Thermaltake Toughpower PF1 650w Platinum PSU Review

A Closer Look

Unlike many of the more recent (and perhaps more noteworthy) Thermaltake power supply release, they have decided against applying RGB lighting to the Toughpower PF1 designs, and probably with good reason. From my perspective, while the light show it a fun novelty, for this particular PSU, it would detract from what it clearly a high-end professional design.

The power supply itself largely looks very similar (externally) to most other Thermaltake designs. There is a logo to the centre of the fan area as well as various in-keeping branding to the external sides.

The ‘bottom’ of the power supply goes into the technical specifications which, while probably meaning nothing to the majority of people, is very useful for people like we who have to perform various tests.

The main power input bank is well organised with the inserts being itemised to the side. Admittedly, some may consider this area to be a little cramped (particularly if you’re going to be using all or most of those ports), but from our use of it, we found no difficulties in both removing and inserting cables.

The exhaust section of the PSU is well ventilated with fins open to practically all available areas. You will also note the inclusion of the mains power switch as well as the ‘Smart Zero Fan/Hybrid’ function.

So, overall, while not looking that distinct from most other non-RGB Thermaltake power supplies, it’s not really a criticism. It looks sleek, stylish, professional, but above all, designed to do its job!

Cabling

The fully-modular cabling comes in a plastic sheathing which feels strong while also being more than flexible to allow for good cable management. In addition, with excellent length, you shouldn’t have any problem incorporating/hiding/weaving this within your system build.

With each cable marked to not only denote what it is, but end goes where, it also has a pretty much fool-proof design.

Internals – A Look Inside!

A look at the PCB shows a very clean design throughout. The layout has clearly been created to optimize airflow and a particular highlight is the placement of the heatsinks which, while close to the main exhaust vents, should allow excellent coverage from the fan.

The cooling fan is a Thermaltake own TT-1225. A fan we have seen used in many of their power supply designs. While it is, on the surface, rather standard (by their standards) we have never failed to be impressed with both its thermal control and low-noise output.

Confirming one of the main key features of this power supply, we find two main ‘Rubycon’ capacitors. These are a well-reputable Japanese company and being rated to 105C, they are about as good as it gets and exactly what you want to see!

Overall Thoughts!

So, on the whole, the Thermaltake Toughpower PF1 looks fantastic both internally and externally. As such, we go into the testing highly-confident of seeing some very decent results. With such a high-level of efficiency rating, however, does this power supply deserve it? Well, there’s only one way to find out! Let’s strap it to our test bench!