Introduction

We would like to thank Thermaltake for supplying the review sample.



We saw Thermaltake's first digital PSU last year, with the Toughpower DPS 850 W by Sirtec. It managed to satisfy us with its performance and earned a TPU recommendation; however, Channel Well Technology apparently offered them a better deal or higher performance, so the company switched OEMs and is now working with CWT for their new DPS G line. CWT managed to gather a significant amount of experience in the field through their cooperation with Corsair—probably the company with the most digital PSU experience at the moment—yet CWT still can't touch Flextronics since its platforms aren't fully digital.

With the DPS G line, Thermaltake has had a significant advantage over their major opponent, Corsair—until now. Corsair, offering a wider range of semi-digital units with capacities ranging from 450 W to 1050 W, has managed to cover a much larger area of the market. Note our use of the phrase "semi-digital" since all six members of the line only use their digital circuits for monitoring purposes, not to control voltages. These digital circuits essentially act as a bridge between the PSU's analog control circuits and the software on the user's system. Fully digital platforms are unfortunately still very expensive to design and build, so only Corsair's AXi units feature such control thus far. There was also EVGA's SuperNOVA NEX1500 Classified 1500 W by Etasis, but the platform wasn't up to the Flextronic's implementations and has now been discontinued because of its high price.

The flagship DPS G 1050 W unit with model number TPG-1050D-G will be the main subject of today's review. It features the 80 Plus Gold certification, a fully modular cabling design, only uses high-quality Japanese electrolytic caps and is compatible with DPSApp, giving users the monitoring capability for a wide range of data, including power consumption, voltages, amperage, etc. One of the app's most interesting features is its ability to not only monitor but adjust fan speed in either silent or performance mode. The TPG-1050D-G also has a rather appealing and, at the same time, unique look. Looks are definitely less important in a PSU, at least to us, but a nice external appearance surely doesn't hurt since many users even want their PSUs to look good.

Specifications

The unit is based on a Gold-certified CWT platform with the ability to deliver its full power at up to 50°C ambient. The platform also features a full set of protections, and Thermaltake used a double-ball-bearing fan to cool this PSU down. We would have prefer an FDB fan instead since it will last longer and is quieter, but it would have cost more. The PSU's footprint is normal for its capacity, and at seven years, its warranty is pretty long. It is also decently priced for its features and capabilities. If you want a PSU of high capacity with Gold-certified efficiency, Japanese caps, and digital functionality, you should expect to pay a little more since all the above isn't cheap.

There is only one powerful +12V rail with support for up to three high-end VGAs. The minor rails are strong enough and will easily handle any system configuration, and the 5VSB rail is a little stronger than the average. In our opinion, the rail's maximum output should at least be 4 A in units with a capacity over 1 kW, but PSU OEMs tend to pay less attention to the 5VSB rail's output total since most users won't put a significant load on it. In the past, we have seen strong PSUs with even 6 A on this rail (e.g. the Silverstone ST1500), while modern units of similar capacity provide far less amperes on their 5VSB rail (e.g. the EVGA SuperNOVA G2 1600 W can deliver only 3 A).

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

Thermaltake, oddly enough, chose to only provide six PCIe and a single EPS connector, while most units of the same category feature at least eight PCIe and two EPS connectors. This won't be a big letdown for most, but the enthusiast can afford four VGAs and a server-class mainboard, so we advise Thermaltake to rethink the matter by increasing the number of PCIe connectors to eight and providing an additional EPS connector with their next revision. The unit comes with a for its capacity typical number of SATA connectors, and there are significantly more 4-pin Molex connectors than usual. Most users will probably never utilize all eight of these, but having more rather than less is without a doubt beneficial. Cables are also long enough for up to medium-sized cases, so you will probably need cable extensions—avoid these if your system consumes a lot of power—for very large cases, since the EPS cable could afford to be 5-10 cm longer. The distance between all connectors is satisfactory, and all connectors use 18AWG gauges.

Since this PSU features a single +12V rail, we do not have anything to comment on when it comes time to talk about its power distribution.

