Thermaltake Toughpower GX3 850W power supply review

Thermaltake Technology Co., Ltd., established in 1999 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, has carved out a significant niche in the computer hardware market with its distinctive approach to cooling solutions and power supplies. The company began as a cooling specialist but has since expanded into a comprehensive computer hardware manufacturer, covering everything from chassis and cooling to power supplies and peripherals. However, as they say, you cannot have your cake and eat it too – expanding into multiple market segments sometimes means sacrificing specialization for breadth.

In this review, we examine the Toughpower GX3 850W, Thermaltake's entry into the budget-conscious segment of the 850-watt power supply market. The unit claims full compatibility with Intel ATX 3.0 specifications which supports up to 200% power excursion, reaches 60% low load efficiency and includes a native 16-pin 12VHPWR connector that can deliver up to 450W for PCIe 5.0 graphics cards. With its five-year warranty and $100 retail price point, this unit positions itself as a future-proof solution for budget-minded builders, though our analysis reveals several concerning compromises that may leave users wondering if they are getting what they bargained for.

Specifications and Design

In the Box

The Thermaltake Toughpower GX3 850W arrives in a sturdy cardboard box featuring a black and grey aesthetic theme that emphasizes functionality over flashy marketing. The front panel showcases the unit itself in a straightforward product photograph, while the packaging provides adequate protection through a nylon pouch and strategically placed foam inserts.

The included bundle takes a minimalist approach, containing only the essential mounting screws and AC power cable. Thermaltake has thrown in a few basic cable ties for rudimentary cable management, but do not expect any premium accessories or comprehensive cable management solutions.

The unit features entirely hardwired cables in an all-black configuration, utilizing flat, ribbon-like designs without external sleeving on most connections. The sole exception is the ATX connector, which has a nylon sleeving. The decision to use a completely non-modular design in today's market is somewhat perplexing, especially given that the vast majority of quality power supplies now offer modular connectivity for improved case aesthetics and airflow management. However, it does make sense for users who would rather sacrifice aesthetics if they were getting something else, were it be a lower price or better performance than competitive products.

External Appearance

Thermaltake has adopted a utilitarian design philosophy for the GX3, prioritizing function over form while maintaining a professional appearance. The unit is finished with satin black chassis paint that, while attractive, proves somewhat prone to fingerprint marks during handling. Decorative stickers adorn the sides of the unit, while the electrical specifications and certification labels occupy the top surface in a clean, organized layout.

The unit adheres precisely to the 140mm length specification, ensuring compatibility with any ATX-compliant case without concerns about clearance issues. The front panel houses only the standard AC cable receptacle and power switch, maintaining the clean aesthetic. Since all cables are hardwired, the rear panel remains completely plain and unadorned.

The fan guard integrates directly into the chassis with an attractive dash-pattern ventilation design that extends to the unit's sides, providing some visual interest while improving airflow characteristics.

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Internal Design

Cooling duties fall to a GuangQi GQR1225H12H 120mm fan equipped with a fluid-dynamic bearing system. This bearing technology offers an excellent compromise between operational longevity and noise levels, which proves particularly important since this unit lacks the zero-RPM mode found in many contemporary power supplies. However, GuangQi represents an unusual choice in the power supply market, as this manufacturer rarely appears in PC power supply units, and comprehensive information about the company proves surprisingly scarce.

The OEM behind this power supply is CE-LINK, a Chinese company established in 2004. While CE-LINK has been operating for two decades, they remain one of the younger players in the power supply manufacturing field, and their products primarily appear in budget-oriented power supplies rather than high-performance units.

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The internal filtering stage implements a basic but functional design with four Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and two filtering inductors. While this configuration meets minimum requirements for effective noise suppression, it represents the bare minimum approach rather than the robust filtering found in premium units.

There are two rectifying bridges mounted on a substantial shared heatsink that also accommodates the APFC stage and primary inversion components. The active APFC components consist of two MOSFETs and one diode, though identification proves impossible due to extensive use of glue. A standard inductor pairs with a Teapo 820 μF capacitor to complete the APFC circuitry. The primary inversion stage employs two FuXin MOSFETs in a half-bridge topology configuration, mounted on the same heatsink as the APFC components. While the heatsink provides reasonable heat dissipation surface, it appears somewhat modest considering the unit's 850-watt output rating and efficiency characteristics.

Six Alkaidsemi AKG60N023G MOSFETs located on a vertical daughterboard handle primary 12V line generation, while separate DC-to-DC circuits on another vertical daughterboard manage the 3.3V and 5V secondary rails. The secondary side capacitors represent a mix of Teapo and ChengX components with a single Nippon Chemi-Con unit, reflecting the budget-oriented component selection throughout the design.

