Thermaltake GF1 SNOW 650W Power Supply Review

Thermaltake is widely respected by the PC hardware community for the various products they bring to the market. In recent years, however, they have definitely taken a trend towards releasing 'white' variants to effectively give consumers a much better choice when it comes not only to choosing a quality component but also to the aesthetic of their intended system design. - With this in mind, therefore, we take a closer look at the new Thermaltake GF1 SNOW 650W. A brand new power supply offering excellent features in a bright white (snow) casing! Thermaltake GF1 SNOW 650W Power Supply The Thermaltake GF1 series is available in both black and white with wattage outputs of 650W, 750W, and 850W. In other words, there's something for everyone here! - For this review, however, we will be taking a specific gander at the 650W variant. Despite this being the lowest wattage output PSU in the GF1 range don't let this fool you into thinking that it doesn't still have the same amazing features found in the more potent models! Coming as a fully-modular 80-Plus Gold efficiency design, this certainly ticks all of the boxes the savvy power supply consumer should have. And with that bright white aesthetic, this is definitely eye-catching and could very well be the perfect PSU to help you pull all those visual effects you want together! What Does Thermaltake Have to Say? "The fully modular Toughpower GF1 Snow Edition series comes in 650W and built to deliver 80 PLUS Gold efficiency. Toughpower GF1 Snow 650W features flat white cables, a 140mm hydraulic bearing fan, Japanese capacitors and other premium components to help deliver a continuous and stable power with an ambient temperature up to 50°C, while near silent operation and reliable performance are guaranteed. With an ample 10-year warranty, the Toughpower GF1 650W Snow Gold can satisfy PC enthusiasts who are looking for a white premium power supply with all the latest features. For users who crave for a pure white build, this power supply can defenitely meet their demand." Features 80 Plus Gold Certified - Up to 90% EfficiencyHigh amperage single +12V Rail Design100% High-Quality Japanese 105C/221F CapacitorsFully Modular Low-Profile Flat White CablesUpgraded CPU/PCI-E Main Cables for High-End EnthusiastsLow Ripple NoiseSmart Zero Fan Functionality10 Year Warranty Specifications For more detailed specifications, please visit the official product page via the link here! Connections Coming as a fully-modular power supply, the number of cables you get will vary depending on the specific wattage output you choose. As you can see in the list below, however, this 650W variant has more than enough to cover the vast majority of gaming PCs with plenty of SATA and PCI-E adaptors for even the more elaborate or potent of components! Packaging The Thermaltake GF1 SNOW comes with a packaging aesthetic that anyone familiar with their power supply products will instantly recognise. The black and silver contrast well against each other and especially so with that nice and large image of the white (snow) power supply right at the front. - Listing all of the key product features in an easy on the eye manner, you can quickly ascertain what you're getting here with one quick glance. Put simply, in terms of presentation, this is perfect! The rear of the box work goes into greater detail about the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW's specifications providing you with plenty of charts and information that tell you pretty much everything you could want to know about this PSU. Overall, Thermaltake has once again set the standards for what PSU packaging and presentation should look like. I only wish more manufacturers would take note! Accessories As this is a power supply you clearly don't (or shouldn't) expect much in terms of accessories. And, in this regard, the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW is no different. What you do get, however, should still be more than a little useful with some product manuals as well as a few zip-ties to help you handle your cable management. In regards to the zip ties though, given that this PSU utilises white cabling (something of a moderate rarity) it's a bit disappointing to see that these are black. Personally, I wouldn't use these and would instead look to get some white ones. Well, unless you use the black ones out of sight at the back of the case. In terms of the cabling, this is provided to you within a nice quality branded canvas bag. This is a nice addition as it gives you a nice safe place the keep the cables you don't need today for a potential component upgrade tomorrow. A Closer Look With its bright white (SNOW) aesthetic, the first thing that grabs your attention is just how slick and clean this power supply looks. Admittedly, this is just a white version of their existing GF1 'black' range, but between the two, the 'SNOW' aesthetic really does stand out and contrasts excellently with the Thermaltake branding. The branding itself is generally low key, and, as above, works well with the white aesthetic. - With this mostly being applied to the sides via stickers though, this is a little jarring to the overall look as the edges of the vinyl wraps are clearly visible and just slightly mismatch the white of the metal. - It's hard to put into words, but the only way I can describe it is that it looks a lot better from a distance than up close. