Introduction

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We would like to thank GEiL/Thortech for supplying the review sample.

Geil is another traditional memory manufacturer that decided to enter the power supply market. To do so they chose to establish a new brand, Thortech, in order to make a clear distinction between their memory and PSU products. Contrary to other companies that rely exclusively on some OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) platforms for their PSU products, Thortech has significant experience in this field since they have been designing industrial PSUs for over 15 years now, so the design of consumer level PSUs will be a relatively easy task for them. The two series that Thortech released so far are Thunderbolt and Thunderbolt Plus. The members of the first series are made by Sirtec while the only member (so far) of the second series uses a special design and as it seems Thortech is responsible for it since we didn't encounter it in any other PSU. All Thunderbolt PSUs have Gold efficiency and carry a five year warranty.

In today's review we will take a look at the Thunderbolt Plus 800 W (or TTB800G). The special characteristic of this unit, which makes it unique to the best of our knowledge, is the iPower Meter. The letter “ i” in front of the “Power” means interactive since through this device you can also control the unit's cooling fan. Besides the iPower Meter the TTB800G features a semi modular cabling system and all capacitors used for its construction are Japan made, something that has tremendous effect on reliability and longevity.

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Specifications

<table class="tputbl">
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="2"> Thortech TTB800G Features & Specs</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Max. DC Output</th>
<td align="center">800W</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">PFC</th>
<td align="center">Active PFC</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Efficiency</th>
<td align="center">80 Plus Gold</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Operating temperature</th>
<td align="center">0°C - 50°C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Protections</th>
<td align="center">Over Voltage Protection 
Under Voltage Protection 
Over Current Protection 
Over Power Protection 
Short Circuit Protection 
Over Temperature Protection</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Cooling</th>
<td align="center"> 135mm Dual Ball Bearing Fan (MGT13512XB-025, 1800RPM, 100CFM, 38.5dBA) </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Dimensions</th>
<td align="center">150 mm (W) x 86 mm (H) x 190 mm (D)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Weight</th>
<td align="center"> 2.3 kg</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Compliance</th>
<td align="center"> ATX12V v2.3, EPS 2.91 </td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Warranty</th>
<td align="center">5 years</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Price at time of review</th>
<td align="center">$229.99</td>
</tr></table>

All available protections for consumer grade PSUs are utilized in this unit and the max operational temperature is 50°C. Unfortunately its price is on the high side, for an 800W PSU, but do not forget that the iPower Meter's cost isn't negligible.

<table class="tputbl">
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="8">Thortech TTB800G Power Specs</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Rail</th>
<td align="center">3.3V</td>
<td align="center">5V</td>
<td align="center">12V</td>
<td align="center">5VSB</td>
<td align="center">-12V</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th rowspan="2" scope="row">Max. Power</th>
<td align="center">24A</td>
<td align="center">24A</td>
<td align="center">65A</td>
<td align="center">3A</td>
<td align="center">0.5A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">120W</td>
<td align="center">780W</td>
<td align="center">15W</td>
<td align="center">6W</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Total Max. Power</th>
<td colspan="5" align="center">800W</td>
</tr></table>

There is only one +12V rail which can deliver almost the full power of the PSU, common for units that use DC-DC converters for the minor rails generation. The max combined power of 5V & 3.3V looks rather low at 120W, but you won't need more nowadays from these two rails.

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

<table class="tputbl">
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="2" align="center">Native Cables</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tr>
<th scope="row">ATX connector (650 mm)</th>
<td align="center">20+4 pin</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">4+4 pin EPS12V (650 mm)</th>
<td align="center">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">6+2 pin PCIe (650 mm)</th>
<td align="center">2</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row"> 6 pin for included power meter (650mm) </th>
<td align="center">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th colspan="2" align="center">Modular Cables</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row"> 6+2 pin PCIe (650mm) </th>
<td align="center">2</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row"> 4 pin Molex (650mm+150mm+150mm) </th>
<td align="center">6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row"> SATA (650mm+150mm+150mm+150mm)</th>
<td align="center">8</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row"> FDD (+150mm) </th>
<td align="center">1</td>
</tr></table>

Except the unjustified lack of a second EPS connector the unit has a sufficient number of connectors and all cables are long, so even in large cases you won't face the slightest problem. Also the distance among connectors is 150mm, the recommended length by ATX spec. All connectors use 18 AWG wires, which is the recommended wire gauge by ATX. Nevertheless we would like to see thicker 16 AWG wires on the 24 pin ATX, EPS and the PCIe connectors for less energy losses.

