Thermaltake ToughPower 550W

Introduction

Thermaltake is a well known company among enthusiasts. It was founded back in 1999. Their success started with manufacturing high-end CPU coolers and case accessories. The most memorable cooler was the Golden ORB available for both Intel and AMD platforms. The introduction of PC cases, power supply units and liquid cooling systems gave the company a nice head start in the market.

2004 - Restructure of the company in correspondence to the global scale it has grown into: reorganization of patent, channel, chassis, power supplier & computer accessories, and industrial design departments to strengthen organizational management and reinforce our commitment to research and development. Designs cooler for the heat-conducting pipe to the specification of desktop Silent Tower and four other types of CPU. Manufactures fanless power supplier with Fanless PSU. Unveils Tsunami chassis, incorporating the mirror bake-coating technology and a transparent, see-through side-window. Designs 12CM, applying low-noise liquid cooler Big Water which receives AMD's outstanding partner award. Size of net capital now grows to NT 75 million while the cash capital increases to NT 255 million.

Not so long ago, I reviewed the PowerStation 520W from Thermaltake. If you recall, the power supply performed really well under both idle and loaded conditions while not going over a tolerance level of 3.1%. With faster and more power-demanding PC components, it's crucial to upgrade your PSU every now and then.

Today, I'm looking at Thermaltake's yet to be available ToughPower 550W power supply. You might ask what's the big deal? Let's say you already have a PurePower / PowerStation ~500W model. While the amount of Watts may be enough, your new components may require more stable voltages and higher amperage (strength of an electrical current). As the name implies, ToughPower is all about stability.