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, but in a more perfect world, where budget constraints would not be an issue, I'd have preferred to have seen this directly printed/embossed onto the metal case. The top of the PSU looks nothing short of excellent. With plenty of open ventilation areas (including sections to the side) the Thermaltake logo in the centre of the 'fan' area really works well with the overall design and aesthetic. - This is definitely one of the most attractive angles the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW has. To the rear of the PSU, we again see a lot of ventilation. Coming with a 'Smart Zero Fan' functionality, this is good to see as better 'passive' airflow will clearly result in lower temperatures which, by proxy, will see the fan run as minimally as possible when this mode is enabled. Well, in theory at least! The cable input bank is surprisingly sparce. Even I'll concede that I'd usually expect to see a few more ports available than what we have here. In terms of generic gaming PC designs though, this is probably an ideal number to easily hook up all of your components without any unnecessary clutter. A closer examination, however, does reveal something interesting. Below that sticker covering, you can clearly see what appears to be two unused ports. While not a major issue, it is a pity that the sticker here isn't slightly more substantial to cover these (and the screw ports to the left and right side) a little better as, on the whole, it does detract from the aesthetic. Don't forget though that this is not an overly visible area of a PSU when installed within a system. So, skipping ahead a little to one quick glance at the internal aspect of the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW, we can clearly see below that while gaps for the two additional PCI-E ports are there in the metal casing, there is nothing going on inside. They're empty, and we can, therefore, safely presume that these are only utilised in the 850W variant. Again though, it's just disappointing that their existence is so clearly evident from the outside. Cabling The cabling for the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW is, by and large, excellent. In terms of length, it should be more than suitable for good management within the vast majority of cases and with its white braided covering, it carries the 'SNOW' aesthetic of the design exceptionally well. - I can't highlight enough that while 'white' PSUs might not be an overly uncommon thing these days, seeing a manufacturer provide actual white cables with them is! The only moderate complaint I have is that with its 'upgraded' design, the cabling is rather terse and thick. It is flexible, but not much and this could make the management aspect, particularly around the back of the chassis in the (my words) 'rats nest' area, a little tricky. Internals - A Look Inside! At a quick glance, the insides of the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW are very well presented with a nice clean layout with very little cable clutter. There is a little 'ketchup and mustard' visible around the main power input, but on the whole, so far so good! The fan itself is a Thermaltake own 140mm TT-1425 design. We've seen this fan utilised in many TT PSU products in the past and, overall, have never failed to be impressed with its performance. A mild curiosity, however, is that white ring on the outside that suggests that, at least in theory, this fan could be ARGB compatible. With the lack of any such functionality with this particular GF1 model, however, we should note that if this is present, it is currently disabled. - In other words, they've likely utilised this fan for its reliance and convenience rather than designing one specifically for this PSU. The main PCB is well presented with all of the major components being well spaced allowing for good passive airflow. A key factor as part of its 'Smart' fan functionality. It contains one large (technically two) heatsink that is well situated immediately below the fan to allow for good coverage. There are, however, some aspects of the internals that do warrant attention. A key aspect of this is the white anti-vibration paste which, although well hidden, has been applied in a fairly large quantity. While it's always a little disappointing to see this much utilised, it is better there than not if it definitely required. Why would this be necessary though? Well, there's a good chance that without it there might be a few humming capacitors (due to harmonic frequencies). So, not great, but it's probably there to keep the noise levels to an absolute minimum. On the plus side though, at least it is white so that if any should peak through one of the vented sections, it will be a lot harder to spot! Finally, we can confirm that the two main capacitors utilised within the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW are, as advertised as part of its key features, 100% Japanese. Coming from Nichicon (a well known