Thermaltake Toughpower GF2 ARGB 850W Power Supply Review

Toughpower with tons of RGB lighting.

Thermaltake Toughpower GF2 ARGB 850W
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

Tom's Hardware Verdict

The Thermaltake Toughpower GF2 ARGB 850W has good performance, but an earlier model is a little better.

Pros

  • +

    + Full power at 47 degrees Celsius

  • +

    + Satisfactory overall performance

  • +

    + Efficient at normal loads

  • +

    + Effective APFC converter

  • +

    Long hold-up time

  • +

    Low inrush current

  • +

    Adequate distance between the peripheral connectors

  • +

    Compatible with the alternative sleep mode

  • +

    Fully modular

  • +

    10-year warranty

Cons

  • -

    The Toughpower GF1 ARGB 850W performs better

  • -

    Noisy at higher loads

  • -

    Low efficiency under light loads

  • -

    Poor transient response

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In addition to Thermaltake's GF1 ARGB PSU line, which Channel Well Technology made, Thermaltake also decided to include another similar line in its portfolio, the Toughpower GF2 ARGB. All GF2 units are based on a High Power platform and have similar specifications to the GF1 models, making us wonder why Thermaltake created internal competition. The only differences are the RGB side panels on the GF2 units and the PWM control of the fan since this High Power platform uses an MCU to adjust fan speed. 

The 850W member of the GF2 ARGB is a little less performant than the similar-capacity GF1 ARGB model so, if they both available at the same price, the GF1 seems like the better buy. Besides the GF1 ARGB 850W, which with a little more tuning could be added in our best power supplies article, other strong opponents of the GF2 ARGB 850W are the Corsair RM850x (2021), the XPG Core Reactor 850, and the Seasonic GX-850.

The GF2 ARGB line consists of three models with capacities ranging from 650W to 850W. All units are fully modular, and their RGB lighting is compatible with the software provided for the mainboards of Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and ASRock. Besides the 18-LED fan, the PSUs' panels also feature RGB lighting, so you have to make sure that you will use these PSUs along with a chassis that doesn't hide them in a separate compartment. 

The Toughpower GF2 ARGB 850W will be our test subject. This PSU is strong enough to support a potent gaming station equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3080/90 or an AMD RX 6800/6900 XT graphics card, along with a high-end CPU which will allow the GPU to deliver its full performance without any issues. It has to prove, though, that it is a better choice than the CWT-made Toughpower GF1 ARGB 850W unit since its price is at the same levels. 

Specifications of Thermaltake Toughpower GF2 ARGB

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Manufacturer (OEM)

High Power

Max. DC Output

850W

Efficiency

80 PLUS Gold, Cybenetics Platinum (89-91%)

Noise

Cybenetics Standard++ (30-35 dB[A])

Modular

✓ (fully)

Intel C6/C7 Power State Support

Operating Temperature (Continuous Full Load)

0 - 40°C

Over Voltage Protection

Under Voltage Protection

Over Power Protection

Over Current (+12V) Protection

Over Temperature Protection

Short Circuit Protection

Surge Protection

Inrush Current Protection

Fan Failure Protection

No Load Operation

Cooling

140mm Hydraulic Bearing Fan [TT-1425 (A1425S12S-2)]

Semi-Passive Operation

✓ (selectable)

Dimensions (W x H x D)

150 x 85 x 160mm

Weight

1.64 kg (3.62 lb)

Form Factor

ATX12V v2.53, EPS 2.92

Warranty

10 Years

Power Specifications of Thermaltake Toughpower GF2 ARGB

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Rail3.3V5V12V5VSB-12V
Max. PowerAmps222270.93
Watts120850153.6
Total Max. Power (W)850

Cables & Connectors for Thermaltake Toughpower GF2 ARGB

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Modular Cables
Modular CablesRow 0 - Cell 1 Row 0 - Cell 2 Row 0 - Cell 3 Row 0 - Cell 4
DescriptionCable CountConnector Count (Total)GaugeIn Cable Capacitors
ATX connector 20+4 pin (610mm)1118AWGNo
4+4 pin EPS12V (660mm)1116AWGNo
8 pin EPS12V (660mm)1116AWGNo
6+2 pin PCIe (500mm+160mm)3616-18AWGNo
SATA (510mm+160mm+160mm+160mm)31218AWGNo
4-pin Molex (500mm+150mm+150mm+150mm)1418AWGNo
FDD Adapter (+160mm)1122AWGNo
ARGB Sync Cable (610mm+160mm)1226AWGNo
AC Power Cord (1400mm) - C13 coupler1118AWG-

There are plenty of cables and connectors, including two EPS, six PCIe, twelve SATA, and four 4-pin Molex connectors. On top of that, all cables are long, and the distance between the peripheral connectors is adequate. 

