Thermaltake Evo Blue 2.0 750W Review

Load Testing

Test 1 (74.13W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 2.3A 12.18V 11.0mV
5V 5.1A 5.1V 16.6mV
3.3V 4.91A 3.34V 16.0mV
-12V 0.1A -11.53V 6.2mV
5Vsb 0.51A 5.09V 10.2mV
AC Power 92.8W
Efficiency 79.88%
Power Factor 0.8

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Test 2 (122.95W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 4.7A 12.17V 10.2mV
5V 5.09A 5.09V 15.0mV
3.3V 10.09A 3.33V 14.6mV
-12V 0.1A -11.57V 6.2mV
5Vsb 1.01A 5.06V 9.4mV
AC Power 142.9W
Efficiency 86.04%
Power Factor 0.85

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Test 3 (152.09W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 7.1A 12.16V 10.8mV
5V 5.09A 5.09V 15.4mV
3.3V 10.09A 3.33V 15.2mV
-12V 0.1A -11.58V 6.8mV
5Vsb 1.01A 5.06V 9.6mV
AC Power 173.4W
Efficiency 87.71%
Power Factor 0.87

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Test 4 (206.16W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 9.5A 9.5A 12.2mV
5V 10.14A 5.07V 17.8mV
3.3V 10.03A 3.31V 15.6mV
-12V 0.1A -11.61V 7.2mV
5Vsb 1.01A 5.05V 11.4mV
AC Power 230.4W
Efficiency 89.48%
Power Factor 0.89

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Test 5 (262.94W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 14.2A 12.12V 14.0mV
5V 10.14A 5.07V 17.6mV
3.3V 10.03A 3.31V 16.4mV
-12V 0.1A 11.64V 7.2mV
5Vsb 1.01A 5.05V 12.0mV
AC Power 290.9W
Efficiency 90.39%
Power Factor 0.89

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Test 6 (318.31W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 18.8A 12.11V 42.0mV
5V 10.08A 5.04V 19.6mV
3.3V 9.97A 3.29V 17.8mV
-12V 0.1A -12.14V 403.2mV
5Vsb 1.01A 5.03V 14.4mV
AC Power 352.9W
Efficiency 90.20%
Power Factor 0.91

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Test 7 (373.44W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 23.5A 12.1V 42.6mV
5V 10.08A 5.04V 19.8mV
3.3V 9.85A 3.25V 18.4mV
-12V 0.1A -12.08V >500mV
5Vsb 1.01A 5.03V 14.4mV
AC Power 410.9W
Efficiency 90.88%
Power Factor 0.91

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Test 8 (402.23W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 25.9A 12.09V 45.8mV
5V 10.08A 5.04V 20.2mV
3.3V 9.85A 3.25V 19.2mV
-12V 0.1A -12.03V >500mV
5Vsb 1.01A 5.04V 15.0mV
AC Power 442.0W
Efficiency 91.00%
Power Factor 0.91

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Test 9 (460.1W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 30.7A 12.08V 20.8mV
5V 10.1A 5.05V 21.2mV
3.3V 9.85A 3.25V 20.4mV
-12V 0.1A -11.75V 59.4mV
5Vsb 1.01A 5.04V 16.4mV
AC Power 500.4W
Efficiency 91.95%
Power Factor 0.94

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Test 10 (516.88W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 35.4A 12.08V 23.4mV
5V 10.1A 5.05V 22.2mV
3.3V 9.85A 3.25V 21.8mV
-12V 0.1A -11.77V 11.0mV
5Vsb 1.01A 5.04V 17.8mV
AC Power 561.4W
Efficiency 92.07%
Power Factor 0.94

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Test 11 (573.66W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 40.1A 12.08V 26.0mV
5V 10.1A 5.05V 23.2mV
3.3V 9.85A 3.25V 23.6mV
-12V 0.1A -11.8V 11.6mV
5Vsb 1.01A 5.04V 18.8mV
AC Power 623.5W
Efficiency 92.01%
Power Factor 0.94