and reputable brand) these are rated to 105C which is exactly what you want to see within a quality PSU design. Overall Thoughts! Overall, both inside and outside, the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW looks excellent. Yes, admittedly, there are a few minor snagging points we've found. This does, however, largely come down to aesthetics, and, even then, generally entails things that could likely only be fixed at the cost of a significantly higher retail price tag. I love the white aesthetic of this design and, within the right system, this power supply would look excellent with its quality white cables. - Looks, however, are only one aspect of this review. It's time to get it hooked up and see how the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW actually performs! Methodology & Testing At eTeknix we take the power supply testing procedure very seriously and have invested a lot of resources into acquiring the appropriate testing equipment. For all power supply reviews, we test the power supplies with dedicated power supply testing equipment. This means we are able to get the most accurate results from our testing as opposed to using software benchmarks (such as OCCT) or multi-meter readouts which are broadly inaccurate. Testing Hardware Sunmoon SM-5500ATE Active Load Tester (1200W rated)Stingray DS1M12 USB OscilloscopeVoltcraft DT-10L laser tachometer What the eTeknix Test Procedure Involves Testing each power supply at 20/40/60/80/100% load (with load balanced across all rails) and measuring PFC (power factor correction), efficiency (actual power divided by power "pulled at the wall") and voltage regulation (deviance from expected voltages of 3.3/5/12 on the main rails).Measuring ripple with an oscilloscope at 20/40/60/80/100% load.Measuring fan speed after a stabilisation period of five minutes at each load scenario using the Voltcraft DT-10L laser tachometer and a reflective strip on the fan.Testing each power supply's OPP (Over Power Protection) mechanism and seeing how many watts each power supply can deliver before shutting down Other Things to Consider We recognise that a single 12-volt cable can provide only 6 Amps before overheating (which corrupts voltage regulation and efficiency) and so we used an adequate number of cables for each power supply to ensure there is not efficiency loss from poor cables selectionOur Sunmoon SM-5500ATE power supply tester is not capable of testing more than 300W on each of the 12-volt rails so where a power supply provides more than 300W on a 12-volt rail that power is distributed over multiple 12-volt rails on the load tester. For example a power supply with one 12 volt rail supplying 750 watts would be spread equally over three 12 volt rails on the load tester, a power supply with two 450W 12v rails would be spread over four 12v rails on the load tester, two 225W 12v rails for each of the 12v rails on the unit.We use the same time scale and horizontal millivolt scale on our oscilloscope for all ripple tests, that is a 20ms T/DIV (horizontal) and a 0.02 V/DIV (vertical) meaning the scale is from -80mV to +80mV, ATX spec dictates that the 12v rail must fall within 150mv of ripple and the 3.3/5 within 50mv so that scale allows us to include both 150 and 50mV peaks. (Some older PSU reviews use different scales which were later ditched as the visual representation they give is inadequate, in these reviews written measurements are provided only).Deviance is the terminology used to represent the way voltages diverge from the expected values Voltage Regulation To test voltage regulation we load the power supply to five different load scenarios that give an equal spread of load across every single rail. So that means 20% on all rails, 40% on all rails and so on. We then calculate the average deviance of each rail from its expected voltage. Ideally, anything of +/- 2% regulation is seen as a very good result. Power Efficiency Power efficiency is measured by calculating actual supplied wattage divided by the wattage drawn at the wall/plug, multiplied by 100 to give a percentage. We then compare that to the particular 80 Plus certification the company claims to see if it meets that. You can see the 80 Plus certifications below, we always test power supplies at 230v. Power Factor Correction Power Factor Correction is the ratio of the real power flowing to the load, to the apparent power in the circuit. The aim of PFC is to make the load circuitry that is power factor corrected appear purely resistive (apparent power equal to real power). In this case, the voltage and current are in phase and the reactive power consumption is zero. The closer the number to one the better as this allows the most efficient delivery of electrical power (Source - Wikipedia). Ripple Noise and Ripple can easily be measured by an oscilloscope. These show how much voltage fluctuation there is on a particular rail. We tested the rail stability of the 3.3-volt, 5-volt and 12-volt rails using an identical time and millivolt scale for all graphs. millivolt ripple is measured by the peak to peak size of the voltage curve. The latest ATX 12 volt version 2.3 specifications state that ripple from peak to peak must be no higher than 50 millivolts