Since this PSU features a single +12V rail we do not have anything to comment about its power distribution.

Packaging

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The box is quite large and on top of it we find two cloth straps that play the role of the handle. On the front side we find the capacity (800W) highlighted in gold fonts and on the bottom right corner resides the 80 Plus Gold badge. On the opposite corner we find the SLI and the five year warranty badges. On the rear of the box we are informed about various specifications and there is also a description of the available cables/connectors. In the bottom right corner we read that the unit was designed in Taiwan and manufactured in China, like most of the available PSUs today on the market.

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The package contents are well protected by packing foam. The PSU comes in a luxury cloth bag which is a nice touch, especially if we take into account its high price. The bundle is quite rich and includes several Velcro ties, two sets of bolting screws, a user's manual and a pouch holding all modular cables.

The gadget you see in the above photos is called iPower Meter and mounts in a 5.25" bay. Through it you get vital information about the PSU like efficiency, DC Watts you pull out of it, voltages and amperes drawn from the main rails, the internal temperature and fan RPMs. Through iPower Meter you can also set the PSU's fan to two modes, namely Quiet and Full. In the first the fan's speed is auto controlled depending on the internal temperature of the PSU while in Full mode the fan works constantly at 100%. We don't recommend setting the fan to Full mode since it's quite noisy when it works at full speed.

Although this gadget looks very promising and offers plenty of information to the interested user we don't find it ergonomic and we will explain why. Since this device can be only installed in a free 5.25” bay means that you must have a clear and easy view to the front of the PC chassis and this is a little bit of a problem if the latter is placed on the floor and under the desk, a place where most of us have our towers. If Thortech gave us the ability to install the iPower Meter on our desk then things definitely would be far better. On top of that it would be much more convenient if they also provided some kind of software that would give access to the iPower Meter's readings. We hope that Thortech will take our comments into account and implement them on the future Thunderbolt units.

Exterior

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The dark grey matte finish is scratch resistant and not prone to finger prints. On the right and left sides there are two nice stickers with the Thunderbolt Plus logo and on the bottom side we find the power specifications label. On the top, the fan grill uses an octagon design while on the front we find the classic honeycomb grill. Right next to the AC receptacle resides an On/Off switch, a feature that we find essential for all PSUs although some manufacturers omit it from their units. On the rear side the modular sockets use color coding instead of labels. PCIe cables are connected to the yellow sockets while black sockets are used for SATA and peripheral cables. Finally all hardwired cables are nicely sleeved back into the housing and around the cable exit hole there is a grommet to protect the wires from the casing edges.

A Look Inside

Before reading this page we strongly suggest to take a look at this article, which will help you understand the internal components of a PSU much better.

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We couldn't figure out the OEM of this unit since we didn't encounter this design before. We suspect two things, either Thortech heavily modified a platform of another OEM or they designed a fresh platform. We bet on the first of the above.

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The transient filter starts at the AC receptacle with one X and two Y caps. On the main PCB we find the remaining components of the transient filter: two coils, an MOV, one X and two Y caps. There is also a thermistor for inrush current protection along with a bypass relay. Finally the bridge rectifier is a GSIB2580 and is cooled by heatsink.

