also glad that Thermaltake advised me not to eat the silicon gel. You don’t know how many times I’ve been tempted to do just that.

The unit itself sports a 14cm fan that’s rated at 16 dBA at 1300 RPM and there are three cables directly attached to the PSU that are not part of the Modularized Cable Management system. These cables include the 20+4-pin Main connector, the 4+4 pin power connector, and the 8-pin power connector.

Besides the PSU itself, there are cables galore included in the box. As mentioned earlier, and as part of Thermaltake’s Modularized Cable Management system, there are (3) 6-pin PCI-E connectors, (3) 8-pin PCI-E connectors, (3) 8-pin to 6-pin PCI-E adaptors, (8) 5-pin S-ATA connectors, (8) 4-pin Peripheral connectors (Molex with EZ-Grip), and (2) Floppy connectors.

Also included in the box are a set of screws, a beefy power cord, and a Noise Preventive Silicon Pad which Thermaltake claims “Effectively reduces vibration noise by as much as 80%.”

TESTING

Initial testing was performed on the workbench using an Extech MN36 Digital Mini MultiMeters and a Rexus PST-3 Digital Power Supply Tester with LCD. The latter is designed with an LCD readout to show your ATX power voltage. It’s a simple tester for switching power supplies and it makes it easy to test the power supply output. It can check both 20-pin and 24-pin power supplies. It can also check 5-pin S-ATA connectors, 4-pin Peripheral connectors (Molex), and floppy connectors. But what I like about it the most is that it negates the need for my having to bend a paper clip and and jump pins 13 & 14 on the main connector to make the PSU turn on. It’s pretty sweet just for doing that alone. I’m definately a wimp when it comes to electrical current coursing through my body.

Though the test platform listed below is not my dream machine, once upon a time it was. But that a year ago and with time, dreams do change. Parts for my new dream machine are either enroute or sitting on my desk collecting dust. The keepers of the dust so far are four 320GB Seagate Barracuda ES hard drives, an XFX 680i motherboard, 2 GB of OCZ PC8500 DDR2 ram, a couple of optical drives and a floppy, and an Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 processor. The watercooled case that I have on order is making its way to Orlando, Florida from Washington State via wagon train and my XFX 8800 GTX video card is probably wondering what 3D graphic delights await for it upon its arrival.

The Thermaltake Toughpower W0133RU 1200W PSU is quite a bit larger than my current PSU (a PC Power and Cooling TURBO-COOL® 510 SLI), though not overbearingly so. At 200mm (7.87 inches), it would definitely fit in my Super Flower TT201BW case if I were to take out the 80mm fan that I use on the blowhole. But with a new monster watercooled case on the way, I was hesitant to disassemble my current PC. Before we move on to the results, I would like to say that this PSU is one of the quietest PSU’s I have ever heard thanks to its low rpm 14cm fan.

TEST RESULTS

Testing was done at both idle and with a load. Testing was also performed at a stock clock of 2.4GHz and an overclock of 2.8GHz.

Idle Results – Measured after fifteen minutes of inactivity with no applications running and no open windows. None of the programs that I normally have running in systray were disabled as I wanted this to be a real world test.

Load Results – Measured while running four 120mm fans on my asetek Waterchill Xternal at 100%, a music CD, Prime95, 3DMark2006, and folding.

Before all this testing started, I was fairly confident that my purchase last year of the PC Power and Cooling TURBO-COOL® 510 SLI PSU was a wise decision. Still, it’s nice to see it black & white. For what it is, it’s pretty darn good. While it won’t power the two nVidia GeForce 8800 GTX video cards SLI that I want in my monster gaming rig, it’s as stable a PSU as I could ask for. Perhaps after this test though I should be more demanding because what’s really nice to see are the numbers produced by the Thermaltake Toughpower W0133RU 1200W PSU. They are quite outstanding. Not only do the numbers show that this is one extremely stable PSU, it’s energy efficient as well.

As the tests results indicate, I used far less energy with the Thermaltake than I did with the PC Power and Cooling performing the exact same tasks. Wattage was measured using the P3 Kill A Watt Electricity Load Meter and Monitor. It’s a pretty nifty device in its own right even though I haven’t felt the need to check all of my household appliances with it.

CONCLUSION

The Thermaltake Toughpower W0133RU 1200W PSU performed magnificently in all tests. Voltages for for the 3.3v, 5v, and 12v lines were almost spot-on, never reaching 2% of the 3% variance that Thermaltake allows for. This truly is quite remarkable. With 1200 watts of rock solid stable power, this unit will have enough juice and then some for the most demanding of users for some time to come. It may not be bulletproof but it sure as heck may be bulletresistant. The Toughpower name was aptly chosen for this power supply as it is darned near invincible. Thermaltake warranties it for a full five years and it is definitely worth the money. The Thermaltake Toughpower W0133RU 1200W would be a welcomed addition for anyone with a need for a high-end power supply, be it for mulitple video cards or a quad CPU or both. You just can’t go wrong with the Thermaltake Toughpower W0133RU 1200W power supply unit.

FINAL THOUGHTS

My only regret in testing this PSU is that I didn’t have my dream machine ready for testing. I have no doubts whatsoever though that this power supply will fare very well in my new monster gaming rig. I also have no doubts that this unit will be laughing wholeheartedly at me no matter what I throw at, now, or in the future.

Pros:

+  1200 watts of rock solid stable power
+  Four independent & dedicated +12V rails
+  Active PFC
+  High efficiency rating (up to 87%)
+  Quad SLI/GPU ready
+  Dual Core/Quad Core CPU ready
+  Modularized Cable Management
+  Next Generation 8-pin PCI-E connectors
+  All cables fully sleeved
+  Quiet operation

Cons:

–  200mm might be too long for some mid-tower cases
–  The price may be too steep for some pocketbooks

Final Score: 9.5 out of 10 and the Bjorn3D Golden Bear award.