Cold Test Results

Cold Test Results (25°C Ambient)

For the testing of PSUs, we are using high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox and various other bits and parts.

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During cold testing conditions, the Thermaltake Toughpower GX3 850W demonstrated mediocre efficiency performance that barely meets its 80 Plus Gold certification requirements. At 115 VAC input voltage, the unit achieved an average nominal load efficiency of 88.5%, while 230 VAC input improved efficiency to 89.4%. This unit lacks a Cybenetics or PPLP.info certification.

The efficiency curve peaks at approximately 50% load, which represents typical behavior for most power supplies, but efficiency drops precipitously at higher loads. The unit shows relatively poor performance under very light loads, suggesting that users running basic systems may not benefit from optimal efficiency characteristics.

Fan operation maintains low speeds up to 500 watts of load but increases sharply beyond this threshold, creating noticeably higher noise levels during sustained high-power operation. The thermal performance proves acceptable under normal ambient conditions, though this changes dramatically under elevated temperatures.

Hot Test Results

Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient)

High ambient temperatures create severe detrimental effects on the unit's electrical performance, particularly at higher loads, suggesting significant thermal stress within the design. Average nominal load efficiency drops to 86.2% at 115 VAC and 87.1% at 230 VAC, representing substantial performance degradation.

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The fan responds much more aggressively under elevated ambient conditions, beginning its speed ramp earlier and reaching maximum RPM shortly after the unit exceeds 80% capacity utilization. Internal temperatures become extremely elevated during prolonged high-load operation, and in the admittedly unrealistic scenario of continuous 100% capacity operation, the GX3 does eventually shut down. This thermal behavior suggests that the unit's heatsink design and component selection could do with a significant upgrade.

PSU Quality and Bottom Line

Power Supply Quality

The Thermaltake Toughpower GX3 850W delivers generally acceptable electrical performance and power output quality for its market segment. Voltage ripple filtering proves quite good for a unit in this price category, with maximum ripple levels of 52 mV on the 12V rail, 28 mV on the 5V rail, and 24 mV on the 3.3V rail, all well within acceptable industry standards.

Voltage regulation demonstrates excellent performance on the primary 12V rail at 1.0%, but becomes more relaxed on the secondary rails at 2.6% for the 5V line and 2.8% for the 3.3V line.

During our thorough assessment, we evaluate the essential protection features of every power supply unit we review, including Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Power Protection (OPP), and Short Circuit Protection (SCP). All protection mechanisms were activated and functioned correctly during testing.

Protection features function correctly during testing, with OCP triggering at 132% for the 3.3V rail, 136% for the 5V rail, and 112% for the 12V rail. The OPP activates at 118% under hot conditions. Notably, the OCP protection on the 12V rail proves very sensitive and sharp for an ATX 3.0 certified unit, which explains the 450W limit on the 12VHPWR connector and hints that this platform was an older design that was tweaked into ATX 3.0 compliance.

Bottom Line

The Thermaltake Toughpower GX3 850W represents a challenging product to recommend in today's competitive power supply market. While the unit technically meets its basic specifications and achieves 80 Plus Gold certification, it does so by the narrowest of margins and exhibits several concerning characteristics that limit its appeal.

The decision to utilize CE-LINK as the original equipment manufacturer results in an unproven platform that appears to be an older design retrofitted to accommodate modern ATX 3.0 requirements. The 12VHPWR connector's 450-watt rating on an 850-watt unit seems particularly conservative and raises questions about the unit's ability to handle the power excursions required by modern high-end graphics cards. Component selection throughout the design reflects budget priorities, with most active and passive components sourcing from manufacturers rarely seen in high-performance power supply units. While these companies may produce reliable products, the lack of proven track record in enthusiast-grade power supplies creates uncertainty about long-term reliability and performance consistency.

Thermal performance represents perhaps the most significant concern, with the unit exhibiting severe performance degradation under elevated ambient temperatures and becoming uncomfortably loud under sustained loads. The unit is rated for operation up to 40 °C, so it does not fall out of its specifications, but the test results do not reflect a premium PC PSU.

At the $100 retail price point, the GX3 faces formidable competition from more established designs offering better component quality, modular connectivity, and superior thermal performance. While the five-year warranty provides some peace of mind, it falls short of the seven to ten-year warranties commonly offered by competitive products in this power range. For users seeking a basic 850-watt power supply for moderate gaming systems that will not be subjected to sustained high loads or elevated ambient temperatures, the GX3 may prove adequate. However, enthusiasts, overclockers, or users planning to utilize high-end graphics cards would be well-served to consider alternative options that offer better thermal performance, component quality, and long-term reliability.

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