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Test 12 (629.24W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 44.7A 12.08V 29.4mV
5V 10.1A 5.05V 24.2mV
3.3V 9.85A 3.25V 25.6mV
-12V 0.1A -11.84V 12.4mV
5Vsb 1.01A 5.04V 20.0mV
AC Power 687.0W
Efficiency 91.59%
Power Factor 0.93

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Test 13 (691.87W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 49.4A 12.08V 32.8mV
5V 10.08A 5.04V 25.4mV
3.3V 9.85A 3.25V 27.2mV
-12V 0.2A -11.77V 13.8mV
5Vsb 2.02A 5.04V 21.6mV
AC Power 758.5W
Efficiency 91.22%
Power Factor 0.95

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Test 14 (749.87W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 54.2A 12.08V 37.2mV
5V 10.08A 5.04V 26.2mV
3.3V 9.85A 3.25V 29.0mV
-12V 0.2A -11.8V 15.2mV
5Vsb 2.02A 5.04V 23.0mV
AC Power 821.8W
Efficiency 91.25%
Power Factor 0.94

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Overload Test (950.36W Load)

Rail Load Voltage Ripple
12V 70.4A 12.05V 70.2mV
5V 10.08A 5.04V 32.0mV
3.3V 9.85A 3.24V 36.0mV
-12V 0.39A -11.76V 29.2mV
5Vsb 2.98A 4.97V 29.6mV
AC Power 1055W
Efficiency 90.08%
Power Factor 0.96

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The 12V rail started out at 12.18V in Test 1, and dropped to 12.08V at maximum load. This gives us 0.18V (1.5%) regulation, and a drop of 0.1V (0.8%). The 5V rail was 5.1v during Test 1, and dropped to 5.04V in Test 14, which gives us 0.1V, or 2% regulation, and a 0.06V, or 1.2% drop. The 3.3V rail started at 3.34V in Test 1, and dropped to 3.25V during Test 14. This equates to 0.05V (1.5%) regulation, and a drop of 0.09V, or 2.7%. While this is a good result, it would be nice to have somewhat tighter regulation on the 3.3V rail.

The efficiency was good enough to clear 80plus gold, and it peaked at just over 92%. I was able to overload the unit to about 950W – a full 200W over the labelled maximum. I used the turbo-charge feature during this test. As well as increasing the fan speed, it also turns the fan’s LEDs from blue to red, but causes a slight drop in the efficiency.

Rail Test 14 (749.87W) Overload Test (950.36W)
12V  Test14-12v  OL-12v
5V  Test14-5v  OL-5v
3.3V  Test14-3.3v  OL-3.3v
-12V  Test14--12v  OL--12v
5Vsb  Test14-5vsb  OL-5vsb

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The ripple was generally very well suppressed, with the three major rails staying well within allowable limits at all times. The -12V rail had an unusual quirk. With the unit loaded between 300W and 450W, this happened…

Evo-Test6--12v_ Evo-Test7--12v

Those are the oscilloscope shots from the -12V rail during Tests 6 and 7. The ripple was way above the maximum allowed 120mV, exceeding 500mV at times. During Test 9, the ripple had mostly settled down again, and was back down to around 11mV for the most part, but there were a few spikes which would push it up to around 60mV. In Test 10, it was completely back to normal. The problem only re-occurred when I attempted to load the unit higher than 950W. The ripple on the +12V output also increased during these tests, but it was still below half the maximum allowed.

I tested two samples, and both exhibited this behaviour, so it seems that this is a design flaw with these units, and not just a manufacturing defect. That said however, I don’t think that this is a serious enough problem to completely fail the unit over. In fact, many reviewers don’t even test the -12V rail these days. It was only used in PCI slots, as well as serial ports. If you are using it with a modern PC which has no serial ports, and only PCI-Express slots, then it won’t even get used. I’ll just have to have a little think about how many points to knock off as I disassemble the unit.

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