Component Analysis of Thermaltake Toughpower GF2 ARGB

We strongly encourage you to have a look at our PSUs 101 article, which provides valuable information about PSUs and their operation, allowing you to better understand the components we're about to discuss.

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General Data-
Manufacturer (OEM)High Power
PCB TypeDouble Sided
Primary Side-
Transient Filter4x Y caps, 2x X caps, 2x CM chokes, 1x MOV, 1x Champion CMD02X (Discharge IC)
Inrush Protection-
Bridge Rectifier(s) 2x HY GBU1506L (600V, 15A @ 100°C)
APFC MOSFETs 2x Infineon IPA50R140CP (500V, 15A @ 100°C, Rds(on): 0.14Ohm)
APFC Boost Diode 1x CREE C3D08060A (600V, 8A @ 152°C)
Bulk Cap(s) 1x Rubycon (400V, 470uF, 3,000h @ 105°C, MXK) & 1x Rubycon (400V, 390uF, 2,000h @ 105°C, MXH)
Main Switchers 2x Infineon IPA60R180P7S (600V, 11A @ 100°C, Rds(on): 0.18Ohm)
APFC Controller Infineon ICE3PCS01G
Resonant ControllerChampion CM6901X
Topology Primary side: APFC, Half-Bridge & LLC converter
Secondary side: Synchronous Rectification & DC-DC converters
Secondary Side-
+12V MOSFETs6x Infineon BSC027N04LS (40V, 88A @ 100°C, Rds(on): 2.7mOhm)
5V & 3.3VDC-DC Converters: 6x Infineon BSC0906NS (30V, 40A @ 100°C, Rds(on): 4.5mOhm)
PWM Controller(s): ANPEC APW7159C
Filtering Capacitors

Electrolytic: 3x Nippon Chemi-Con (1-5,000h @ 105°C, KZE), 3x Nippon Chemi-Con (4-10,000h @ 105°C, KY), 3x Rubycon (3-6,000h @ 105°C, YXG), 1x Rubycon (6-10,000h @ 105°C, ZLH)
Polymer: 15x FPCAP, 2x NIC

Supervisor ICWT7527RA (OCP, OVP, UVP, SCP, PG)
Fan ModelThermaltake TT-1425 A1425S12S-2 (140mm, 12V, 0.70A, Hydraulic Bearing Fan)
Fan ControllerSTC STC15W401AS
5VSB Circuit-
Rectifier 1x PFC P10V45SP SBR (45V, 10A), UTC 2N70L FET (700V, 2A, 6.3Ohm)
Standby PWM ControllerSI8016HSP8
-12V-
Rectifier 1x KEC KIA7912PI (-12V, 1A)

This is a High Power platform, and the design looks good. The heat sinks are small, but this is an efficient PSU, so there won't be any issues there, although larger heat sinks could allow for a more relaxed fan speed profile, hence for lower noise output. 

On the primary side, we meet a half-bridge topology and an LLC resonant converter. On the secondary side, a synchronous rectification scheme is used for 12V, and a pair of DC-DC converters regulate the minor rails. 

The transient/EMI filter has all necessary components, including a Champion CMD02X discharge IC, which provides a small efficiency boost. 

We didn't find an NTC thermistor. Nonetheless, the PSU has low inrush currents, so there is inrush current suppression through another circuit, which the APFC controller controls. 

The pair of bridge rectifiers is installed on a dedicated heat sink, which is pretty small. Still, these rectifiers can easily handle the PSU's full power even with low voltage input. 

The APFC converter uses two Infineon FETs and a single CREE C3D08060A boost diode. The bulk caps are provided by Rubycon and have enough capacity to provide a longer than 17ms hold-up time. The APFC controller is an ICE3PCS01G IC. 

Two Infineon IPA60R180P7S installed into a half-bridge topology are the primary switching FETs. The LLC resonant controller is a Champion CM6901X IC.

Six Infineon BSC027N04LS FETs regulate the 12V rail, while the minor rails are generated through a pair of DC-DC converters. 

The electrolytic filtering caps are provided by Chemi-Con and Rubycon and are of good quality. A large number of polymer caps is also used for ripple filtering purposes. 

The supervisor IC is a WT7527RA, and right beside it, we find an STC STC15W401AS MCU, used to control the cooling fan's speed. 

This is the RGB controller's board. 

The 5VSB circuit uses a UTC 2N70L FET on its primary side and a PFC P10V45SP SBR on its secondary side. 

Thermaltake Toughpower GF2 ARGB 850W

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The -12V rail is regulated through a KEC KIA7912PI regulator IC. 

Several polymer caps are installed on the modular board, forming a secondary ripple filtering layer. 

Soldering quality is satisfactory.

The cooling fan is quite strong, and it uses a hydraulic dynamic bearing so that it will last for long. 

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Contributing Editor

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