With a maximum power of 850W, the Thermaltake GF3 offers good performance, but not enough to make our list of the best PSUs. Nevertheless, it has a good build quality and is one of the first 850W PSUs to offer ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0 compatibility. The significantly higher performance Corsair RM850x and EVGA 850 G7 are not ATX 3.0 capable and lack the 12VHPWR connector.
Thermaltake recently introduced the GF3 line which consists of ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0 capable PSUs. In this review, we’ll take a look, at least on paper, at the 850W capacity model with the 300W 12VHPWR connector. This is actually because the sense pins on the connector are set to a maximum load of 600W. Channel Well Technology offers platforms for all GF3 models except 1350W and 1650W.
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The GF3 850 is rated Gold by 80 Plus and Cybenetics and has a Cybenetics A-noise rating. A fully modular cable design is a must at this price point ($120-130) and uses fluid dynamic bearing fans to ensure trouble-free operation during the extended 10-year warranty period . Finally, its dimensions are normal, with a depth of 160 mm.
specification
| Manufacturer (OEM) | CWT |
| maximum. DC output | 850W |
| efficiency | 80 PLUS Gold, Cybernetics Gold (87-89%) |
| noise | Cybernetics A- (25-30 dB[A]) |
| base unit | ✓ (completely) |
| Intel C6/C7 power state support | ✓ |
| Operating temperature (continuous full load) | 0 to 40°C |
| Overvoltage protection | ✓ |
| low voltage protection | ✓ |
| over power protection | ✓ |
| Overcurrent (+12V) protection | ✓ |
| Overheat protection | ✓ |
| short circuit protection | ✓ |
| surge protection | ✓ |
| Inrush current protection | ✓ |
| Fan failure protection | ✗ |
| No-load operation | ✓ |
| cooling | 135mm fluid dynamic bearing fan (HA13525H12SF-Z) |
| Semi-passive operation | ✓ (selectable) |
| Dimensions (width x height x depth) | 150×85×160mm |
| weight | 1.66 kg (3.66 lbs) |
| form factor | ATX12V v3.0, EPS 2.92 |
| Supports Alternate Low Power Mode (ALPM) | ✓ |
| guarantee | Decade |
Power supply specifications
| rail | 3.3V | 5V | 12V | 5VSB | -12V | |
| maximum.Power | Amplifier | twenty two | twenty two | 70.8 | 3 | 0.3 |
| Watt | 120 | 849.6 | 15 | 3.6 | ||
| total max. Power (W) | 850 |
cables and connectors
| explanation | number of cables | Number of connectors (total) | gauge | with cable capacitor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATX connector 20+4 pin (600mm) | 1 | 1 | 16AWG | No |
| 4+4 pin EPS12V (700mm) | 1 | 1 | 16AWG | No |
| 8-pin EPS12V (700mm) | 1 | 1 | 16AWG | No |
| 6+2 pin PCIe (500mm+150mm) | 2 | Four | 16-18AWG | No |
| 12+4 pin PCIe (610mm) (300W) | 1 | 1 | 16-24AWG | No |
| SATA (500mm+150mm+150mm+150mm) | 3 | 12 | 18AWG | No |
| 4 pin Molex (500mm+150mm+150mm+150mm) | 1 | Four | 18AWG | No |
| FDD adapter (100mm) | 1 | 1 | 22AWG | No |
There are enough cables and connectors to efficiently cover the maximum power of the unit. A single 12VHPWR connector makes a difference compared to existing 850W units. This type of connector is new, but soon all PSUs with capacities above 450W will have connectors.
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Component analysis
I highly recommend taking a look at the PSU 101 article which provides valuable information on PSUs and their operation. You will be able to better understand the components that we are going to discuss.
| general data | – |
| Manufacturer (OEM) | CWT |
| platform | CSZMore |
| Substrate type | both sides |
| primary side | – |
| transient filter | 4x Y Cap, 2x X Cap, 2x CM Choke, 1x MOV |
| Inrush protection | 1x NTC thermistor SCK-075 (7 ohms) & relay |
| bridge rectifier |
2x Yangjie Electronic GBU1506 (600V, 15A @ 100°C) |
| APFC MOSFET |
2x STMicroelectronics STF33N60M2 (600V, 16A @ 100°C, Rds(on): 0.125 ohms) |
| APFC boost diode |
1x ON Semiconductor FFSP0865A (650V, 8A @ 155°C) |
| bulk cap |
1x Rubycon (420V, 680uF, 2,000 hours at 105°C, MXE) |
| main switcher |
2x ON Semiconductor |
| APFC controller |
Champion CM6500UNX & CM03X |
| resonant controller | Champion CU6901VAC |
| topology |
Primary Side: APFC, Half Bridge & LLC Converter |
| Secondary side | – |
| +12V MOSFETs | 6x International Rectifier IRFH7004PbF (40V, 164A @ 100°C, Rds(on): 1.4mOhm) |
| 5V & 3.3V | DC-DC Converter: 2x UBIQ QN3107M6N (30V, 70A @ 100°C, Rds(on): 2.6mOhm) & 2x UBIQ QM3054M6 (30V, 61A @ 100°C, Rds(on): 4.8mOhm) PWM Controller: uPI-Semi uP3861P |
| filtering capacitor |
Electrolyte: 3x Nichicon (2-5,000h @ 105°C, HD), 4x Nichicon (4-10,000h @ 105°C, HE), 1x Rubycon (2-10,000h @ 105°C, YXF), 1x Japan Chemi-Con (4-10,000h @ 105°C, KY), 1x Nippon Chemi-Con (4-10,000h @ 105°C, KYA) |
| Supervisor IC | Welltrend WT7502R |
| fan controller | Microchip PIC16F1503 |
| fan model | Hong Hua HA13525H12SF-Z (135mm, 12V, 0.5A, Fluid Dynamic Bearing Fan) |
| 5VSB circuit | – |
| rectifier |
1x PS1045L SBR (45V, 10A) |
| Standby PWM controller | Onbright OB2365T |
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CWT provides the platform, codenamed CSZ. This is not a brand new platform, just redesigned to provide the necessary ATX 3.0 compatibility and 12VHPWR connector. The parts used by CWT under the direction of TT are of high quality. The PCB is large enough to allow good airflow, but CWTs typically use small heatsinks and no heatsink on the secondary side. With proper fan speed profile, this does not affect platform reliability.
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The transient/EMI filter is complete and does a good job. Surge protection is provided by MOVs and inrush protection is handled by a combination of NTC thermistors and bypass relays.
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A pair of bridge rectifiers can rectify up to 30A.
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The APFC converter uses two STMicroelectronics FETs and one On Semiconductor boost diode. The bulk cap is from Rubycon and its capacity is barely enough to allow holdup times in excess of 17ms.
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The main FET is installed in a half-bridge topology. It also uses LLC resonant converters to increase efficiency.
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A 12V FET is mounted on a vertical board next to the main transformer to reduce power loss. A minor rail is generated via a pair of DC-DC converters.
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The electrolytic filter cap is of high quality. Most polymer caps come from lower cost brands, but these caps are very resistant to harsh conditions.
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The standby PWM controller is On-Bright. OB2365T.
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Some polymer caps can be found on modular PCBs for ripple filtering purposes.
The main supervisor IC is Weltrend WT7502R.Installed on the same board as the microchip PIC16F1503to control the fan speed.
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Soldering quality is typical CWT and good.
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The cooling fan is made by Hong Hua and uses fluid dynamic bearings, so it should work for a long time.
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