Hands On: Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1000W
The hunt for the perfect power unit to replace the ageing Dark Power Pro 10 of our motherboard test rig accelerates as its 10-year-old cables continue to fail. Fortunately, we have one more replacement unit to compare.
Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1000W (PS-TPD-1000FNFAGU-4) | |||
| Cybenetics Efficiency | Gold | Cybenetics Noise | Standard+ |
| 80 PLUS Efficiency | Gold | ATX12V Version | 3.0 |
| Continuous Power W | 1000 Watts | Continuous 12V Current | 83.5A |
| Cable Modularity | Full | ATX12V/EPS12V | 2 |
| 12VHPWR/12V-2×6 | 1 | 6+2 Pin PCIe | 4 |
| SATA Connector | 12 | PATA Connector | 4 |
| Fan Size MM | 135mm | Fan Bearing | FDB |
| Dimensions | 160mm x 150mm x 86mm | Weight | 1.72kg |
| MTBF Hours | 100,000 hours | Warranty | 10 Year |
Find it at Amazon
(click for availability)
Package Contents
Also available in white, Thermaltake’s Toughpower GF3 has been sitting on our shelf waiting for its chance to meet our test system since the beginning and has since been upgraded to an ATX 3.1 version with 12V-2×6 replacing its original 12VHPWR and a blue fan replacing the black. That the Cybenetics certification applies only to this version might give some buyer’s pause, particularly when considering that Thermaltake has changed neither the part number (PS-TPD-1000FNFAGU-4) nor the model ID (TPD-1000AH3FCG) between the version it wanted sites to evaluate and the one it’s trying to sell.
The unpacking above also shows the US-style power cable, user and warranty guides, mounting screws and cable ties, and the PATA to floppy adapter includes with the unit’s modular cables, while the photo below gives a better look at module cable lengths: We’re seeing 20” between the power supply and the first connector of the supplemental PCIe and peripheral power cables, followed by 6” of space between each segment with the longest of these, the SATA headers, reaching just past 382” of extension. Main and 12VHPWR cables are just under 24”, while ATX12V/EPS12V cables reach 28”. One of those EPS cables splits into two four-pin segments to service a legacy ATX12V connector.
Component Design
The Toughpower GF3 1000W features a “Smart Zero Fan” switch which, when turned on, disables the cooling fan completely until the power supply gets toasty, then kicks it to high to deal with the emergency. The alternative mode—Smart Zero Fan “off”—runs the fan at low speed and gradually ramps it up as temperatures increase. We’re thus treating it primarily as an option for gamers who will have their headsets on before things get raucous.
Spin it around and all you’ll see of the GF3 is its labels and cable jacks (click to enlarge): The label indicates that the 5V line could output up to 110W and the 3.3V line up to 72.6W, but that 120W is the maximum amount both can draw simultaneously from the primary 12V rail.
This version of the GF3 1000W has a single 12VHPWR output capable of 450W, while the newer version has a 12V-2×6 header that does the same thing while offering a little bit more anti-burn connector protection. The unit also supports up to two EPS and two PCIe supplemental cables, plus four PATA/SATA and a main 24-pin lead.
Upon opening the unit, we were surprised not to find a Thermaltake (re)branded fan, but instead an HA13525H12SF-Z from Honghua, a 2300 (max) RPM FDB unit the draws up to 500mA.
Inside the Toughpower GF3 1000W we find ordinary CWT (Channel Well) construction using a Half-Bridge primary with active PFC and an LLC resonant converter, powering the 12V line through synchronous rectifiers and DC-DC converters for the 5V and 3.3V rails. All of the electrolytic capacitors are from reputable Japanese brands (Nippon/Nichicon/Rubycon), and main switching is handled by a pair of Infineon IPA60R125P6 MOSFETs.
Performance Method & Results
Retaining Intel’s 13900and ASRock’s RX7700 XT keeps our power use consistent throughout the duration of our power supply search.
| System Configuration | |
| CPU | Intel Core i9-13900K: 24C/32T, 3.0-5.8 GHz, 36 MB L3 Cache, LGA 1700, Locked at 5.0P/4.0E GHz, 1.25V Core |
| CPU Cooler | Alphacool Core 1 LT Aurora, Eisbecher D5 150mm, NexXxoS UT60 X-Flow 240mm |
| Motherboard | ASRock Z790 Taichi Carrara, BIOS 12.13 (04/23/2024) |
| RAM | Crucial Pro OC Gaming Edition DDR5-6400 32GB Kit |
| Graphics | ASRock RX 7700 XT Phantom Gaming 12GB OC 2276 MHz GPU, 2599 MHz Boost, GDDR6-18000 |
| System Drive | Crucial T700 PCIe Gen5 2TB M.2 SSD |
| Test Condition | |
| CPU Load | Prime95 v30.8 build 16 Torture Test, Small FFTs |
| GPU Load | Furmark 2.7.0.0 GL Test, 1920×1080 |
Notice that even at 90% efficiency, the Toughpower GF3 1000W finishes near the bottom of the pack of competing parts. Given all the confusion over prior and newer versions of the unit, why would anyone look specifically for this version of Thermaltake’s mid-market power supply?
Our Verdict
The easiest way to answer to the previous question of “why” is with a “what”: Any power supply that we’d chose to replace the unit in our motherboard test rig had to fit inside that system’s case: That’s a tough ask for the 210mm-long XPG Fusion 1600 Titanium, but we’ll still hold it in reserve for powering any monster loads that our lesser units simply can’t.
The rest of the power supplies we’ve tested would fit, but they all had supple cables that easily conform to the shape of any build…other than a test system that’s rebuilt so frequently that its current unit’s cables are breaking away from their connectors. As no power supplies have strain relief cables that are designed to be handled frequently, we’ll stick with the stiffer (Tougher Power?) cables of Thermaltake’s older GF3 design.
| Toughpower GF3 1000W (PS-TPD-1000FNFAGU-4) | |
| Pros | Cons |
| Stiffer cables convenient for frequent re-plugging 90% efficiency at approximate 740W load | Stiffer cables inconvenient for cable management 90% efficiency mediocre in today’s market Newer version carries same ID numbers |
| The Verdict | |
| Though not Thermaltake’s newest or best, the Toughpower GF3 1000W appears a top match for updating our ageing testbed. | |