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The TTB800G utilizes interleaved APFC, where two CCM (Continuous Conduction Mode) topologies are working in parallel with a phase difference. This results in lower ripple and gives an efficiency boost. Each of the CCM topologies uses an IXFH44N50P mosfet and a boost diode. The smoothing/reservoir capacitors are provided by Nippon Chemi-Con and are labeled at 105°C (270 & 220µF capacitance respectively, 450V). The APFC controller is a UCC28061 and the daughter board that houses this IC gives also shelter to the resonant controller (L6599). The PSU uses a half bridge resonant topology so along with the LLC resonant converter we find two primary switches (IXFH44N50P). Here we should note the the L6599 IC has the ability to shut down the APFC circuit in case something goes wrong (e.g. if OCP or OTP is triggered). The same IC also shuts down the APFC in low loads, in order to increase efficiency. Voltage drops on APFC's boost diodes have a significant impact to efficiency when the load is low.

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In the secondary side four IXTH260N055T2 mosfets regulate +12V. The minor rails are generated through two DC-DC converters. All capacitors in the secondary side are from Nippon Chemi-Con and besides electrolytics we find many polymer ones.

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The DC-DC converters are located on the modular PCB, a technique widely used by Seasonic and Enermax. This greatly decreases energy losses since the minor rails are fed directly to the modular sockets without travelling long distances. In each VRM (Voltage Regulation Module) we find an APW7073 PWM controller and two pairs of APM3109 and APM3116 mosfets.

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In the above daughter board resides the housekeeping IC, a PS232S and an Atmega ATmega88 8-bit microcontroller which controls the iPower Meter's functions.

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Soldering quality overall is quite good with clean joints and short component leads.

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The cooling fan is made by Protechnic and is equipped with a plastic baffle to control the air direction. Its model number is MGT13512XB-025 and it can work up to 1800 RPM with 100 CFM. During our tests the max we saw was 1428 RPM while in an older TTB800G sample we have tested it went up to 1578RPM. As it seems Thortech decided to drop its max RPM to decrease the output noise.

Test Setup

All measurements are performed utilizing ten electronic loads (seven Array 3711A, 300W each, and three Array 3710A, 150W each), which are able to deliver over 2500W of load and are controlled by a custom made software. We also use a DS1M12 (Stingray) oscilloscope, a CHY 502 thermometer, a Fluke 175 multimeter and an Instek GPM-8212 power meter. Furthermore, in our setup we have included a wooden box, which along with a heating element is used as a Hot Box. Finally, we have at our disposal two more oscilloscopes (Rigol 1052E and VS5042) and a CEM DT-8852 sound level meter. In this article you will find more details about our equipment and the review methodology we follow.

Voltage Regulation Charts

The following charts show the voltage values of the main rails, recorded over a range from 60W to the maximum specified load, and the deviation (in percent) for the same load range.

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5VSB Regulation Chart

The following chart shows how the 5VSB rail deals with the load we throw at it.
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Efficiency Chart

In this chart you will find the efficiency of TTB800G at low loads and at loads equal to 20-100% of PSU's maximum rated load.

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Voltage Regulation and Efficiency Measurements

The first set of tests reveals the stability of voltage rails and the efficiency of TTB800G. The applied load equals to (approximately) 20%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 80% and 100%, of the maximum load that the PSU can handle. In addition, we conduct two more tests. In the first we stress the two minor rails (5V & 3.3V) with a high load, while the load at +12V is only 2A and in the second test we dial the maximum load that +12V can handle while load at minor rails is minimal.

