Packaging

The packaging uses exactly the same design as the one that in the bigger TTBPK20G. On the top two cloth straps play the role of the handle and will help you move the somehow heavy box. On the front we are informed about the series name and the capacity of the unit. There also three badges representing 80 Plus Gold certification, the five year warranty and NVIDIA's SLI certification. If you want to learn more about the unit's technical specifications and features then you better take a look at the rear side of the box. There you will find also the power specifications table and a description of the available connectors. In general the packaging is luxurious and provides the future buyer with some relief, since it makes him feel that his money was spent on something worthy.

Contents

Once we opened the top covers a thin packing foam was revealed. Underneath it the PSU along with the iPower meter device are hiding, further protected by another layer of packing foam in the bottom. Unfortunately the unit comes in a nylon bag instead of a velvet one, like the older 800W Thunderbolt Plus model we had reviewed in the past. That's a pity! In the bottom of the box there is a cardboard compartment housing the rest of the bundle which includes an AC power cord, a pouch storing all modular cables, a set of fixing bolts, a user's manual and some Velcro cable straps.

Exterior

The unit's paint job and finish are of high quality. To the inexperienced eye this unit could be easily confused with one of much lower capacity (<750W) thanks to its compact dimensions. With only 160mm of length the high capacity Thortechs are among the smaller high-end Mega PSUs. On the front and top side the classic honeycomb design vents are used and on the two sides the decals are incorporated into two metal plates, rather than glued directly on the unit's enclosure. In the rear we find a large amount of fixed cables which, thankfully, are fully sleeved back into the housing and around the large cable exit hole a grommet is used, to assist in cable protection. The modular sockets are few and the PCIe ones are distinguished by their yellow color and the number of pins of course.


The iPower device can be installed in a 5.25" bay and provides vital information to the user, regarding the PSU's operation. On its front right side we find several buttons. The top one toggles between Watts pulled out of the PSU and efficiency, the second from the top toggles between Amps and Volt readings of the rail while the button above it sets the fan mode to either Auto of Full mode. Better avoid the latter if you have sensitive hearing since the fan at full RPMs outputs quite a lot of noise. Finally the last button toggles between Celsius and Fahrenheit values. A rear shot of this device reveals that its PCB is very simple and with few components, so the processor responsible for its operation is hiding in the PSU itself.