W1zzard
May 15, 2004, 07:34 PM
[PAGE=Introduction & Packaging]
Introduction
I would like to thank Thermaltake for supplying me with the unit for review.
Traditionally, power supplies have been sold either as stand-alone or together with cases. Fortron Sparkle was the first manufacturer to bundle additional items with a power supply unit - Thermaltake is doing the same now. They have put together a kit to silence your PC. It contains the following items:
Low noise 410 Watt PSU (available in black and silver)
CPU heatsink with copper base and fan controller
120mm case fan with fan controller
Here is a schematic that shows the components:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/schematic.gif
Packaging
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/package1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/package1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/package2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/package2.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/package3_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/package3.jpg)
Box contents:
Power Supply Unit
Heatsink base
Heatsink fan
PCI slot fan controller
120mm case fan
5.25" slot fan slot controller
Lots of mounting screws
Booklet with installation instructions
[PAGE=PSU & 120mm Fan]
Power Supply Unit
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/cabling1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/cabling1.jpg)
Thermaltake has done a good job with the cable sleeving, all cables that have a similar function are sleeved in the same color. The ends of each sleeving are fixed with heatshrink, some other manufacturers are saving money there and show you just the bare ends.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/cabling2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/cabling2.jpg)
While SATA harddisks haven't taken over the market, the additional SATA connectors are a nice add-on which help making your investment future proof.
<table class="resulttable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5">
<tr>
<th rowspan="2">Connectors</th>
<th align="center">Main Power </th>
<th align="center">5.25"</th>
<th align="center">Floppy</th>
<th align="center">4 Pin CPU</th>
<th align="center">SerialATA</th>
<th align="center">PCI-E Aux Power</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">ATX 20 Pin </td>
<td align="center">9</td>
<td align="center">3</td>
<td align="center">1</td>
<td align="center">2</td>
<td align="center">-</td>
</tr>
</table>
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/cablelength.gif
The POLO12's power supply has a good amount of connectors. All are long enough even for bigger cases.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/blue1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/blue1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/blue2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/blue2.jpg)
While running, three LEDs give the PSU a pretty blue glow. Very nice.
Inside Shots
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu3_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu3.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu4_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu4.jpg)
The inside is well cleaned up like you can expect from a good PSU. On the second picture you can see two trimmers - the upper one, labelled VR1 changes the 12V and 5V output voltage. I could not find out what the second one does, it's not changing the 3.3V output.
Performance
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu2.jpg)
<table class="resulttable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5">
<tr>
<th colspan="7">Thermaltake Polo12 410W</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>AC Input</th>
<td colspan="6">115V 8A or 230V 5A, 50-60 Hz</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>DC Voltage</th>
<td align="center">+3.3V</td>
<td align="center">+5V</td>
<td align="center">+12V</td>
<td align="center">-12V</td>
<td align="center">-5V</td>
<td align="center">+5VSB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th rowspan="2">Max. Output</th>
<td align="center">28A</td>
<td align="center">40A</td>
<td align="center">18A</td>
<td align="center">1A</td>
<td align="center">0.3A</td>
<td align="center">2A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">220W</td>
<td align="center">216W</td>
<td align="center">1.5W</td>
<td align="center">12W</td>
<td align="center">10W</td>
</tr>
</table>
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psugraph.gif
Tested on: P4 2.4C @ 3,5 Ghz, 1.7V. ABIT IC7, Radeon X800 Pro, WD Raptor, WD 1600PB, SCSI CD-ROM, SCSI Burner.
The 12V line could be a bit more stable, the other voltages look really good.
The PSU fan is temperature-controlled. Speeds range from 1300 to 2800 RPM. At 1300 RPM the fan is very quiet.
120mm Fan
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/120mm_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/120mm.jpg)
There's not much to be said about the 120mm fan except that it seems to be a pretty low-cost fan made by Everflow. It moves a lot of air at 12V but is VERY loud. At 5V and 7V airflow is barely noticable.
