Asus has started to roll out the powerful, modern and feature-laden PC PSUs it first revealed in Q3 2021. A press release indicates that the quartet of PSUs forming the second generation of the potent ROG Thor series will all be released this quarter. The new PSUs include a trio of Platinum II models at 850W, 1000W and 1200W. They will be joined by a new leader of the pack: the ROG Thor 1600W Titanium. Asus notes that the ROG Thor 1000W Platinum II debuts first and is available immediately.
The ROG Thor range of PSUs are premium designs, with the high-end features and component choices you would expect. For example, this second-generation fully modular foursome features the eye-catching and series-defining OLED power display, plus Aura Sync RGB lighting. On a more practical level, they offer 80 PLUS Platinum certification for 89% efficiency at 100% load and 92% efficiency at 50% load.
The Thor PSUs boast weighty ROG design heatsinks and use Japanese low-ESR capacitors to ensure efficient operation. Interestingly, the ROG Thor 1600W, 1200W, and 1000W models all use Asus ROG designed 135mm Axial Tech fans, as employed by the Strix range of graphics cards. Like the Strix GPUs, these PSUs have a 0dB fan-stop mode when your system isn't performing heavy tasks.
The careful combination of component choice and cooling allows the 1600W, 1200W, and 1000W members of this second generation family to achieve Lambda A++ certification. Asus says this independently verified noise performance means the PSUs generate <15dBA during a set of tests. Of course, the modular nature of the PSUs means you don't have to put up with unnecessary cable spaghetti, which gets in the way of airflow.
The modular connectors on offer reflect the power and modernity of the ROG Thor PSUs. Specifically, we are referring to the presence of outputs to feed PCI Express 5.0 standard devices with their 12-pin connectors.
With powerful new GPUs approaching 500W in power consumption and the likes of the Intel Core i9-12900K spiking to approx 300W under all-core loads, it is easy to see how 1000W PSUs can become commonplace for demanding enthusiasts. But, on the other hand, people with more specialist demands may be attracted to the most potent PSUs like the 1600W flagship.
The first model available, the ROG Thor 1000W Platinum II, is currently listed for €359 in Europe (approx $410). This is the only model with a dedicated product page, with the full tech specs available on Asus.com, at the time of writing. Unfortunately, we don't have MSRPs or exact release dates for the rest of the updated range yet. Buyers of the new Asus ROG Thor PSUs get a 10-year warranty, except for the OLED display and aRGB LEDs, which have a three-year warranty.
Tom's Hardware has reviewed previous Asus ROG Thor PSUs, such as the first-generation Asus ROG Thor 1200W, which gained a 4/5 rating.