for the 3.3-volt and 5-volt rails, while the 12-volt rail is allowed up to 120 millivolts peak to peak to stay within specifications. Millivolt figures are stated to the closest increment of 5 given their variability. OPP Power supplies often quote as having various protection mechanisms such and the most important of these is Over Power Protection. In our testing we crank up the power draw until the power supply either shuts down (meaning the OPP mechanism is present and working) or blows up (meaning it is either not present or not working). We then note the maximum power consumption before the power supply shut down, or before it blew up. Fan Speed When testing in a power supply laboratory it is difficult to take fan noise readings as the noise from the Sunmoon test equipment and air conditioning corrupts everything. The next best thing in our circumstances was reading off the fan speed with a tachometer to get an idea for the noise. The ambient temperature during testing held constant at 22 degrees, with 1 degree of variation. Each power supply had a consistent time period of 5 minutes to stabilise between each load scenario. In my experience, the following general relationships apply between noise levels and fan speeds, though it can vary greatly between the type of fan used. Below 800 RPM - Inaudible/Silent800 to 1000 RPM - Barely audible1000 - 1200 RPM - Audible but still quiet1200 - 1400 RPM - Moderately noisy1400 - 1800 RPM - Noisy1800 RPM or above - Intolerable Efficiency Despite being officially rated as an 80-Plus Gold efficiency power supply, our testing provided results that were significantly in excess of that already pretty high remit. - Put simply, at 40-60% load, this PSU was hitting around 95% efficiency. A level of performance that actually sees this PSU at almost a Titanium level. - And for those of you unfamiliar with PSU efficiency ratings, this isn't just 2 whole tiers higher than Gold, but it is currently the highest standard available on the market. Put simply, although this says 'Gold' on the box, we found that its efficiency performance was way better! And, if you can't tell by this point, this is a very good thing! PFC (Power Factor Correction) The PFC for the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW does perhaps take us back down to Earth when compared to these amazing high-efficiency results. - Overall, these are bang average and about what we'd expect to see from the vast majority of PSU designs. In truth though, these are a little lower than what we usually see from a Thermaltake PSU. Don't get us wrong, the results here are not bad by any stretch. By Thermaltake's usual PFC standards though, it's looking like we might be set to see a little 'give and take' here. Voltage Regulation The voltage regulation results for the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW were, on the whole, excellent. As can be seen in the results below, the deviancy offered on the 3.3V and especially so on the 5V rail was minimal and/or non-existent. - While the main +12V rails were a little higher, taking both of the simulated rails as a whole, this again balances out to very little difference. Yes, the -12V was a little more excitable, given the lack of importance this has on modern systems, however, this shouldn't be taken as any kind of concern. Ripple The ripple results provided in our testing of the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW were, shall we say, more than a little weird. As you can see in the chart below, while the 5V rail remained incredibly low, the 12V and 3.3V were a little more, well, everywhere. - With a minimum score of 18.4 recorded, this is clearly hugely below the EU maximum allowance of 50. - It does, however, seem that the power output does have a pretty notable effect on how cleanly the rails operate. Anything to be worried about here though? In a word, no! Load (%) 3.3V Ripple 5V Ripple 12V Ripple 203.22.46 403.83.418.4 6043.817 80135.218.4 1005.25.416.8 Over Power Protection and Max Wattage Although officially rated to 650 watts of power output, it is not unusual that a PSU should be capable of providing power beyond that remit. When things are pushed too far, however, it's important to know that protections are in place to ensure that no risk is presented not only to your power supply but also to the other components within your system. So, how did the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW do? Well, in terms of max wattage, it achieved an impressively high 931.7W before the OPP successfully kicked into place. Given that this is around 45% higher than its rated amount, we'll freely concede that the result here was surprising. - Of course, users should never buy a power supply offering a wattage below their system's needs. If things do have to get pushed a little with the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW, however, then it clearly has a solid bit of wiggle room to safely work in! Fan Speed Starting off with the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW in its 'generic' fan configuration, the results provided would suggest that this has been designed to primarily operate on a 3-speed setting. At a high load, the fan speed operates at around 