Thermaltake Toughpower DPS 750W Review

Fan Speed

When testing in a power supply laboratory it is difficult to take fan noise readings as the noise from the Sunmoon test equipment and air conditioning corrupts everything. The next best thing in our circumstances was reading off the fan speed with a tachometer to get an idea for the noise. The ambient temperature during testing held constant at 22 degrees, with 1 degree of variation. Each power supply had a consistent time period of 5 minutes to stabilise between each load scenario. 

In my experience the following general relationships apply between noise levels and fan speeds, though it can vary greatly between the type of fan used.

• Below 800 RPM – Inaudible/Silent
• 800 to 1000 RPM – Barely audible
• 1000 – 1200 RPM – Audible but still quiet
• 1200 – 1400 RPM – Moderately noisy
• 1400 – 1800 RPM – Noisy
• 1800 RPM or higher – Intolerable

With a sub 600RPM fan speed at full load it makes you wonder why this unit didn’t have a semi-passive mode. Either way we couldn’t hear it at all at any load which further reaffirms my doubts about the choice of a 2800RPM fan: it’s spending extra on a higher quality fan that isn’t needed. Fans rated for lower RPMs are cheaper to produce so I would like to see a slower one used in future models for a slightly lower production cost that can be passed onto consumers.