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Pros, Cons And Final Verdict
Although the TPG-1500D-T is the flagship model of Thermaltake's entire PSU portfolio on paper, we strongly believe that this title actually belongs to its smaller brother, the TPG-1250D-T. You see, the larger model is made by Enhance Electronics and uses a normal analog platform equipped with a single MCU that doesn't do much outside of monitoring and fan control.
When it comes to the PSU's operation, the TPG-1250D-T utilizes a more sophisticated design armed with a couple of MCUs. The first one handles the digital link with the system, while the other one handles some of the PSU's functions. Its CWT platform is clearly superior to the Enhance one, featuring much tighter load regulation on the minor rails, way higher hold-up time, a proper power-good signal, higher efficiency, and better transient response performance. On top of that, the smaller Toughpower Titanium-rated model has better ripple suppression and also features quieter operation. The only advantages the TPG-1500D-T holds are its 250 W-higher capacity and increased number of PCIe/peripheral cables. We don't think that's enough to justify the price difference between those two products.
Compared to the competition (especially Corsair's top-notch AX1500i, which also costs less), the TPG-1500D-T's only edge appears to be the RGB fan, and that's not enough to cover its performance deficit. With a price tag that exceeds $400, you'd expect Thermaltake to use a fully digital, high-performance platform. In the end, though, it doesn't, opting instead for an analog design that only uses an MCU for communication. Enhance might be a solid manufacturer with good-quality products, but its high-end platforms cannot match what we've seen from Super Flower, Flextronics, and Seasonic. Moreover, it is sad to see a flagship PSU fail in our hold-up tests and report a power-good signal to the system when its rails are already out of spec.
The 80 PLUS Titanium Toughpower unit with 1.5 kW capacity provides lots of cables and connectors, although some GPU miners would probably prefer even more auxiliary connectors for graphics cards. The TPG-1500D-T is built well and covered by a very long warranty, too. Those high-quality capacitors and HDB fan should facilitate a long useful life.
Its performance isn't up to the expected levels though, and the fan's noise gets annoying once you really start pushing the PSU. With a major price cut, the TPG-1500D-T could compete more aggressively against tough competitors like the EVGA 1600 T2/P2 and Corsair AX1500i. But at its current $430 price tag, it doesn't stand a chance. Finally, the SPM platform looks very promising. However, we believe that the DPSApp interface needs a complete redesign and the application should get rid of Adobe's outdated Flash foundation.
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