Tom's Hardware Verdict
The Rog Thor 1200W is a good fit for enthusiast users requiring lots of power and silent operation. You won't find a quieter PSU in this capacity range. And the OLED screen further sets this PSU apart from the competition.
Pros
- +
Full power at 47°C
- +
Good ripple suppression & load regulation
- +
Quality components
- +
Dual-ball bearing fan
- +
Lots of modular cables and connectors
- +
Aura compatible RGB lighting
- +
10-year warranty
- +
Accurate AC Watt readings
- +
Good looks
Cons
- -
Expensive
- -
Not as efficient as competition
- -
OPP is set sky-high
- -
OLED screen provides limited info
- -
Bulky
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Specifications and Part Analysis
The ROG Thor 1200W achieves good performance in all areas and besides that, it is the quietest PSU in its wattage category achieving an impressive LAMBDA-A+ (15-20 dB[A] overall noise output) certification in the Cybenetics scale.
Asus teamed up with Seasonic for its latest high-end PSU line, and the results are very promising. The embedded OLED screen provides real-time power draw data and there is also addressable RGB lighting and Aura Sync compatibility, for those who want their power supply to look fancy. The price that Asus asks for it is high but fair, given the product's features. The main competitors of Asus' high-end offering are the similar capacity Seasonic Prime Platinum and the Corsair AX1200i. The latter, despite its age, is still a worthy adversary.
Asus makes several different types of components, so it makes sense for the company to enter the PSU market. But since the cost of developing a PSU from the scratch is huge, the company decided to team up with Seasonic and modify its Prime and Focus platforms, for the Rog Thor 1200W and 850W models respectively. Here we'll be taking a good look at the strongest Thor unit, which looks to be a heavily modified Seasonic Prime Platinum model. We'll investigate not just the internals, but take a close look at the external design as well. The Thor units have nice aesthetics, addressable RGB lighting, and an impressive OLED screen. The latter really sets this unit apart from the competition, although it only provides power draw data and not DC wattage information.
Specifications
Manufacturer (OEM) | Seasonic |
Max. DC Output | 1200W |
Efficiency | 80 PLUS Platinum, ETA-A (88-91%) |
Noise | LAMBDA-A+ (15-20 dB[A]) |
Modular | ✓ (Fully) |
Intel C6/C7 Power State Support | ✓ |
Operating Temperature (Continuous Full Load) | 0 - 50°C |
Over Voltage Protection | ✓ |
Under Voltage Protection | ✓ |
Over Power Protection | ✓ |
Over Current (+12V) Protection | ✓ |
Over Temperature Protection | ✓ |
Short Circuit Protection | ✓ |
Surge Protection | ✓ |
Inrush Current Protection | ✓ |
Fan Failure Protection | ✗ |
No Load Operation | ✓ |
Cooling | 135mm Double Ball Bearing Fan (PLA13525B12M) |
Semi-Passive Operation | ✓ (selectable) |
Dimensions (W x H x D) | 152 x 88 x 192mm |
Weight | 2.37 kg (5.22 lb) |
Form Factor | ATX12V v2.4, EPS 2.92 |
Warranty | 10 Years |
Power Specifications
Rail | 3.3V | 5V | 12V | 5VSB | -12V | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Max. Power | Amps | 25 | 25 | 100 | 3 | 0.3 |
Watts | 125 | 1200 | 15 | 3.6 | ||
Total Max. Power (W) | 1200 |
Cables & Connectors
Modular Cables | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Description | Cable Count | Connector Count (Total) | Gauge | In Cable Capacitors |
ATX connector 20+4 pin (610mm) | 1 | 1 | 18-20AWG | No |
4+4 pin EPS12V (650mm) | 2 | 2 | 18AWG | No |
6+2 pin PCIe (680mm) | 4 | 4 | 18AWG | No |
6+2 pin PCIe (680mm+70mm) | 2 | 4 | 18AWG | Yes |
SATA (350mm+150mm+150mm+150mm) | 1 | 4 | 18AWG | No |
SATA (400mm+115mm+115mm+115mm) | 2 | 8 | 18AWG | No |
4-pin Molex to 2x SATA (150mm) | 1 | 2 | 18AWG | No |
4-pin Molex (350mm+120mm) | 1 | 2 | 18AWG | No |
4-pin Molex (450mm+120mm+120mm) | 1 | 3 | 18AWG | No |
FDD Adapter (+105mm) | 1 | 1 | 22AWG | No |
RGB Cable (800mm) | 1 | 1 | 22AWG | No |
RGB Sync Cable (800mm) | 1 | 1 | 24AWG | No |
AC Power Cord Type (1380mm) | 1 | 1 | 18AWG | - |
The amount of provided cables and connectors here is impressive! Besides two EPS connectors, the unit also has eight PCIe cables with four them being installed on dedicated cables. Moreover, you will find twelve SATA and a pair of SATA 3.3-compatible connectors, supporting the Power Disable function. In the latter the 3.3V rail is absent from the SATA connectors, since it doesn't exist on the four-pin Molex connector responsible for feeding them with power.
