Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 1000W Power Supply Review

To learn more about our PSU tests and methodology, please check out How We Test Power Supply Units. 

Primary Rails And 5VSB Load Regulation

The following charts show the main rails' voltage values recorded between a range of 40W up to the PSU's maximum specified load, along with the deviation (in percent). Tight regulation is an important consideration every time we review a power supply, as it facilitates constant voltage levels despite varying loads. Tight load regulation also, among other factors, improves your system’s stability, especially under overclocked conditions and, at the same time, it applies less stress to the DC-DC converters that many system components utilize.

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This PSU's load regulation is tight enough to pass muster on all rails but 5VSB. 

Hold-Up Time

Put simply; hold-up time is the amount of time that a system can continue to run without shutting down or rebooting during a power interruption.

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The hold-up time here is longer than 17ms, as we expected, and the power ok signal is accurate. 

Inrush Current

Inrush current, or switch-on surge, refers to the maximum, instantaneous input current drawn by an electrical device when it is first turned on. A large enough inrush current can cause circuit breakers and fuses to trip. It can also damage switches, relays, and bridge rectifiers. As a result, the lower the inrush current of a PSU right as it is turned on, the better.

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Inrush current is low here with both 115V and 230V input. 

Leakage Current

In layman's terms, leakage current is the unwanted transfer of energy from one circuit to another. In power supplies, it is the current flowing from the primary side to the ground or the chassis, which in the majority of cases is connected to the ground. For measuring leakage current, we use a GW Instek GPT-9904 electrical safety tester instrument.

Our leakage current test is conducted at 110% of the DUT's rated voltage input (so for a 230-240V device, we conduct the test with 253-264V input). The maximum acceptable limit of a leakage current is 3.5 mA (as defined by the IEC-60950-1 regulation), ensuring that current is low and will not harm any person coming in contact with a power supply's chassis.

This PSU's leakage current is more than low enough to suffice. 

10-110% Load Tests

These tests reveal the PSU's load regulation and efficiency levels under high ambient temperatures. They also show how the fan speed profile behaves under increased operating temperatures.

This PSU delivers 110% of its maximum capacity without any issues, even at nearly 47 Centigrade. The PF readings are not so high with high loads, though. 

20-80W Load Tests

In the following tests, we measured the PSU's efficiency at loads significantly lower than 10% of its maximum capacity (the lowest load the 80 PLUS standard measures). This is important for representing when a PC is idle with power-saving features turned on.

This PSU's efficiency is low at light loads. We wanted to see higher readings with 20W and 40W loads. 

2% or 10W Load Test

Starting in July 2020, the ATX spec started requiring 70% and higher efficiency with 115V input. The applied load we test is only 10W for PSUs with 500W and lower capacities, while for stronger units, we dial 2% of their max-rated capacity.

The PSU cannot surpass the 70% mark with 2% load, so it is not compatible with the newest ATX spec. 

Efficiency & Power Factor

Next, we plotted a chart showing this PSU's efficiency at low loads and loads from 10 to 110% of its maximum rated capacity. The higher a PSU’s efficiency, the less energy goes wasted, leading to a reduced carbon footprint and lower electricity bills. The same goes for Power Factor.

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Efficiency is low here when compared to similarly specced PSUs, no matter the load range. 

5VSB Efficiency

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This PSU's 5VSB rail achieves decent but not earth-shattering efficiency levels. 

Power Consumption In Idle And Standby

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Vampire power is low here. 

Fan RPM, Delta Temperature, And Output Noise

All results are obtained between an ambient temperature of 37 to 47 degrees Celsius (98.6 to 116.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

This PSU's fan speed profile is not relaxed. Higher efficiency levels would help to make it looser. 

The following results were obtained at an ambient temperature of 30 to 32 degrees Celsius (86 to 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit).       

The passive mode here lasts for quite long and isn't affected by the load on the minor rails. This PSU's fan exceeds 40 dBA, though, once the load goes above 800W. In other words, when below 600W, this PSU is silent, but with higher than 730W loads, its fan will begin to make its presence felt. 

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