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The Toughpower Grand series boasts a number of features, such as dual ball bearing 14cm flower-shape fan, Japanese made electrolytic capacitors, solid state capacitors, double-forward switching circuitry, unparalleled DC to DC converters, single +12V (52A) rail design and FanDelayCool technology.
Thermaltake says that the Japanese made and solid state capacitors are tested vigorously to ensure that they can withstand up to at least 105°C, allowing them to provide a robust foundation for the Toughpower Grand series. They also say that additional DC-to-DC converter modules for +3.3v and +5v rails ensure low A/C ripple and great system stability. Another claim made by Thermaltake is that the Toughpower Grand series features an exclusive 12Vin1 feature, which delivers a powerful single 12v rail. Having said that, this feature is certainly not an industry exclusive and it’s not even exclusive to Thermaltake’s own power supplies. For example, the Toughpower XT series has a single 12v rail while the affordable TR2 and EVO_Blue series also feature a single 12v rail.
In fact only the original Toughpower and Purepower power supplies from Thermaltake feature a quad 12v rail configuration. These power supplies feature virtual quad +12v outputs (+12v1, +12v2, +12v3, and +12v4). The Toughpower Grand series on the other hand features just one 12v rail and does not split the load amongst four virtual rails. This is a better arrangement when compared to many of the older 700-800 watt power supplies which feature the four virtual rail design. What this means is if you have a graphics card capable of sucking down more than 18A for example on a single rail, then the system will crash (BSOD) or something to that effect. The 52A (650w) and 60A (750w) single rail designs of the Toughpower Grand series makes them much harder for SLI/Crossfire graphics cards to max out, and with this arrangement it cannot be done without significantly more hardware added to the system. This kind of arrangement could also produce more stable and better overclocking results.
Another interesting feature is the FanDelayCool, which enables the user to manually set a time delay, ranging from 0 to 35 seconds, that the 140mm fan will stay running after the computer has been shutdown. The implementation of this feature is to allow components inside the power supply to gradually cool off, rather than relying on natural convection, which takes much longer and is less effective. The Toughpower Grand power supplies all utilize a 14cm dual-ball bearing fan which features a new flower-shape design which Thermaltake claims allows for longer lifespan and lowers overall noise output by dramatically reducing bearing frictions. The fan is designed to operate at 1900 RPM with a ± 10% variation.
Finally, the last key feature is the 80 PLUS Gold certification, which means under 20% load the power supply will have an efficiency level of 88%, while this will increase to 92% under 50% load, and finally 88% at 100% load. This means that the Toughpower Grand power supplies waste 12% or less electricity due to heat when operating at room temperature. However Thermaltake also claims that the Toughpower Grand series will deliver full power continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week when operating at temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius. Of course we are not sure what this temperature, which is just over two times greater than room temperature, does to the units operating efficiency. The efficiency of a computer power supply is the amount of energy it supplies, divided by how much energy is input. The remaining energy is converted into heat. For example if a 750w power supply only had an efficiency rating of 60% under full load, it would draw 1250w from the wall, 500w of which would be lost as heat.
However if we had a 750w unit with an 80% rating, 930w would be drawn from the wall and just 180w would be lost as heat. Finally, the 80 PLUS Gold certification, which calls for a maximum load efficiency of 91%, means that the Toughpower Grand 750w will draw 820w from the wall which means it will lose just 70w as heat. So the greater the efficiency the more you save on your power bill and the “greener” you will become. |
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Busta |
Posted on: 08/04/2010 12:11 PM
Those are some slick looking PSUs right there. I would really like to own one of these. Also thanks for taking the time to take them apart and give us a good look inside. |
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Rusty |
Posted on: 08/04/2010 12:27 PM
I agree this looks smart. The round edges do it for me  I have seen another power supply like this somewhere ... I think it was a Cooler Master. I will have to check it out. |
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Sandman |
Posted on: 08/04/2010 10:57 PM
I dont want to sound lame but I also really like the round edges as well as the power button. |
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Delta |
Posted on: 08/05/2010 02:33 AM
These are tweaked CWT DSG power supplies so they are awesome quality. |
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Horribleron Posts: 13 Joined: 2010-03-26 |
Posted on: 08/07/2010 03:59 AM
I have had an original Toughpower 750W for over two years now and it's been a real stud of a PSU. |
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ajax |
Posted on: 08/07/2010 09:46 AM
I just bought one of these and I am very please with it. So powerful yet so quiet  |
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Lee |
Posted on: 09/14/2010 10:13 AM
These power supplies look pretty grand sorry ... nice review though! I just found this site today and I am loving it. |
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elThomaso |
Posted on: 11/15/2010 08:15 PM
Good power supply, great quality, overwhelming design, but nothing you would buy for a silent PC. Just selling mine in exchange for semipassive seasonic... |