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="9" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Voltage Regulation & Efficiency Testing Data 
Thortech TTB800G</th>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#dddddd">
<td width="115" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Test</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">12 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">3.3 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5VSB</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Power 
(DC/AC)</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Efficiency</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Temp 
(In/Out)</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">PF/AC 
Volts</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">20% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">11.496A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.984A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.995A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.999A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">160.00W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">89.54%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">40.2°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.889</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.039V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.038V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.308V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.007V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">178.70W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">41.9°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">233.5V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">40% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">23.402A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.991A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.032A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.201A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">320.00W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">90.58%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">42.7°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.947</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">11.999V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.011V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.274V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.993V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">353.30W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">45.2°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">232.6V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">50% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">29.275A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.007A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.064A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.610A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">400.00W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">90.51%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">45.6°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.961</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">11.973V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.993V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.258V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.966V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">441.95W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">48.1°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">231.5V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">60% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">35.166A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.030A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.110A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.024A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">480.00W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">90.11%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">47.0°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.969</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">11.949V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.975V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.241V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.939V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">532.70W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">50.1°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">232.1V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">80% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">47.169A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.084A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.234A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.446A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">640.00W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">88.89%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">48.5°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.979</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">11.906V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.948V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.206V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.909V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">720.00W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">52.8°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.6V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">100% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">59.196A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">10.195A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">10.511A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.081A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">800.00W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">86.77%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">50.8°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">11.854V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.904V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.168V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.868V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">922.00W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">55.5°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.4V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Crossload 1</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.992A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">14.000A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">14.000A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.500A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">139.80W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">83.04%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">48.7°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.885</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.051V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.913V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.179V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.011V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">168.35W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">52.3°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">233.5V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Crossload 2</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">64.995A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.000A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.000A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.000A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">783.50W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">87.64%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">50.1°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.984</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">11.851V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.011V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.274V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.957V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">894.00W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">55.2°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.6V</td>
</tr></table>

High operating temperatures do not scare this fellow, but unfortunately after about 45°C ambient the fan kicks in really hard and outputs significant noise.
Regarding efficiency, it is high enough but we have seen Gold PSUs with much higher efficiency overall. For example at full load efficiency drops below 87%, the 80 Plus Gold threshold (115V power input - PSUs certified for desktop PCs), even though we test with 230V where efficiency is usually 1-1.5% higher than with 115V power input. However all PSUs are tested at 23°C for 80 Plus certification while we test at 50°C, so differences in efficiency - at least to some degree - are natural.

In the following table you will find the data we gathered through iPower Meter.

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="8" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Voltage Regulation & Efficiency Testing Data 
Thortech TTB800G iPower Meter Readings</th>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#dddddd">
<td width="115" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Test</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">12 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">3.3 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Power 
(DC)</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Efficiency</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Temp 
(In/Out)</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">RPM</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">20% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">11.45A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.19A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.02A</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">155W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">90.35%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">46.1°C</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">576</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.00V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.06V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.30V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">40% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">23.30A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.34A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.06A</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">315W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">91.47%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">49.4°C</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">857</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.00V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.08V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.30V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">50% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">29.15A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.38A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.10A</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">393W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">91.93%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">51.8°C</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1428</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.000V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.09V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.31V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">60% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">35.15A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.42A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.13A</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">475W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">91.62%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">53.5°C</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1428</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.00V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.09V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.32V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">80% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">47.78A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.56A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.36A</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">645W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">90.78%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">57.1°C</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1428</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.00V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.09V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.33V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">100% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">61.36A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">10.70A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">10.70A</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">828W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">90.00%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">62.8°C</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1428</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.00V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.09V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.33V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Crossload 1</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.70A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">14.40A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">14.10A</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">153W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">90.33%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">58.3°C</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1428</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.00V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.09V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.34V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Crossload 2</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">66.55A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.23A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.58A</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">814W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">90.00%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">61.6°C</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1428</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.00V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.07V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.29V</td>
</tr></table>

As you can see almost at all cases the Watt readings and the Amps per rail are very accurate. Unfortunately this is not the case for efficiency and especially for voltage readings. All in all we found very cool this little gadget since with it a user can be informed in real time about the load that his system pulls from the PSU. Also it will come in really handy to many users out there (at least to ones that want to know every detail about their system's power consumption) since it gives a very close estimation of the Amps drawn per rail. Bottom line, we were impressed by the accurate Watts/Amps readings but should note here that the 5V and 3.3V Amp readings are reversed so the 5V rail shows the 3.3V Amps and the opposite. This is a small error but not so easy to fix to already purchased units.

Efficiency at Low Loads

In the next tests, we measure the efficiency of TTB800G at loads much lower than 20% of its maximum rated load (the lowest load that the 80 Plus Standard measures). The loads that we dial are 40, 60, 80 and 100W (for PSUs with over 500W capacity). This is important for scenarios in which a typical office PC is in idle with power saving turned on.

