Thermaltake ToughPower GT Gold ATX 3.1

Thermaltake decided to release a new series, PT, designed for users with higher power demands, especially the 1200W model. The unit I evaluated in this review—the stronger member of the line—has properly configured protection features, which I don’t usually find in PSUs. For reasons unknown to me, PSU designers don’t pay the required attention to protect their designs effectively. So far, I have spent many hours trying to explain to several PSU manufacturers how to tune their protection features, but the results have not been as expected. So I am always excited when I encounter a PSU with properly adjusted protection features. To push more brands and manufacturers to pay closer attention to protection features, I have, for some time now, stopped recommending products that don’t have correctly configured protection features, even if their performance is well above average or even top-notch. Everyone needs to understand that without the required protection features in place, good performance will last till something happens and the platform breaks. This platform needs better transient response at 12V, and the 3.3V rail’s circuit also needs fixing or tuning to provide tighter load regulation and better transient response. Another area where the competition earns notably more performance points is the hold-up time. Although the PT 1200 meets the ATX v3.1 (and v3.0) requirements, its hold-up time is notably lower than that of most competing units. Lastly, ripple suppression is good, but it’s not highly competitive with other similar-spec units. All in all, the Thermaltake PT 1200 offers decent but not competitive overall performance. That said, its protection features are correctly configured, which is a significant asset. If only it also had fan failure protection, which is missing in most PSUs nowadays (but I am fighting to have it included).