Thermaltake ToughPower GF3 ATX 3.0

Das Thermaltake ToughPower GF3 1000W ATX 3.0 verfügt über eine gute Ausstattung an Kabeln und auch die Qualität sowie die Verarbeitung dieser als auch des Netzteils selbst sind sehr gut. Nur beim 12VHPWR-Kabelstrang würden wir auf den Sleeve verzichten, da es den Strang nur unnötig dicker macht. Dadurch ist es im Gehäuse schwerer verdeckt, zu verlegen.

The Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1000 is an ATX v3.0 and PCIe 5.0 ready power supply, meaning that you won’t have to mess with 12VHPWR adapters to power the new generation NVIDIA graphics cards, so you won’t face any issues like the ones that some users had with the provided adapters. I always advise against using adapters, especially when high-power output is expected. The slightest problem in build quality or an installation error can be proven fatal when 500W or more have to pass through a single cable.

Not so long ago, I would have said a 750W-850W PSU would be more than enough for most users. But with today’s power hungry CPUs and GPUs, I would definitely recommend a 1000W PSU or higher. If you’re planning to build a new system with latest processor and graphics card, make sure you get yourself a power supply that can meet the power requirements of your system.

Da nach dem Launch von NVIDIAs ADA-Spitzenmodellen und dem leidigen Gezerre um den 12VHPWR-Anschluss viele Enthusiasten nach potenten Stromversorgern nach dem neuen ATX-3.0-Standard suchen, bietet Thermaltake mit Toughpower GF3 1200W ein echtes ATX v3.0 Netzteil an, das mit aktuell rund 250 Euro Straßenpreis durchaus eine ernstzunehmende Alternative für viele Besitzter einer GeForce RTX 4090 oder RTX 4080 sein könnte. Denn Ihr kennt das ja mit dem Adapter: Steckst Du nicht richtig drin, dann b4ist du hin…

Thermaltake has a really nice power supply with the Toughpower GF3 Snow 1200 Watt. It’s obviously very powerful, and at 1200 watts, it’s got more than enough grunt for any of today’s flagship CPUs such as the Intel Core i9 series, the top-end Ryzen, or even a Threadripper, and still has enough juice left over for a flagship graphics card such as the RTX 4090 or RX 7900 XTX, as well as all your storage and other devices too. The build quality is excellent too, and really the only two small details I can pick are not a big deal. The AC Line-in soldering looked a bit scruffy, but certainly not unsafe, but this is quite a common site in many PSUs. The flat cables look great, but they were packed in a bit tight and that left some of them with folds and twists in the package that take time to work out and get looking neat again. It’s nicely overbuilt too, and being part of the Toughpower series it means that it’s designed to cope with continuous loads over a long period of time. If you want to draw 1000W+ 24/7 it’ll do it without breaking a sweat. If you have a system that tends to power spike and exceeds that 1200W rating, again, not a problem, it’ll pull up to 1700W for a short period before the OPP kicks in and shuts your system down. I like that Thermaltake made the PSU outer casing bigger too, seemingly just to put a larger 140mm fan inside, and this means it’s a lower RPM that moves more airflow with a lower noise output compared to a 120mm fan that has to spin faster to move the same amount of air. The slightly larger size of the PSU also means there is more room for passive airflow throughout, and there’s additional ventilation on the sides of the PSU to help this even further.

The Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1200 uses a solid platform by Channel Well Technology, which offers high performance in almost all areas. While in load regulation, the PSU cannot follow the tough competitors, in every other section it scores high. The unit's transient response, among the critical performance factors, is top and the same goes for ripple suppression. If only the fan speed profile were less aggressive, but the lack of heat sinks on the 12V board, and the extended warranty probably pushed CWT to tune the fan speed profile.

Thermaltake’s PSU people try hard to offer quality and high-performance products, and their cooperation with manufacturers like CWT plays a key role in this. The ToughPower GF3 1200 uses the proven CSZ platform, equipped with quality parts. The performance of this unit topped my charts with 115V input, and the PSU scored second with 230V input. Most of the PSUs I used for comparison purposes are Platinum, and one of them is Titanium (be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12), showing that I chose extra tough competitors for the GF3 1200. There aren’t many Gold 1200W units, so I had only two options, select lower capacity Gold units or go with Platinum ones with similar capacity, and I chose the latter.

The Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1350W achieves top performance among similar spec units, although its load regulation and transient response need more tuning. Its primary assets are ATX v3.0 and PCIe 5.0 compatibility. Only the SilverStone HELA 1300R Platinum and the MSI MEG Ai1300P PCIE5 share these features in the above 1200W category, but soon enough, we will see other brands providing powerful ATX v3.0 PSUs. Although AMD’s upcoming GPUs won’t require 12VHPWR connectors, the transition to PCIe 5.0 is inevitable in the long run, so it is wise to invest in a modern PSU that is compatible with this standard.

There is no denying that the power supply market is changing. – While there was once an emphasis on what would usually be considered ‘reasonable’ wattage outputs with higher efficiency ratings, today, it feels like the roles have reversed. And that’s not a criticism of any of the PSU manufacturers who are angling themselves towards this trend. The writing is on the wall that, at least for the foreseeable future, new tech releases (CPUs/GPUs, etc.) are ultimately going to require more and more power to offer increasingly higher levels of performance. And, with this in mind, higher wattage PSUs are going to become increasingly necessary.

The new Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 line is ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0 ready, so it won’t have a problem with any upcoming GPUs as long as you select the appropriate PSU with enough power to support it. Although NVIDIA clarified that the RTX 4000 won’t require ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0 PSUs to operate correctly, the wisest thing is to invest in a future-proof power supply that will keep you company for several GPU generations.

The Thermaltake GF3 model with 750 W max power is a fully ATX v3.0 and PCIe 5.0 compatible PSU, meaning that you won't have to use 12VHPWR adapters to power your precious graphics card. Recently, there were some issues with NVIDIA's adapter with melted connectors and sockets, which worried many users. The fact is, for power levels during gaming, the RTX 4090 can reach close to 500 W power consumption, so I don't suggest the use of adapters. From the moment you invest so much money to get a high-end GPU, you should put some money aside and also get a PSU with a native 12VHPWR connector, or order a native cable for your PSU, if there is one available. I know that be quiet!, Corsair and Seasonic offer such cables for their non-ATX v3.0 units, and other brands are also working on releasing such cables.

Thermaltake is among the first to offer fully ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0 ready PSUs through its GF3 line. The 750W and 850W units successfully passed the strict transient response tests that the ATX 3.0 spec requires for units with 12VHPWR connectors. Whether the future GPUs will require such crazy demands since the RTX 4000 graphics cards don’t need ATX 3.0 PSUs, according to NVIDIA’s statements, is something that nobody can know. One this is for sure, though, that you should invest in a power supply that will be as future-proof as it gets, and this is possible through an ATX 3.0 unit featuring a 12VHPWR connector.

The Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 with 1650W max power is currently the strongest ATX v3.0 and PCIe 5.0 ready power supply. You won’t need more power, even with a highly overclocked NVIDIA RTX 4090 and a power hungry CPU combo. This PSU can cope with up to 3300W power spikes! That says it all!

Thermaltake's strongest Toughpower GF3 unit has 1650 W, which can support not only one but two 12+4 pin 12VHPWR PCIE connectors. In this PSU, each of the aforementioned 12VHPWR connectors can deliver up to 600 W, if required, meaning that you can power two RTX 4090 graphics cards with their power limit fully unlocked and still have plenty of power left for a potent CPU. Usually, Gold efficiency PSUs are usually lower in capacity because thermal loads go sky-high with high wattage. This is why the fan speed profile in this PSU is so aggressive, to remove heat from the PSU's internals effectively. The GF3 1650 is 80 PLUS Gold and Cybenetics Platinum certified in efficiency. It also has a Cybenetics Standard+ noise certification, so don't expect it to be whisper quiet. A selectable semi-passive operation stops the fluid dynamic bearing fan at light loads, allowing zero noise output. The dimensions are compact with 160 mm depth, and the ten-year warranty is among the longest in the PSU industry (and not only). Lastly, the price at the time of review is $330, which is decent, given the product's features.