Thermaltake Toughpower DPS G RGB 1500W PSU Review

Efficiency, Temperature And Noise

Efficiency

Our efficiency testing procedure is detailed here.

Using the results from the previous page, we plotted a chart showing the TPG-1500D-T's efficiency at low loads, and loads from 10 to 110 percent of the PSU's maximum-rated capacity.

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Compared to its smaller brother, the TPG-1500D-T is less efficient, and the similar-capacity (digital) Corsair AX1500i beats both of them. It's worth mentioning that the Platinum-rated EVGA 1600 P2 is pretty close to the 80 PLUS Titanium units, showing that either the Platinum Leadex platform has lots of potential or that the high-capacity Titanium platforms need more tuning. We believe that both apply.

Efficiency At Low Loads

In the following tests, we measure the TPG-1500D-T's efficiency at loads significantly lower than 10 percent of its maximum capacity (the lowest load the 80 PLUS standard measures). The loads we dialed were 20, 40, 60 and 80 W. This is important for representing when a PC is idle, with power-saving features turned on.

Efficiency under light loads is decent, though not what we'd call worthy of a Titanium-rated unit. Very high capacity makes it hard to achieve good efficiency levels under minimal loads.

DPSApp Screenshots

You'll find screenshots of the DPSApp software below, which we took during under light loads.

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The efficiency readings with 40 and 80 W loads are accurate. But in the 20 W test, the PSU's MCU wasn't able to calculate efficiency, while under 80 W load, the reading is inaccurate.

5VSB Efficiency

The ATX specification states that 5VSB standby supply efficiency should be as high as possible, recommending 50 percent or higher efficiency with 100 mA of load, 60 percent or higher with 250 mA of load, and 70 percent or higher with 1 A or more of load.

We take four measurements: one each at 100, 250 and 1000 mA, and one with the full load the 5VSB rail can handle.

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The 5VSB rail is highly efficient, exceeding 83% during the third test. This is something that we don't see everyday.

Power Consumption In Idle And Standby

In the table below, you'll find the power consumption and voltage values of all rails (except -12V) when the PSU is idle (powered on, but without any load on its rails), and the power consumption when the PSU is in standby mode (without any load, at 5VSB).

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Phantom power is kept at very low levels.

Fan RPM, Delta Temperature And Output Noise

Our mixed noise testing is described in detailhere.

The first chart below illustrates the cooling fan's speed (in RPM), and the delta between input and output temperature. The results were obtained at 38 °C (100.4 °F) to 49 °C (120.2 °F) ambient temperature.

The next chart shows the cooling fan's speed (again, in RPM) and output noise. We measured acoustics from one meter away, inside a small, custom-made anechoic chamber with internals completely covered in sound-proofing material (be quiet! Noise Absorber kit). Background noise inside the chamber was below 18 dB(A) during testing, and the results were obtained with the PSU operating at 38 °C (100.4 °F) to 49 °C (120.2 °F) ambient temperature.

The following graph illustrates the fan's noise over the PSU's operating range. The same conditions of the above graph apply to our measurements, though the ambient temperature was between at 28 °C (82.4 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F).

As you can see, the massive mode doesn't last long. Fortunately, the PSU is quiet enough up to around 770 W load. Higher than 800 W, the fan's speed increases quickly, and with more than 1.1 kW you need ear plugs.

The last graph illustrates the fan's speed over the PSU's operating range. The same conditions of the above graph apply to our measurements.

The PSU features a flexible fan profile. We would prefer a more relaxed ramp overall, though.