Category: Computer Power Supply Official Web Site:  thermaltakeusa.com Power: 850 Watts (Max) Version Reviewed: W0131RU Price: $259.99 Overall Rating: 10/10

Review by:  Robbie Ferguson

Date:  June 25, 2008

I love it when something that is "same old / same old" meets innovation.  When some brilliant person or company takes an everyday item and actually improves it.  It's people and companies such as this which make us think, "Why didn't I think of that?"

For years, power supplies have been the same old story.  Nothing spectacular about any of them.  Some have pretty glowing LED's (whooptie doo), and some have higher wattages.  But it's time for something more than simply beautifying an existing product; it's time for innovation and quality.

The mainstream computing market is seeing some exceptional components these days, with power supply units (PSUs) seeing an improved feature set (did someone say, finally?).

Today, I'm looking at the Thermaltake W0131RU 850W power supply.

Cable Management - 9/10

With the emergence of new devices comes the need for new power connectors.  We went from AGP to PCI-E in about fifteen minutes, and every PSU manufacturer on the planet went into a mad-dash to be the first to add PCI-E to their power supplies.  SATA took over the optical and harddrive bus standard from EIDE, and we again see a new power connector.  Some manufacturers just included a nifty little adapter.  Others (the more innovative ones?) added yet another cable to the output of their power supplies.  What we end up with is a jumble of wires; many of which we don't even need.  They're just trying to appeal to a mass market and provide an "end all and be all" device.

It's no surprise that massive amounts of anything in your computer's chassis, such as the cables coming out of your power supply, can (and will) interfere with the airflow of your computer's cooling system.  This interference degrades your system's performance, as your motherboard, CPU, and other components are not able to stay as cool as they would with proper airflow.

Before you get out your wiresnips and start performing surgery on your PC to clear out some of those cables, take a look at Thermaltake's line of "Toughpower Cable Management" PSUs.  Simply unplug the cables you don't need and put them away.  Plug in and use the ones you actually require.  We hear the resounding words that we all long to hear from a hardware manufacturer: "It's up to you".  Freedom.  I like that.

I docked a point on Cable Management because unfortunately the power supply does feature two hard-wired (not modular) 8-pin PCI-E cables.  My PCI-E card is only 6-pin.  While I appreciate the upgradability, I don't like that I cannot remove the two 8-pin cables while I do not need them.

Thermaltake Quality - 10/10

Before the end of the first sentence of the W0131RU manual, Thermaltake calls their commitment to quality an "unending quest for excellence".  Since my company began exclusively stocking and selling Thermaltake power supplies, we've cut our power supply-related customer support issues down to nil.  The Toughpower Cable Management 850W power supply from Thermaltake is just another great example of their commitment to providing an optimal-quality product to their clients, and they back up that commitment with a hearty warranty (see below).

Included In The Box - 10/10

Apart from the attractive nickel-black power supply unit itself, the Thermaltake W0131RU includes a total of eight SATA connectors (two modular cables), a modular 4-pin/8-pin motherboard +12V connector, eight 4-pin peripheral connectors (on two modular cables), two floppy connectors (one on each of the 4-pin modular cables), and two 6-pin PCI-E modular cables.  In addition, there are two 8-pin to 4-pin PCI-E adapter cables, and a molded silicon piece which you can mount between your computer's chassis and the PSU to help cut down on noise caused by vibration (by up to 80%).  Of course, it goes without saying that the box also includes necessary screws for mounting the power supply unit, an English instruction manual and a PC power cable.

Noise Level - 10/10

The Thermaltake W0131 850-watt power supply features a honkin' 14cm fan on its underside.  Despite its impressive size, it is extremely quiet (almost inaudible).  This fan helps keep the PSU and computer chassis running cool and efficiently.

Warranty - 10/10

I've said this before, but of course, I'll say it again.  I am a firm believer that when a manufacturer or product distributor truly believes in the quality of their product, they will back it with a good solid warranty.  The Thermaltake Toughpower Cable Management 850W (and all Thermaltake power supplies, in fact) are backed by Thermaltake's five-year limited warranty.  The manual claims a three-year warranty, so I inquired about this directly with Thermaltake USA and they confirmed a five-year warranty on all of their power supplies, regardless of what is printed in the manual.  To think, they actually increased their warranty since printing the manual.  A one-year warranty, I wouldn't touch it.  Three years, a company stands by their product.  Five years, they're either expecting the apocalypse, or they truly believe in the quality of their product, and then some.  Of course, that's not to say they don't think the apocalypse is coming--it could be both.  So just in case, I'll stick with the guys that provide the best warranty.

Other Noteworthy Features - 10/10

1. The Toughpower Cable Management 850W PSU contains four dedicated +12V rails, which generate independent power for various computer peripherals.  This innovative design improves stability and helps optimize performance, because a peripheral's draw on the power supply will not affect components on a separate +12V rail.
2. Two 8-pin and two 6-pin PCI-E connectors provide optimum performance for regular users, as well as gamers or 3D programmers that require incredible SLI performance.
3. Independent Voltage Circuit provides a dedicated circuit to your internal components, resulting in improved system stability and performance under heavy workloads.
4. Impressive voltage regulation maintains ±3V for consistent system voltage, even under a heavy load.  Because the +3.3V, +5V and +12V rails are all separate and have individual windings, the Thermaltake Toughpower Cable Management 850W power supply is able to outperform the competition, and provide you with superior voltage regulation.  Layman's terms: every measure has been taken to ensure that the voltage going to your computer is not going to fluctuate.
5. Typically, you'd be impressed to find a power supply with more than 100,000 MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures).  That said, the W0131RU from Thermaltake promises an MTBF of over 120,000 hours.  Simple math ((120,000/24)/365) shows us, this is about 13 years of constant operation before they expect a failure.
6. Internal components (such as the capacitors and transformer) are industrial-grade, resulting in a higher expectation for reliability and performance.
7. Features integrated protection for the following types of common issues:  Over current, over voltage, short circuit, under voltage, over load, over temperature.
8. nVidia SLI Certified - don't worry whether or not this power supply will properly power your SLI video cards; it has undergone all the testing at nVidia labs that proves it's good to go.
9. 80+ Certified - Uses 15-25% less energy than a competing power supply, with less heat generation and more cost savings in the long run.

A good power supply is the heart of a stable computer system.  Many people don't know it--and some don't believe it; but that doesn't change the fact that it's true.  Thermaltake has a consistent track record of providing quality and reliability at a fair price, and the Toughpower Cable Management 850W power supply is a perfect example of how Thermaltake produces a superior product with innovation and care.

With any good power supply, you must expect that you're going to pay a little more than the 'el cheapo'.  But with a power supply, you're going to be amazed at how a quality one, such as the Thermaltake line, improve performance.  You truly do get what you pay for.

As a technologist who is always "in the spotlight" so to speak, I really have to be cautious which products I directly endorse.  My word is trusted by many people, and I don't want to let a single person down.  That said, it's a Thermaltake power supply that powers my own PC, and I recommend you try them for yourself and enjoy the performance of an exceptional PSU.

Off The Record

Robbie Ferguson
Category5

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