Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Load Regulation, Hold-Up Time & Inrush Current
To learn more about our PSU tests and methodology, please check out How We Test Power Supply Units.
Primary Rails And 5VSB Load Regulation
Load Regulation testing is detailed here.
Hold-Up Time
Our hold-up time tests are described in detail here.
We measured a hold-up time of less than 17ms, and the power-good signal doesn't satisfy the ATX specification's required 16ms. At least it's accurate.
Inrush Current
For details on our inrush current testing, please click here.
Inrush current is especially high since this platform isn't equipped with an NTC thermistor to suppress it.
Load Regulation And Efficiency Measurements
The first set of tests reveals the stability of the voltage rails and the TPG-850AH3FSGR’s efficiency. The applied load equals (approximately) 10 to 110 percent of the PSU's maximum load in increments of 10 percentage points.
We conducted two additional tests. During the first, we stressed the two minor rails (5V and 3.3V) with a high load, while the load at +12V was only 0.1A. This test reveals whether a PSU is compatible with Intel's C6/C7 sleep states or not. In the second test, we determined the maximum load the +12V rail could handle with minimal load on the minor rails.
| Test # | 12V | 5V | 3.3V | 5VSB | DC/AC (Watts) | Efficiency | Fan Speed | PSU Noise | Temps (In/Out) | PF/AC Volts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.230A | 1.982A | 1.960A | 1.000A | 84.927 | 87.123% | 415 RPM | 6.9 dB(A) | 40.31°C | 0.934 |
| 12.108V | 5.048V | 3.367V | 4.999V | 97.479 | 47.67°C | 115.05V | ||||
| 2 | 11.464A | 2.980A | 2.953A | 1.205A | 169.458 | 90.859% | 542 RPM | 8.9 dB(A) | 40.71°C | 0.982 |
| 12.086V | 5.035V | 3.353V | 4.979V | 186.507 | 48.67°C | 115.05V | ||||
| 3 | 18.099A | 3.485A | 3.441A | 1.412A | 254.535 | 91.901% | 565 RPM | 9.4 dB(A) | 41.37°C | 0.995 |
| 12.074V | 5.024V | 3.341V | 4.959V | 276.967 | 49.72°C | 115.04V | ||||
| 4 | 24.756A | 3.992A | 3.965A | 1.620A | 339.719 | 91.622% | 565 RPM | 9.4 dB(A) | 41.72°C | 0.994 |
| 12.058V | 5.013V | 3.329V | 4.938V | 370.785 | 50.74°C | 115.04V | ||||
| 5 | 31.096A | 5.002A | 4.977A | 1.830A | 425.035 | 91.130% | 562 RPM | 9.3 dB(A) | 42.48°C | 0.996 |
| 12.044V | 5.001V | 3.315V | 4.918V | 466.405 | 52.39°C | 115.04V | ||||
| 6 | 37.388A | 6.017A | 5.999A | 2.043A | 509.561 | 90.449% | 805 RPM | 19.0 dB(A) | 43.06°C | 0.996 |
| 12.029V | 4.988V | 3.301V | 4.897V | 563.367 | 53.39°C | 115.04V | ||||
| 7 | 43.758A | 7.038A | 7.029A | 2.257A | 594.877 | 89.659% | 990 RPM | 26.0 dB(A) | 43.66°C | 0.997 |
| 12.015V | 4.975V | 3.287V | 4.876V | 663.488 | 54.34°C | 115.03V | ||||
| 8 | 50.150A | 8.063A | 8.069A | 2.473A | 680.214 | 88.776% | 1105 RPM | 29.8 dB(A) | 44.23°C | 0.997 |
| 12.000V | 4.962V | 3.272V | 4.854V | 766.212 | 55.73°C | 115.03V | ||||
| 9 | 56.956A | 8.588A | 8.590A | 2.478A | 765.134 | 87.901% | 1380 RPM | 35.8 dB(A) | 44.94°C | 0.998 |
| 11.985V | 4.950V | 3.260V | 4.844V | 870.453 | 57.10°C | 115.03V | ||||
| 10 | 63.512A | 9.114A | 9.149A | 3.130A | 849.960 | 86.850% | 1385 RPM | 35.9 dB(A) | 45.81°C | 0.998 |
| 11.970V | 4.939V | 3.246V | 4.795V | 978.652 | 58.65°C | 115.03V | ||||
| 11 | 70.676A | 9.131A | 9.181A | 3.138A | 934.721 | 85.710% | 1390 RPM | 35.9 dB(A) | 46.88°C | 0.984 |
| 11.956V | 4.929V | 3.236V | 4.781V | 1090.561 | 60.10°C | 115.09V | ||||
| CL1 | 0.146A | 14.005A | 14.001A | 0.000A | 118.289 | 81.716% | 678 RPM | 13.2 dB(A) | 42.46°C | 0.964 |
| 12.101V | 5.007V | 3.314V | 5.067V | 144.757 | 52.27°C | 115.05V | ||||
| CL2 | 70.842A | 1.001A | 1.001A | 1.000A | 861.155 | 87.409% | 1388 RPM | 35.9 dB(A) | 45.68°C | 0.998 |
| 11.970V | 4.970V | 3.284V | 4.915V | 985.197 | 58.33°C | 115.03V |
Load regulation is loose, especially on the minor rails. Sirfa/High Power's platform needs some work in this discipline if it wants to match the competition. The 80 PLUS Gold standard's requirements are met in our 20% and 50% load tests. But efficiency isn't high enough under full load. With that said, we test at much higher operating temperatures than the 80 PLUS organization, so the efficiency readings we generate are lower.
Up to mid load, the cooling fan spins at very low speeds, keeping output noise to a minimum. Thermaltake's fan profile is fairly relaxed across the board. Enthusiasts looking to build a quiet PC should be happy with our measurements.
MORE: Best Power Supplies
MORE: How We Test Power Supplies
MORE: All Power Supply Content
Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.2 claims to improve Arrow Lake performance by up to 33%, theoretically matching the Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Empyrean Technology gives control to CEC after U.S. blacklisting — China’s top developer of chip design systems hands reins to state-owned firm
Nvidia reveals detailed ray tracing differences, promotes DLSS 3 for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
