Thortech Thunderbolt Plus 800W Power Supply Unit Review

A quick scan over the exterior of the unit will show yet another difference between the standard and Plus version of the Thunderbolt- the Thunderbolt Plus has a really sleek design mixed with aggressive elements to craft a unit that will look great in most cases, but especially for gamers.

On the top we can see that Thortech has employed the thick fan grill design that we have seen cropping up on many high end power supplies. Surprisingly, this unit uses a black fan grill for a more subtle black on black appearance, whereas the packaging and design would suggest they would go for something with a bit more bling. I however, really like the way it is, it has an air of quality about it and the grill itself feels solid and high quality. You can also see that the unit is quite long for an 800W, presumably to save money on casing manufacturing.

The side of the unit features the Thortech sticker which looks quite nice and would go well in most windowed cases. Of course, the sticker is inverted on the other side to allow for installation in both orientations.

The bottom of the unit includes all the required information for installation such as the power table which will be tucked away out of sight after being installed.

There is nothing new on the rear of the unit, just some ventilation, socket and switch.

The front is quite plain with colour coded modular sockets and some ventilation.

And what have we here? Thortech has kitted out it’s Thunderbolt Plus units with something pretty unique- a digital power meter. This panel fits in a 5.25” drive bay and will display statistics such as voltages, power draw, efficiency and fan RPM which it does with reasonable accuracy. The meter requires a single connector which is hardwired into the unit. The buttons can be used to change which information is displayed or to change the fan from PWM mode to 100%. The meter is not incredibly useful, but it sure looks good with it’s brushed aluminium bezel and is sure to make your PC look a little bit more techy, and if you’re like me, you will find some enjoyment in watching how the PSU temperature and efficiency changes when you fire up Skyrim.