Thermaltake TR2 QFan Series
by Christoph Katzer on November 19, 2008 3:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
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Conclusion
The first time we saw the TR2 QFan on the show floor, we were extremely happy to see that someone was still planning to offer a good PSU targeting users that need less than 500W. The four power supplies we've tested today perform very well and we have no problem recommending them to anyone putting together a moderate PC. All we need now is retail availability.
In terms of features and performance, the QFan marketing sounds nice but we didn't see any actual benefit in testing. Thermaltake also cut corners in other areas to keep costs down; some of the cost cutting measures will matter, but others are trivial. Packaging for example uses the same simple box for all of the units, with the only difference being the large paper wrap that lists the wattage. All of the cables and connectors on the various units are also identical, as the bigger concern.
The connectors are a little limited on all of the units, with a maximum configuration being a GPU that requires two 6-pin PEG connectors. The 12V rail is also a concern, but typical midrange graphics cards should run fine even on the smallest 300W unit. There are also sufficient Molex and SATA connectors on hand for most users looking at this range of power supply.
DC regulation is average with around 5% on all rails. The 3.3V rail differs among the four units we tested, but the other rails are all similar. The efficiency ratings are great for lower output PSUs, and all of the units reach 85% to 86% maximum efficiency with 230VAC. That will be a great selling point for these units and we hope that more people will actually pay attention to these results.
As for the fan speed and the resulting acoustical noise, we can say that the fan control works well; with increasing temperatures, the fan spins faster. We just don't see the sense in advertising a promising feature like the QFan that actually doesn't seem to add much to the package. The temperature of the first two heatsinks stays below 40°C, but the secondary heatsink temperature reaches 80°C, which is not very good. As mentioned earlier, a larger heatsink should perform a little better.
With all of the power supply companies heavily marketing their high-end, high capacity PSU models, it's difficult to gauge how much interest there will be in good quality 300W to 500W PSUs. Even Thermaltake doesn't appear to be very bullish on the subject, as we first heard about the TR2 series over eight months ago.
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Even after all this time, these units are still not available on retail shelves, so we don't know what prices will be. We can only hope that Thermaltake will manage to offer these power supplies at a reasonable price, so that more users will end up purchasing something appropriate to their needs. Not only does it cost more money to purchase a 600W-1000W PSU, but if you aren't routinely drawing 300W+ of power such large PSUs end up being less efficient. If all you need is a single 6-pin PEG connector for your graphics card, and you don't plan to heavily overclock your system, the Thermaltake TR2 QFan series of power supplies should be near the top of your shopping list.
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strikeback03 - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - link
Do all the fans follow that exact curve? Or does the 300W hit 30+dB near max output?Also, don't tip vortices flow off the tips of blades? Making a fan unlikely to suck air in from open sides?
cweinheimer - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - link
Please include the thermaltake tr2 430 watt unit for midrange budget psu comparison. In the 400-500 watt category on newegg, it appears to be the highest selling unit with 1946 reviews, and highest rating. I have a few and have been happy with them for midrange game rigs.7Enigma - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - link
Apparently I'll be the first post so let me say for many of us readers THANK YOU. I/we have been waiting for a review like this for the 90% of us that will benefit from these lower power supplies. I will be building a mid-range (single gpu, moderately OC'd quad) in the next 2 months and will likely be selecting from PSU's in this range. Can you give us an idea on other budget/midrange PSU lineups you might be reviewing in the near future?Once again, thanks from the little guy...
Clauzii - Thursday, November 20, 2008 - link
Thank You also from me. Was about time with normal PSU's, for which >most< (>95%) setups will run fine.Do You have NorthQ PSUs in the states?? I have a 4001 running on it's 5th year or so. Seems like they also make stable products.
Slomo4shO - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - link
Agreed!I as well would like to thank the writers for addressing the needs of the average user.
Christoph Katzer - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - link
Thanks ;)I've got quite some ~500W units coming up. But just tell me what YOU want to see here and I'll make sure to get those.
Ptaltaica - Tuesday, November 25, 2008 - link
I just wanted to second what everyone else has said and add a couple points.Reviews of lower priced ($30-50), lower capacity (250-500w-ish) units would be great. But how about some reviews of non-ATX power supplies? There are more than a few machines out there that use TFX or SFX power supplies, and while the market isn't nearly as big, most of the replacement power supplies that I've found-even from normally reputable manufacturers-are suspiciously cheap and suspiciously light. Enough so that I won't buy or use (both at home and work) systems that won't take standard ATX power supplies because I don't trust a lot of the other ones.
Concillian - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - link
Personally, I'd like to see several 300-500W reviews.Not only are these the sizes that normal people use, these are the sizes most likely to suffer from sub-par component selection impacting important performance parameters and manufacturers find the right corners to cut to compete in this midrange segment that basically accomodates everyone but the Sli / Crossfire users.
I mean if Kill-a-Watt meters can be believed, I see the most power consumption in Furmark at 250W from the wall with an overclocked e7200 and overclocked HD4850. With TDP on a GTX280 at ~240W (130W above my HD4850), a 500W supply can basically accomodate anyone not using a dual card platform.
That's a HUGE segment that would see benefit from a series of reviews in the 350-500W range.
It used to be that you needed to go overboard on the PSU, because computers were mainly using 12v, but supplies were still made with significant output consideration on 3.3 and 5v rails older computers needed. You had to oversize in order to guarantee enough 12v. Modern supplies don't need this, there is less need to "go nuts" on PSU than ever before.
Also, the axis on the 12v output graph has some incorrect labeling.
JonnyDough - Thursday, November 20, 2008 - link
While I have to agree that a slightly lower wattage would be nice due to better efficiency and possible lower cost of the unit, I do like to have headroom. What if you don't OC and you want to someday? What if you upgrade decide to add a second card? I don't know that there's much difference between a 300w PSU and a 400w PSU. They likely cost about the same, and the 400w is bound to have a few better components inside. Anyway, I think what readers really want are a short list of the top 5 cheapest PSUs that will provide ample power for a minimum cost. PSUs are still one of those things that most people don't care about much - as long as it provides good power, isn't overly costly to purchase, and lasts. I honestly don't care what mine look like, as long as it has the leads I need - I don't even care if the cords are wrapped. Over.JonnyDough - Wednesday, November 19, 2008 - link
1. Go to NewEgg or whatever local online store that is most popular where you live.2. Find the cheapest PSUs rated 400w-600w (Estimated. A bit higher is fine, like Enermax's 620w PSUs - nothing below 400w).
3. Find the most efficient longest lasting ones with little ripple and flux both 450-500w, and 600w.
4. Recommend them.