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="8" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Efficiency at Low Loads 
Thortech TTB800G</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Test #</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">12 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">3.3 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5 VSB</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Power 
(DC/AC)</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Efficiency</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">PF/AC 
Volts</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">1</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.856A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.973A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.989A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.198A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">40.00W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">75.12%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.683</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.074V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.064V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.317V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.038V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">53.25W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">233.2V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">2</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.430A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.974A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.990A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.396A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">60.00W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">80.92%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.744</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.074V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.064V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.316V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.038V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">74.15W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">233.3V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">3</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.006A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.974A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.991A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.598A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">80.00W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">84.52%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.784</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.068V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.064V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.314V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.011V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">94.65W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">233.8V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">4</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.582A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.974A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.992A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.798A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">100.00W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">86.73%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.816</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.065V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.064V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.312V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.011V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">115.30W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">233.1V</td>
</tr></table>

Efficiency at low loads is quite good, taking into account that we have an 800W PSU under test and knowing that as the capacity increases, efficiency at low loads decreases.

Let's check now the iPower Meter's readings.

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="8" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Efficiency at Low Loads  
Thortech TTB800G iPower Meter Readings</th>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#dddddd">
<td width="115" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Test</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">12 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">3.3 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Power 
(DC)</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Efficiency</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Temp 
(In/Out)</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">RPM</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">1</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.55A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.19A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.93A</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">48W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">80.40%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">50.9°C</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1428</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.00V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.07V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.30V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">2</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.65A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.19A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.93A</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">61W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">82.67%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">50.3°C</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1428</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.00V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.07V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.30V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">3</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.25A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.19A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.99A</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">80W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">86.00%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">50.0°C</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">909</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.000V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.07V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.30V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">4</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.85A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.19A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.02A</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">100W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">87.80%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">49.7°C</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">909</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.00V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.07V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.30V</td>
</tr></table>

Voltage readings and efficiency measurements of the iPower device are far from accurate but total Watts calculation and the Amps per rail, except test#1, are really close to the real values.

5VSB Efficiency

ATX spec states that the 5VSB standby supply's efficiency should be as high as possible and recommends 50% or higher efficiency with 100mA load, 60% or higher with 250mA load and 70% or higher with 1A or more load.
We will take four measurements, three at 100 / 250 / 1000 mA and one with the full load that 5VSB rail can handle.

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="5" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> 5VSB Efficiency 
Thortech TTB800G</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Test #</td>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5VSB</td>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Power (DC/AC)</td>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Efficiency</td>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">PF/AC Volts</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">1</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.100A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.50W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">38.17%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.038</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.038V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1.31W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">233.9V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">2</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.250A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.26W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">57.53%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.062</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.038V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">2.19W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">234.0V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">3</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.000A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.01W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">74.11%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.177</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.011V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">6.76W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">233.3V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">4</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.000A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">14.82W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">78.00%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.352</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.939V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">19.00W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">233.8V</td>
</tr></table>

In the first two tests efficiency at 5VSB is a little lower than the ATX recommended levels, however in the last two tests it surpasses the corresponding levels. Overall decent performance here but surely not even close to the best we have seen so far.

Power Consumption in Idle & Standby

In the table below you will find the power consumption and the voltage values of all rails (except -12V), when the PSU is in idle mode (On but without any load at its rails) and the power consumption when the PSU is in standby (without any load at 5VSB).

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="7" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Idle / Standby 
Thortech TTB800G</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Mode</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">12 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">3.3 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5VSB</td>
<td width="85" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Power (AC)</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">PF/AC Volts</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Idle</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.459V</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.082V</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.341V</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.047V</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">10.65W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0.236</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">232.4V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" colspan="5" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Standby</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 0.62W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0.019</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">232.3V</td>
</tr></table>

With 0.62W phantom power in standby the ErP Lot 6 requirements are easily met. Also pay attention to the high voltage at the +12V rail in idle, although in a real system the PSU will never be in idle mode.