Packaging

The box is large, and at its front are many icons that describe various certification (e.g. 80 Plus Gold, Haswell compatibility, ErP Lot 6 2013 compliance, etc.) and such crucial features as the seven year warranty. The model description is given on the same side, with the "G" highlighted to distinguish the fresh DPS series by CWT from the previous series by Sirtec.


A multilingual and very brief features description can be found on this side.


A photo of the PSU with its fan grill exposed and the series description.


As per usual, we found the most interesting bits of information on the back of the box. Thermaltake not only included the cable and power specifications tables as there are also three photos of the PSU's internals. These show the electrolytic caps of the APFC and the secondary side and the MCU for the digital-monitoring circuit. There are also two shots of the PSU's exterior design and a screenshot of the monitoring software. All DPS G units have a unique exterior that will make them stand out of the crowd; however, whether all users will find it appealing is up for debate.

Contents

Inside its packaging, the unit, wrapped in cloth, is well protected by packing foam.


The bundle includes two rubber mounts meant to be used as an anti-vibration measure, which will help with output noise, an AC power cord, a cable for connecting the unit to a USB header on the mainboard, several zip ties, and a set of fixing bolts.


A pouch holds all modular cables, and you will also get a user's manual and a warranty leaflet with the unit.


All cables are modular. The PCIe connectors are distinguishable by their red connectors.

Exterior

The golden fan grill and round corners definitely make an impression. Thermaltake obviously sought to create an extraordinary exterior design, and they have done so successfully. You can easily identify a high-end Thermaltake PSU by its external design alone. They avoided the typical honeycomb-style exhaust grill for the front, and the small on/off switch is right above the AC receptacle.


Two large stickers on both sides showcase the unit's model number. The power specifications label is on the bottom.


The fully modular panel in the rear doesn't include many sockets. The red sockets are for PCIe cables, and there are only three of those, so you can't have more than six PCIe connectors. While most users won't have a problem with such a limitation, most high-end PSUs with 1 kW capacity have eight PCIe and two EPS connectors. The socket for the digital cable is near the top-left corner, and it unfortunately isn't a normal micro USB port, which would allow users to use a normal USB cable instead.


We find its external design appealing, although its golden-colored fan grill pushes the design a bit toward the "too-fancy" side. The final result would have been significantly better had Thermaltake only used a less striking color. The unit's finish is pretty good overall.


All cables are flat and stealth, and the PCIe ones come with red connectors, which makes them stand out from the rest.


Overall cable quality is good.
The main feature of the series is the addition of a digital controller for its analog circuits, which converts analog signals into digital ones, briefly allowing the PSU and the user's PC to communicate through the DPSApp software. Something similar takes place in Corsair's HXi units based on the same CWT platform. We, however, believe DPSApp to be better than Corsair Link since it is more stable and provides a nicer and simpler graphical interface. Providing an email address only, you can download DPSApp off Thermaltake's website (in the past, a relevant product's serial number was required as well). The only major downside of this application, contrary to Corsair Link, is that it cannot run as a standalone—it will not start if it doesn't detect a connection with the PSU. As such, we ran into a problem while attempting to check the PSU's operational logs, since we had already disconnected the unit. We strongly advise Thermaltake to fix this immediately.


The DPSApp allows you to record the PSU's up-time, take voltage and amperage readings of all rails except for 5VSB in real time, see the unit's DC output wattage and efficiency percentage, and monitor the fan's speed and the PSU's internal temperature. You can even figure out how much the consumed electricity costs you by inputting your country's corresponding electricity fare.


The software supports several popular languages. Its options also allow you to clear electricity costs in order to set new ones, reset your login details for Thermaltake's support forum, contact support, take a look at the product's manual, and perform a software update.


The application includes a highly usable logging function with a very nice graphical interface. Thermaltake did a fine job here and made the DPSApp one of the best applications in its area. We also never encountered a problem with the app in our testing sessions, although we cut the power to the PSU many times, which interrupted communications. We only had to apply power again to kick-start communications, which had the DPSApp operate normally afterward. In a similar situation, Corsair Link usually required a full system reboot to operate normally again.