[PAGE=Heatsink, Value & Conclusion]
Heatsink
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/cpufan1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/cpufan1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/flatness2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/flatness2.jpg)
Included with the CPU cooler are different clips, which make it compatible with Intel's P4 and AMD's K7 and K8.
Installation
Installation uses a strong clip-on mechanism and is easy to do. The only tricky part is getting the second clip on while not moving the heatsink around on the CPU.
Performance
<table class="resulttable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3">
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Stock Intel Heatsink </th>
<td>Temperature Idle </td>
<td>Temperature Load</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">200 FSB = 2.4Ghz, Default Voltage </th>
<td>39°C</td>
<td>56°C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">250 FSB = 3.0Ghz, Default Voltage </th>
<td>39°C</td>
<td>59°C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Max. FSB 280.40 = 3.37Ghz, 1.7V </th>
<td>42°C</td>
<td>68°C</td>
</tr>
</table>
<table class="resulttable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3">
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Thermaltake Heatsink </th>
<td>Temperature Idle </td>
<td>Temperature Load</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">200 FSB = 2.4Ghz, Default Voltage </th>
<td>37°C</td>
<td>50°C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">250 FSB = 3.0Ghz, Default Voltage </th>
<td>37°C</td>
<td>53°C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Max. FSB 282.19 = 3.39Ghz, 1.7V </th>
<td>39°C</td>
<td>63°C</td>
</tr>
</table>
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/graph1.gif http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/graph2.gif
Value and Conclusion
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
The POLO12 is selling for about $70 which is a fair price, considering that you get a whole package.
</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
All-in-one package.
Nice looking.
High-Quality PSU, which is quiet
PSU has long, sleeved cables
PSU has SATA and lots of other connectors
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>
CPU cooler performance could be better, fan is too loud
120mm fan is very noisy
</td></tr>
<tr><th>8.0</th>
<td>This kit is a nice all-around package for the basic user and seasoned overclocker at a good price. The die-hard overclocker definitely wants to pick components one-by-one, so this kit does not make too much sense for this user group.
The best part of this package is without any doubt the PSU.
</td></tr>
<tr><th></th><td></td></tr>
</table>
Introduction
I would like to thank Thermaltake for supplying me with the unit for review.
Traditionally, power supplies have been sold either as stand-alone or together with cases. Fortron Sparkle was the first manufacturer to bundle additional items with a power supply unit - Thermaltake is doing the same now. They have put together a kit to silence your PC. It contains the following items:
Low noise 410 Watt PSU (available in black and silver)
CPU heatsink with copper base and fan controller
120mm case fan with fan controller
Here is a schematic that shows the components:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/schematic.gif
Packaging
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/package1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/package1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/package2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/package2.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/package3_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/package3.jpg)
Box contents:
Power Supply Unit
Heatsink base
Heatsink fan
PCI slot fan controller
120mm case fan
5.25" slot fan slot controller
Lots of mounting screws
Booklet with installation instructions
[PAGE=PSU & 120mm Fan]
Power Supply Unit
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/cabling1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/cabling1.jpg)
Thermaltake has done a good job with the cable sleeving, all cables that have a similar function are sleeved in the same color. The ends of each sleeving are fixed with heatshrink, some other manufacturers are saving money there and show you just the bare ends.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/cabling2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/cabling2.jpg)
While SATA harddisks haven't taken over the market, the additional SATA connectors are a nice add-on which help making your investment future proof.
<table class="resulttable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5">
<tr>
<th rowspan="2">Connectors</th>
<th align="center">Main Power </th>
<th align="center">5.25"</th>
<th align="center">Floppy</th>
<th align="center">4 Pin CPU</th>
<th align="center">SerialATA</th>
<th align="center">PCI-E Aux Power</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">ATX 20 Pin </td>
<td align="center">9</td>
<td align="center">3</td>
<td align="center">1</td>
<td align="center">2</td>
<td align="center">-</td>
</tr>
</table>
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/cablelength.gif
The POLO12's power supply has a good amount of connectors. All are long enough even for bigger cases.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/blue1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/blue1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/blue2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/blue2.jpg)
While running, three LEDs give the PSU a pretty blue glow. Very nice.
