Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1000 W Review - ATX v3.0 & PCIe 5.0 Ready

Name: Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1000 W
Brand: Thermaltake
Price: 200 USD

crmaris

on Nov 28th, 2022,

in Power Supplies.

Manufacturer: Thermaltake

Voltage Regulation Stability & Ripple »

Component Analysis

Before reading this page, look at this article, which will help you better understand the insides of a PSU.

Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1000 W Parts Description
General Data
Manufacturer (OEM)	CWT
Platform	CSZ
PCB Type	Double Sided
Primary Side
Transient Filter	4x Y caps, 2x X caps, 2x CM chokes, 1x MOV
Bridge Rectifier(s)	2x Yangjie Electronic GBU1506 (600 V, 15 A @ 100 °C)
Inrush Current Protection	1x NTC Thermistor (SCK-207R0) (7 Ohm) & Relay
APFC MOSFETs	2x GP36S60YERD & 1x Sync Power SPN5003 (for reduced no-load consumption)
APFC Boost Diode	1x On Semiconductor FFSP1065B (650 V, 10 A @ 139 °C)
Bulk Cap(s)	1x Nippon Chemi-Con (420 V, 820 uF, 2,000 h @ 105 °C, KHE)
Main Switchers	2x Infineon IPA60R125P6 (600 V, 19 A @ 100 °C, Rds (on): 0.125 Ohm)
APFC Controller	Champion CM6500UNX
Switching Controller	Champion CU6901VAC
Topology	Primary side: APFC, Half-Bridge & LLC converter Secondary side: Synchronous Rectification & DC-DC converters
Secondary Side
+12 V MOSFETs	8x On Semiconductor NTMFS5C430N (40 V, 131 A @ 100 °C, Rds (on): 1.7 mOhm)
+5 V & +3.3 V	DC-DC Converters: 2x UBIQ QN3107M6N (30 V, 70 A @ 100 °C, Rds (on): 2.6 mOhm) & 2x UBIQ QM3054M6 (30 V, 61 A @ 100 °C, Rds (on): 4.8 mOhm) PWM Controller(s): uPI-Semi uP3861P
Filtering Capacitors	Electrolytic: 3x Nichicon (2 - 5,000 h @ 105 °C, HD), 2x Nichicon (4 - 10,000 h @ 105 °C, HE), 2x Nippon Chemi-Con (2 - 5,000 h @ 105 °C, KZE), 2x Rubycon (4 - 10,000 h @ 105 °C, YXJ), 1x Nippon Chemi-Con (4 - 10,000 h @ 105 °C, KY) Polymer: 18x APAQ, 3x Elite, 2x CapXon
Supervisor IC	Weltrend WT7502R
Fan Controller	Microchip PIC16F1503
Fan Model	Hong Hua HA13525H12SF-Z (135 mm, 12 V, 0.5 A, Fluid Dynamic Bearing Fan)
5VSB Circuit
Rectifier(s)	1x PS1045L SBR (45 V, 10 A)
Standby PWM Controller	On-Bright OB2365T

The manufacturer of most GF3 models is Channel Well Technology. The platform, with code name CSZ, provides enough clearance in the transient filter for good airflow, but the secondary side is overpopulated with parts; hence the fan will have to operate at high speeds to cool down the boards holding the DC-DC converters and the 12 V FETs. The lack of heatsinks on the secondary side doesn't help the situation either. The build quality is high overall, and the FDB fan is by Hong Hua, so it will have a long life if you don't push it hard under high operating temperatures.

The input filter is fully equipped to suppress EMI noise.

There is an MOV for protection against power surges. An NTC thermistor handles inrush currents with a bypass relay supporting it.

The pair of bridge rectifiers can handle up to 30 Amperes.

The APFC converter uses two GP36S60YERD FETs and a single boost diode by On Semiconductor. A Sync Power FET is also used to isolate the APFC converter when the unit is on standby, minimizing energy consumption. Lastly, the bulk cap is by Nippon Chemi-Con, and the APFC controller is a Champion CM6500UNX.

The main FETs are installed in a half-bridge topology. An LLC resonant converter is also used for higher efficiency.

The transformer is close to the +12 V board for lower power losses.

Eight FETs regulate the +12 V rail.

The VRMs handling the minor rails use four UBIQ FETs in total and a single PWM controller.

The electrolytic filtering caps are of high quality by Japanese manufacturers. The polymer caps are a mix of Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese brands.

The standby PWM controller is an On Bright OB2365T.

The primary supervisor IC is a Weltrend WT7502R. The fan's controller is a Microchip PIC16F1503, allowing for a straightforward tune-up of the fan speed profile, which can't be performed by users, but only at the factory.