A Look Inside & Component Analysis

Before reading this page, we strongly suggest a look at this article, which will help you understand the internal components of a PSU much better. Our main tool for the disassembly of the PSU is a Thermaltronics TMT-9000S soldering and rework station. It is of extreme quality and is equipped with a matching de-soldering gun. With such equipment in hand, breaking apart every PSU is like a walk in the park!




While the older Tough Power DPS units are manufactured by Sirtec, this one is by CWT, and it is actually a modified semi-digital version of their CSH platform. The Corsair HX1000i we reviewed a while ago uses the same platform, though there are differences. An LLC converter boosts efficiency in the primary side, while mosfets in the secondary side regulate the +12V rail, and the minor rails are generated by two DC-DC converters. The primary side houses normal heatsinks for the APFC fets and the main switchers, but as CWT is used to doing with their recent designs, the secondary side has no heatsinks, which we don't like since a heatsink in the secondary side would allow for better cooling and an evermore relaxed fan profile without curtailing the longevity of the regulating mosfets. Yet these units do come with a long warranty, so CWT must be confident in their design by having put the platform through tough tests in the worst possible conditions.


At the AC receptacle are two Y caps, and the transient filter's other components are on the main PCB. Another two Y and X caps, each, two CM chokes, and an MOV make up the second part of the transient or EMI filter. All in all, the latter is complete.


A pair of GBU1506 bridge rectifiers are installed on a dedicated heatsink. Their role is to fully rectify the incoming AC voltage and feed the APFC circuit. They can handle up to 30 A combined, which is more than enough to meet the demands of this PSU.


The APFC converter uses two Toshiba TK31A60W fets and a single boost diode we couldn't identify since a thermistor totally blocked the view. The latter is used for inrush current protection and is accompanied by an electromagnetic relay with a two-folded purpose, as it increases efficiency a bit once the PSU has been turned on since it bypasses the thermistor and also allows the latter to cool down faster.


The bulk cap is a single Chemi-Con (400V, 680uF, 105°C, KMR) and looks small for a 1050 W PSU.


Backed by an LLC resonant converter for lossless switching, the main switchers are two Toshiba TK31A60W fets.


CWT claims this card to host digital components, but we only found analog ICs on it. The APFC controllers, an Infineon ICE3PCS01G and a CM03X IC are installed on it, along with the resonant controller, an Infineon ICE2HS01G.


As has already been mentioned, there are no heatsinks in the secondary side. All six fets which regulate the +12V rail are installed on a leaning daughter-board, and several bus bars there not only transfer power but help in cooling the fets down. All filtering electrolytic caps in the secondary side are by Chemi-Con (KZE series, rated at 105°C). We also found some polymer caps from Apaq.


Both DC-DC converters are on the vertical board above. Their common PWM controller is an Anpec APW7159, and a total of six M3006D fets generate the minor rails.


Housekeeping is done by a Weltrend WT7502 IC on the mainboard. This IC doesn't provide OCP for the +12V rail, which is of no importance to such high-capacity PSUs with a single +12V rail.


The MCU, a PIC32MX on the modular PCB, allows this PSU to talk with Thermaltake's software. Since analog circuits handle all the functions of this platform, the MCU only plays a monitoring role. Its only control function has to do with the selection of either fan profile ("silent" or "performance").


On the primary side of the modular board are several Apaq polymer caps. These provide some extra ripple filtering. We also spotted a Sinopower SM3117N mosfet on the same PCB.


Soldering quality is very good, a given for a CWT product. We found a CSP1045S SBR on this side. The 5VSB circuit probably utilizes it and the mosfet which had all of its markings erased so we couldn't identify it.


The cooling fan comes with Thermaltake's logo; however, it is a Hong Hua fan. Its model number is HA1425L12SB-Z (12 V, 0.22 A, 1500 RPM), and Thermaltake says it to use ball bearings.