Inside Shots
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu3_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu3.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu4_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu4.jpg)
The inside is well cleaned up like you can expect from a good PSU. On the second picture you can see two trimmers - the upper one, labelled VR1 changes the 12V and 5V output voltage. I could not find out what the second one does, it's not changing the 3.3V output.
Performance
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psu2.jpg)
<table class="resulttable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5">
<tr>
<th colspan="7">Thermaltake Polo12 410W</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>AC Input</th>
<td colspan="6">115V 8A or 230V 5A, 50-60 Hz</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>DC Voltage</th>
<td align="center">+3.3V</td>
<td align="center">+5V</td>
<td align="center">+12V</td>
<td align="center">-12V</td>
<td align="center">-5V</td>
<td align="center">+5VSB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th rowspan="2">Max. Output</th>
<td align="center">28A</td>
<td align="center">40A</td>
<td align="center">18A</td>
<td align="center">1A</td>
<td align="center">0.3A</td>
<td align="center">2A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">220W</td>
<td align="center">216W</td>
<td align="center">1.5W</td>
<td align="center">12W</td>
<td align="center">10W</td>
</tr>
</table>
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/psugraph.gif
Tested on: P4 2.4C @ 3,5 Ghz, 1.7V. ABIT IC7, Radeon X800 Pro, WD Raptor, WD 1600PB, SCSI CD-ROM, SCSI Burner.
The 12V line could be a bit more stable, the other voltages look really good.
The PSU fan is temperature-controlled. Speeds range from 1300 to 2800 RPM. At 1300 RPM the fan is very quiet.
120mm Fan
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/120mm_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/120mm.jpg)
There's not much to be said about the 120mm fan except that it seems to be a pretty low-cost fan made by Everflow. It moves a lot of air at 12V but is VERY loud. At 5V and 7V airflow is barely noticable.
[PAGE=Heatsink, Value & Conclusion]
Heatsink
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/cpufan1_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/cpufan1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/flatness2_small.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/flatness2.jpg)
Included with the CPU cooler are different clips, which make it compatible with Intel's P4 and AMD's K7 and K8.
Installation
Installation uses a strong clip-on mechanism and is easy to do. The only tricky part is getting the second clip on while not moving the heatsink around on the CPU.
Performance
<table class="resulttable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3">
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Stock Intel Heatsink </th>
<td>Temperature Idle </td>
<td>Temperature Load</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">200 FSB = 2.4Ghz, Default Voltage </th>
<td>39°C</td>
<td>56°C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">250 FSB = 3.0Ghz, Default Voltage </th>
<td>39°C</td>
<td>59°C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Max. FSB 280.40 = 3.37Ghz, 1.7V </th>
<td>42°C</td>
<td>68°C</td>
</tr>
</table>
<table class="resulttable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3">
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Thermaltake Heatsink </th>
<td>Temperature Idle </td>
<td>Temperature Load</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">200 FSB = 2.4Ghz, Default Voltage </th>
<td>37°C</td>
<td>50°C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">250 FSB = 3.0Ghz, Default Voltage </th>
<td>37°C</td>
<td>53°C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Max. FSB 282.19 = 3.39Ghz, 1.7V </th>
<td>39°C</td>
<td>63°C</td>
</tr>
</table>
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/graph1.gif http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/POLO12/images/graph2.gif
Value and Conclusion
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
The POLO12 is selling for about $70 which is a fair price, considering that you get a whole package.
</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
All-in-one package.
Nice looking.
High-Quality PSU, which is quiet
PSU has long, sleeved cables
PSU has SATA and lots of other connectors
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>
CPU cooler performance could be better, fan is too loud
120mm fan is very noisy
</td></tr>
<tr><th>8.0</th>
<td>This kit is a nice all-around package for the basic user and seasoned overclocker at a good price. The die-hard overclocker definitely wants to pick components one-by-one, so this kit does not make too much sense for this user group.
The best part of this package is without any doubt the PSU.
</td></tr>
<tr><th></th><td></td></tr>
</table>