Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1200W ATX v3.0 Power Supply Review

The Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1200W tops our performance charts.

Reviews
By Aris Mpitziopoulos
published
Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1200W ATX v3.0
(Image: © Thermaltake)

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Protection Features

Check out our PSUs 101 article to learn more about PSU protection features.

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OCP (Cold @ 26°C)12V: 119A (119%), 11.898V
5V: 30.4A (138.18%), 4.999V
3.3V: 31.1A (141.36%), 3.273V
5VSB: 5.1A (170%), 4.963V
OCP (Hot @ 42°C)12V: 118.6A (118.6%), 11.939V
5V: 30.3A (137.73%), 4.997V
3.3V: 31A (140.91%), 3.272V
5VSB: 5A (166.67%), 4.971V
OPP (Cold @ 29°C)1407.18W (117.27%)
OPP (Hot @ 40°C)1407.21W (117.27%)
OTP✓ (151°C @ 12V Heat Sink)
SCP12V to Earth: ✓
5V to Earth: ✓
3.3V to Earth: ✓
5VSB to Earth: ✓
-12V to Earth: ✓
PWR_OKProper operation
NLO✓
SIPSurge: MOV
Inrush: NTC Thermistor & Bypass relay

The OCP triggering points are correctly at 12V and over power protection is conservatively set. On the contrary, OCP is set too high on the minor rails, especially at 3.3V where there is no need for such high amperage. 

DC Power Sequencing

According to Intel’s most recent Power Supply Design Guide (revision 1.4), the +12V and 5V outputs must be equal to or greater than the 3.3V rail at all times. Unfortunately, Intel doesn't mention why it is so important to always keep the 3.3V rail's voltage lower than the levels of the other two outputs.

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Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1200W
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

No problems here since the 3.3V rail is always lower than the other two. 

Cross Load Tests

To generate the following charts, we set our loaders to auto mode through custom-made software before trying more than 25,000 possible load combinations with the +12V, 5V, and 3.3V rails. The deviations in each of the charts below are calculated by taking the nominal values of the rails (12V, 5V, and 3.3V) as point zero. The ambient temperature during testing was between 30 to 32 degrees Celsius (86 to 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

Load Regulation Charts

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Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1200W
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Efficiency Graph

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Ripple Graphs

The lower the power supply's ripple, the more stable the system will be and less stress will also be applied to its components.

Image 1 of 4
Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1200W
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Infrared Images

We apply a half-load for 10 minutes with the PSU's top cover and cooling fan removed before taking photos with a modified Fluke Ti480 PRO camera able to deliver an IR resolution of 640x480 (307,200 pixels).

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Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1200W
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The board holding the 12V FETs gets pretty hot without active cooling and half load for ten minutes. Some heat sinks on these FETs would help in lowering the fan's speed and noise. 

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Aris Mpitziopoulos
Contributing Editor

Aris Mpitziopoulos is a Contributing Editor at Tom's Hardware US, covering PSUs.

6 Comments Comment from the forums
  • hexxum
    Didn’t the Toughpower gf3 1200w fail ATX 3.0 certification through Cybenetics? Here is a quote with links from Dogzilla09 from Overclockers:


    Here check the results (for Thermaltake Toughpower GF3) on the second page, under Results paragraph, there's no row with ATX 3.0 Ready/PCIE 5.0 ready (previous designation) written:
    https://www.cybenetics.com/d/cybenetics_TLu.pdfHere's how it should look like on the 1000W GF3 model:
    https://www.cybenetics.com/d/cybenetics_1GW.pdfNow here's the MSI Ai1300P (it has different wording, but it's also passed testing).
    https://www.cybenetics.com/d/cybenetics_jWP.pdf
    Reply
  • vashtanerada
    It definitely says that it passed ATX 3.0. Unless something changed since you posted this.
    Reply
  • hexxum
    I contacted Cybenetics about this and the SilverStone Hela 1200r since both failed. They both failed a transient load test. Thermaltake was already sending them a new test unit, which has since passed and Cybenetics has updated their data sheet. Also contacted SilverStone. They said had sent Cybenetics a preproduction unit and that they’d be in contact with them to get it resolved. I haven’t seen any updates for the Hela 1200r yet.
    Reply
  • Parallax1
    I have startup noise problem with this. Im definetly sure its not the fan, i tried to stop it from exterior and still noise happens. I guess high inrush current causing this for 1 second, but is that harmful for psu or pc?

    Here is the noise :

    https://youtube.com/shorts/An8ypTL-JaU?feature=share
    Reply
  • hexxum
    Parallax1 said:
    I have startup noise problem with this. Im definetly sure its not the fan, i tried to stop it from exterior and still noise happens. I guess high inrush current causing this for 1 second, but is that harmful for psu or pc?

    Here is the noise :

    https://youtube.com/shorts/An8ypTL-JaU?feature=share

    I had a Hela 1200r for a hot minute and it made a similar noise. I use a smart plug with my computer to fully cut off power after shut down. In a way it’s like flipping the switch on the psu to fully cut power. I noticed the psu would make this noise when I turned the computer back on. Didn’t seem to happen if I would shutdown the computer and turn it back on without fully cutting the power at the plug, which leads me to believe the noise is from some component in the psu when it first gets loaded with electricity. I ended up returning the Hela 1200r due to it failing atx 3.0 certification. I now have a msi ai1300p and I’ve never heard it make that noise. The Hela 1200r operated fine though so I don’t think this sound is something to worry about.

    Also to anyone else following earlier posts of mine in this thread. The Hela 1200r sent a new production unit to Cybenetics and it has now passed atx 3.0 certification. Apparently they had sent a pre production unit first and that’s why it failed one of the transient load tests.
    Reply
  • Parallax1
    hexxum said:
    I had a Hela 1200r for a hot minute and it made a similar noise. I use a smart plug with my computer to fully cut off power after shut down. In a way it’s like flipping the switch on the psu to fully cut power. I noticed the psu would make this noise when I turned the computer back on. Didn’t seem to happen if I would shutdown the computer and turn it back on without fully cutting the power at the plug, which leads me to believe the noise is from some component in the psu when it first gets loaded with electricity. I ended up returning the Hela 1200r due to it failing atx 3.0 certification. I now have a msi ai1300p and I’ve never heard it make that noise. The Hela 1200r operated fine though so I don’t think this sound is something to worry about.

    Also to anyone else following earlier posts of mine in this thread. The Hela 1200r sent a new production unit to Cybenetics and it has now passed atx 3.0 certification. Apparently they had sent a pre production unit first and that’s why it failed one of the transient load tests.
    Probably both use the same PCB, both are CWT production. I couldn't trust it and then returned it because I was going to use it as a rendering and workstation.
    Probably youre right. Mine has cutoff mechanism inside, i can barely hear that something cutting off the power, but you cant control it.
    I have ordered FSP Hydro PTM Pro 1200w atx 3.0 now, I know that FSP keeps the product controls tight, I hope I will be satisfied.
    Reply