The only problems that we find here are the short distances between the peripheral connectors and the use of 18AWG gauges in the ATX, EPS and PCIe cables. Normally, in large-capacity units like this one, 16AWG gauges should be used for lower voltage drops under high loads.
Component Analysis
General Data | |
---|---|
Manufacturer (OEM) | Seasonic |
Platform Model | Prime Ultra Platinum |
Primary Side | |
Transient Filter | 6x Y caps, 4x X caps, 2x CM chokes, 1x MOV |
Inrush Protection | NTC Thermistor & Relay |
Bridge Rectifier(s) | 2x Vishay LVB2560 (600V, 25A @ 105°C) |
APFC MOSFETS | 2x Infineon IPP60R099CP (650V, 19A @ 100°C, 0.099 Ohm) |
APFC Boost Diode | 1x STMicroelectronics STPSC10H065D (650V, 10A @ 135°C) |
Hold-up Cap(s) | Hitachi (400V, 1x 820uF & 1x 470uF, 2000h @ 105°C, HU) |
Main Switchers | 4x Infineon IPP50R199CP (550V, 11A @ 100°C, 0.199 Ohm) |
Drivers For Main Switchers | 2x Silicon Labs Si8230BD |
APFC Controller | ON Semiconductor NPC1654 |
Current Sensor IC | Allegro ACS725T |
Switching Controller | Champion CM6901 |
Topology | Primary side: Full-Bridge & LLC Resonant Converter Secondary side: Synchronous Rectification & DC-DC converters |
Secondary Side | |
+12V MOSFETS | 8x Vishay SiR638DP (40V, 100A @ 70°C, 0.88mOhm) |
5V & 3.3V | DC-DC Converters: 6x Infineon BSC0906NS PWM Controller: APW7159 |
Filtering Capacitors | Electrolytics: Chemi-Con (105°C, W), Chemi-Con (4,000-10,000h @ 105°C, KY, KYB), Rubycon (6,000-10,000h @ 105°C, ZLH), 1x Rubycon (5VSB circuit, 105°C, YXD) Polymers: FPCAP, Nippon Chemi-Con |
Micro Controller | Microchip ATmega8A |
Flash Memory | Microchip SST26VF016B |
Supervisor IC | Weltrend WT7527V (OVP, UVP, OCP, SCP, PG ) & AS393M |
Fan Model | Power Logic PLA13525B12M (135mm, 12V, 0.40A, 2000 RPM, 111.1 CFM, 41.6 dB[A], Double Ball Bearing) |
5VSB Circuit | |
Buck Converter | Leadtrend LD7750R |
Rectifiers | STMicroelectronics STU6N65K3 (650V, 3A @ 100°C, 1.3Ohm) |
-12V Circuit | |
Buck Converter | Lite-On LSP5523 (3A max output current ) |
Asus asked Seasonic for a number of modifications on the Prime Platinum platform, with the most important being the installation of a micro-controller, which aside from providing a digital interface is also responsible for the circuit that provides the power draw data. All heatsinks have been replaced with larger ones for this Asus model, in order to allow for decreased airflow leading to reduced acoustic noise.
The majority of PSU manufacturers try to reduce the size of the heatsinks in order to save money, something that demands more-aggressive fan speed profiles. But Asus chose a different route, making the Rog Thor 1200W one of the quietest units in this category.
All components used in this platform are of high quality, and what particularly makes a good impression is the ball-bearing fan, which is much more heat-tolerant compared to FDB fans. FDB fans generally feature a quieter operation, and this is what makes this unit unique. Even with a noisier DBB fan, the Thor manages to achieve very low overall noise output.