Cross Load Tests

For the generation of the following charts we set our loaders in auto mode, through our custom software, and try over a thousand possible load combinations with +12V, 5V and 3.3V rails. The voltage regulation deviations in each of the below charts are calculated taking the nominal values of the rails (12V, 5V and 3.3V) as point zero. We should note here that we will run this test only with PSUs that have capacity equal or lower than 800W since it takes way too long and as the capacity increases the completion time increases exponentially.

+12V Voltage Regulation Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...ges/CL_12V.jpg

5V Voltage Regulation Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...ages/CL_5V.jpg

3.3V Voltage Regulation Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...ges/CL_33V.jpg

Efficiency Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...efficiency.jpg

Advanced Transient Response Tests

In these tests we monitor the response of the PSU in two different scenarios. First a transient load (11A at +12V, 5A at 5V, 6A at 3.3V and 0.5A at 5VSB) is applied for 50 ms to the PSU, while the latter is working at a 20% load state. In the second scenario the PSU, while working with 50% load, is hit by the same transient load. In both tests, we measure the voltage drops that the transient load causes, using our oscilloscope. In any case voltages should remain within the regulation limits specified by the ATX specification. We must stress here, that the above tests are crucial, since they simulate transient loads that a PSU is very likely to handle (e.g. starting of a RAID array, an instant 100% load of CPU/VGAs etc.) We call these tests “Advanced Transient Response Tests” and they are designed to be very tough to master, especially for PSUs with capacities lower than 500W.

<div style="float:left">http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...ansient_20.gif</div><div style="float:left"><table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="5" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Advanced Transient Response 20%</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Voltage</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Before</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">After</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Change</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Pass/Fail</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">12 V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">12.049V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">11.932V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.97%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5 V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.047V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.995V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.03%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">3.3 V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.307V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.241V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.00%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5VSB</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.993V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.966V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.54%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr></table></div><div style="clear:both"></div>

<div style="float:left">http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...ansient_50.gif</div><div style="float:left"></div><table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="5" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Advanced Transient Response 50%</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Voltage</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Before</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">After</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Change</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Pass/Fail</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">12 V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">11.976V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">11.867V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.91%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5 V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.993V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.931V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.24%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">3.3 V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.258V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.183V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.30%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5VSB</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.948V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.922V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.52%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr></table><div style="clear:both"></div>

In these tests voltage drops on all rails were well within spec and even in the worst case the drop didn't reach half of the limit (5%). Overall TTB800G performed excellent here, regardless the loose voltage regulation at 3.3V which poses a big handicap here.

Below you will find the oscilloscope screenshots that we took during Advanced Transient Response Testing.

Transient Response at 20% Load

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...n_20_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...n_20_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...n_20_small.jpg

Transient Response at 50% Load

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...n_50_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...n_50_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...n_50_small.jpg

Turn-On Transient Tests

In the next set of tests we measure the response of the PSU in simpler scenarios of transient loads, during the turn on phase of the PSU. In the first test we turn off the PSU, dial 2.5A load at 5VSB and then switch on the PSU. In the second test, while the PSU is in standby, we dial the maximum load that +12V can handle and we start the PSU. In the last test, while the PSU is completely switched off (we cut off power or switch off the PSU's On/Off switch), we dial the maximum load that +12V can handle and then we switch on the PSU from the loader and we restore power. The ATX specification states that recorded spikes on all rails should not exceed 10% of their nominal values (e.g. +10% for 12V is 13.2V and for 5V is 5.5V).

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...5vsb_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T..._stb_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T..._off_small.jpg

We have some small voltage overshoots here but nothing to worry about since they are far away from the respective limits.

Ripple Measurements

In the following table you will find the ripple levels that we measured on the main rails of TTB800G. According to ATX specification the limits are 120 mV (+12V) and 50 mV (5V, 3.3V and 5VSB).