425-450RPM. At mid-loads, around 375-400. And finally, on low-loads, this drops down to around 250-275RPM. Any way you look at this though, the speeds are low and in terms of noise output, the fan utilised within this PSU is barely audible. So, what about that 'Smart' hybrid mode? Well, the short answer is that while it does lower the fan's operational speed, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really seem to offer that much to deem it an entirely useful feature. - Throughout our testing, the fan never deemed things cool enough to switch off entirely (a usual feature of this kind of functionality). Instead, it seems to typically drop the fan speed by around 50% at mid to lower load outputs. Given how quiet this PSU was in its 'standard' mode though, while you can use this 'Smart' functionality if you want, by and large, it seemed a bit redundant to us. For the minimal returns, at hardly any acoustic difference, we'd suggest just keeping this PSU in its standard mode. How Much Does it Cost? Although exact UK prices were not available at the time of this review, Thermaltake lists the GF1 Snow 650W PSU with an MSRP of around £119.99/$124.99. A price which, if we're being honest, is a little higher than we might have hoped. - Put simply, for a white aesthetic and admittedly substantially upgraded cabling, this costs around £30 more than the original 'black' version. Yes, 'white' products nearly always cost more than their black counterparts. A factor largely due to a slightly more costly manufacturing process, and, of course, the need for significantly higher QC to ensure that the casing stays blemish-free (a scuff on white is a LOT more notable than one on black). - On the whole, though, I think I would've been happier, on a more generic level, had this been around £10-£20 less expensive. Performance On the whole, the results provided in our testing were a positive mixed bag. While some of the results were about what we were expecting, it's hard to deny that others were exceptionally impressive. With this in mind, we are clearly placing a key focus on its efficiency performance which was massively higher than the official 'Gold' certification this has. Our efficiency testing provided results suggesting that this PSU definitely fell more within the higher 'Platinum' territory and came very close (borderline) to the top-spec Titanium rating. And trust me when I say that if this PSU had one of those ratings, you could easily expect another £30-£50 to be added to the price tag (if not more!). Overall, while some results were better than others, the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW is an excellent power supply! Practicality & Functionality With its white colouring, in terms of practicality, this is largely going to boil down to what the end-user is looking to achieve aesthetically. While this PSU could undoubtedly work in any system, you're predominantly going to want to pick the 'white' variant to specifically work within a colour schemed setup. - Put simply, it might look a bit off plumped in a predominantly black chassis. With its fully-modular cabling, that's actually white, however, if you're going for a clean and slick presentation, the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW offers plenty of practical and functional features. Albeit, with those upgraded cables, they are a little thick and terse, so for ultra-clean setups, you might want to have a small pile of white zip ties on stand-by. The only mild question mark we have over functionality is with that 'Smart' fan functionality. Put simply, in our testing, it barely made any difference to a fan that was hardly noisy in the first place. I mean, this mode is there if you want it, but in truth, I don't think Thermaltake needed to bother. Should I Buy One? This is honestly a tricky question to answer as it will predominantly lie within the needs and/or wishes of the consumer. With the black 'standard' version, you know you're getting a quality PSU and one that has clearly been excellently translated into this 'SNOW' edition. A variant that has undoubtedly seen a few upgrades and improvements here and there. - With the extra cost of the 'SNOW' variant, however, the value and requirement/need of picking this particular design is, ultimately, going to boil down to how much you value the aesthetic of your finished system. In terms of a power supply, the Thermaltake GF1 SNOW is excellent. There's no doubting that whatsoever. As to whether this is worth the extra cost when compared to the original black version, however, will have to come down to you! - This 'SNOW' variant has undoubtedly seen upgrades, both in terms of design and aesthetics, for the extra cost though, this is surely only going to truly appeal to those going for brilliant white system designs. Some will love this as an amazing option to really cap off their system. Others will see the additional cost as not being worth it. Any way you look at this though, black or white, you're getting an amazing PSU! Thermaltake GF1 SNOW 650W Power Supply Review

Load (%)	3.3V Ripple	5V Ripple	12V Ripple
20	3.2	2.4	6
40	3.8	3.4	18.4
60	4	3.8	17
80	13	5.2	18.4
100	5.2	5.4	16.8

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