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="6" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Ripple Measurements 
Thortech TTB800G</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Test</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">12 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">3.3 V</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">5VSB</td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Pass/Fail</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">20% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">7.4 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">40% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">10.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">7.6 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.6 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.2 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">50% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">12.6 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">60% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">15.6 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">7.6 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.2 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">80% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">24.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">10.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">9.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">10.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">100% Load</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">43.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">15.6 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">13.2 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">12.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Crossload 1</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">10.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">9.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">7.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7">Crossload 2</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">44.2 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">15.2 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">15.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">11.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr></table>

Ripple/noise suppression overall is good, however we noticed a big increase of +12V ripple between 80% and 100% load. This shows that the 800W of the maximum stated capacity are close to the actual limits of this platform.

Ripple at Full Load

In the following oscilloscope screenshots you can see the AC ripple and noise that the main rails registered (+12V, 5V, 3.3V and 5VSB). The bigger the fluctuations on the oscilloscope's screen the bigger the ripple/noise. For all measurements we set 0.02 V/Div (each vertical division/box equals to 0.02V) as standard.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T...load_small.jpg

Ripple at Crossload 1

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T..._cl1_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T..._cl1_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T..._cl1_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T..._cl1_small.jpg

Ripple at Crossload 2

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T..._cl2_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T..._cl2_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T..._cl2_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/T..._cl2_small.jpg

Value and Conclusion

<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>

The Thortech Thunderbolt Plus 800 W retails for $229.99

</td> 
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>

iPower meter is a great gadget
iPower meter has good Amps and Watts accuracy
Handled full power at over 50°C ambient
Good efficiency overall although not the highest we have seen from a Gold unit
Good ripple/noise suppression (excellent on the minor rails)
Passed all Advanced Transient Response Tests with flying colors
High quality components used

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>

iPower Meter increases price significantly
Voltage and efficiency measurements of iPower meter are innacurate
Current display for 3.3V and 5V is swapped
I would like the iPower Meter to be detachable so it can be installed on the desk
Noisy fan at full speed
Loose 3.3V rail
Efficiency at full load is a little low for a Gold unit

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>8.8</th>
<td>Without any doubt the most impressive characteristic of the Thortech Thunderbolt Plus 800 W is the iPower Meter. With this little device, which mounts in a 5.25" bay, you can be informed in real time about the watts, amps, voltages and efficiency of the PSU. You can also set the fan to work either in auto or in full mode (not recommended if you can't stand high noise levels). The power and current per rail you see on the iPower Meter are very close to the real values, however its voltage and efficiency readings were far from accurate. Also the fact that the iPower Meter can be only mounted in a 5.25" bay isn't so ergonomic, since if you have your PC installed under the desk you have to bend to check the readings. 
I was quite satisfied by voltage regulation at +12V and 5V but 3.3V was a bit loose, but still within 5% deviation. Also I would like to see higher efficiency, especially at full load where even though we use 220 V, I saw under 87% efficiency, the 80 Plus Gold threshold with 115V. Finally ripple suppression was quite good and the performance in Advanced Transient Response tests was impeccable. 
Bottom line, if you find the iPower Meter an interesting gadget then this PSU is definitely worth its cost since it has enough capacity and connectors to power two strong VGAs, is backed up by five years of warranty, efficiency with typical loads (40-60%) is over 90% and transient loads won't pose any problems. If the iPower Meter could be installed on the desk or even better if some software was provided then its usability would increase a lot.</td></tr>
<tr><th></th><td>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/recommended.gif</td></tr>
</table>

Introduction

Specifications

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

Packaging

Contents

Exterior

A Look Inside

Test Setup

Voltage Regulation Charts

5VSB Regulation Chart

Efficiency Chart

Voltage Regulation and Efficiency Measurements

Efficiency at Low Loads

5VSB Efficiency

Power Consumption in Idle & Standby

Cross Load Tests

+12V Voltage Regulation Chart

5V Voltage Regulation Chart

3.3V Voltage Regulation Chart

Efficiency Chart

Advanced Transient Response Tests

Transient Response at 20% Load

Transient Response at 50% Load

Turn-On Transient Tests

Ripple Measurements

Ripple at Full Load

Ripple at Crossload 1

Ripple at Crossload 2

Value and Conclusion