Thermaltake unveils massive 2000W PSU, but it's too powerful for U.S. outlets

zohaibahd

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In context: PC component manufacturers are gearing up for the next generation of ultra-powerful GPUs and CPUs from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel. And one area that's seeing a major boost is power supplies. The latest graphics cards and processors are growing hungrier than ever, so PSU makers are stepping up their game.

Thermaltake is leading the charge with some incredibly powerful units in terms of wattage. Among their latest offerings is the Toughpower D2000, a monstrous 2000W power supply. To put that in perspective, it's enough power to run an air conditioner.

However, there's a catch with this PSU – it won't be available in the United States. The reason is both practical and amusing: a Thermaltake spokesperson told PC Gamer that the D2000 simply draws too much power for a standard American home outlet.

So unless you have an industrial-grade power setup, you'll have to settle for Thermaltake's other high-wattage options, such as their 1650W or 1600W models – which, let's be real, are still immensely overpowered for virtually any consumer PC build out there.

The D2000, on the other hand, will be heading to Europe and select other regions where home outlets can handle its immense power requirements.

For U.S. customers, the 1650W and 1600W models will be part of Thermaltake's refreshed Toughpower RGB Plus Titanium and Toughpower TF3 Titanium lineups, which debuted at CES 2025. These PSUs are fully modular and feature a sleek, minimalist design – unless you opt for the RGB lighting, in which case you can expect vibrant, customizable lighting effects.

The connector options on these models are extensive. Both the 1650W RGB Plus Titanium and 1600W TF3 Titanium include multiple SATA power connectors, PCIe 5.1 support with 16-pin GPU power ports, and compliance with the ATX 3.1 standard.

In terms of efficiency, all models come with 80 PLUS Titanium certifications and include advanced features such as the ability to switch between single-rail and multi-rail power configurations. The RGB Plus models also come with customizable lighting effects for those who want their builds to shine.

For more compact systems, Thermaltake offers the Toughpower SFX Titanium 1200W PSU, which delivers an impressive power-to-size ratio. Measuring just 125mm x 63.5mm x 103.8mm, this compact unit supports PCIe Gen 5.1, making it an excellent choice for small-form-factor builds.

Image credit: TechPowerUp

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Thermaltake unveils massive 2000W PSU, but it's too powerful for U.S. outlets

 
ScottSoapbox said:
Without SLI, how do you get above 1200 Watts? Even an overclocked 5090 and Intel’s most “space heater” CPU doesn't do that.
Click to expand...

Good point.

NVIDIA should re-introduce SLI to increase the sales of 5090's. I can guarantee there will be somebody dumb enough to run 3 5090's on SLI just b/c they can. Then even a 2KW PSU won't be enough they will likely need a 3KW PSU to do it.
 
Thanks for pointing that out. I feel like they were freaking out so much at the wattage, they completely skipped every other detail. To add, European homes have ~240V vs the 120V in the US, so they're only running at half the amps.

But hey, just move your dryer out of the way and plug in there. Lol
 
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The National Electrical Code (NEC) suggests that continuous loads (those operating for 3 hours or more) should not exceed 80% of the circuit's capacity.
-> For a 15A breaker, the peak power is limited to P_max = 120V*15A = 1,800W
-> For a 15A breaker, the continuous load should not exceed 15A*0.8 = 12A (leaves capacity for temporary surges and prevents tripping due to overloading)
-> P_cont = 120V*12A = 1,440W (This is the maximum continuous power you can safely draw from a 15A circuit)

High-end computer power supplies typically have efficiency ratings certified by programs like 80 PLUS. These range from 80% to 94% efficiency under load.
-> 80% efficiency: P_output = 1,440W*0.8 = 1,152W
-> 94% efficiency: P_output = 1,440W*0.94 = 1,354W

So, roughly speaking the max size power supply you "should" use in the US is approximately 1,300W for a 80 PLUS Titanium. It drops down to about 1,100W for a basic 80 PLUS. I know they sell sizes up to about 1,600W. I assume that the manufactures expect that you do not truly use the PSU at 100% load for hours on end (it is 90% vs. 80% safety factor), thus they can push more into the NEC safety margin to go above the 1,354W calculation I made (1,800W*0.9 = 1620W).
 
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Achaios said:
Good point.

NVIDIA should re-introduce SLI to increase the sales of 5090's. I can guarantee there will be somebody dumb enough to run 3 5090's on SLI just b/c they can. Then even a 2KW PSU won't be enough they will likely need a 3KW PSU to do it.
Click to expand...
It's called mGPU now and it's up to game devs to implement it. RDR2 can utilize 2 cards. I imagine GTA 6 will be pretty good at it too.
 
Not many houses have dedicated circuits at 20A outside of the kitchen. Typical houses have entire rooms on a single circuit which means you are probably reading this on a PC that is on a circuit that is also running the monitor, the lighting, and several other little power vampires.
 
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My parents built there house with all 20amp circuits and we usually have two circuits per bedroom, the kitchen has 6 and the living rooms have 3 each. The garage has 8 all on its own, never had to worry about throwing breakers there.
 
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What's next, power supplies with 2 power (outlet) cables, connect 1 to 1 circuit and the other too different circuit -- SLi power for power supplies so can run latest GPU's. :)
 
Dr Roboto said:
The National Electrical Code (NEC) suggests that continuous loads (those operating for 3 hours or more) should not exceed 80% of the circuit's capacity.
-> For a 15A breaker, the peak power is limited to P_max = 120V*15A = 1,800W
-> For a 15A breaker, the continuous load should not exceed 15A*0.8 = 12A (leaves capacity for temporary surges and prevents tripping due to overloading)
-> P_cont = 120V*12A = 1,440W (This is the maximum continuous power you can safely draw from a 15A circuit)

High-end computer power supplies typically have efficiency ratings certified by programs like 80 PLUS. These range from 80% to 94% efficiency under load.
-> 80% efficiency: P_output = 1,440W*0.8 = 1,152W
-> 94% efficiency: P_output = 1,440W*0.94 = 1,354W

So, roughly speaking the max size power supply you "should" use in the US is approximately 1,300W for a 80 PLUS Titanium. It drops down to about 1,100W for a basic 80 PLUS. I know they sell sizes up to about 1,600W. I assume that the manufactures expect that you do not truly use the PSU at 100% load for hours on end (it is 90% vs. 80% safety factor), thus they can push more into the NEC safety margin to go above the 1,354W calculation I made (1,800W*0.9 = 1620W).
Click to expand...

Pssht. @ 240VAC and at its peak power all you would need is 8.3A. Too easy to supply that.
 
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I said to my Ma you can iron whilst I'm gaming, and she said remem to switch to high settings. I simply connect some flexible heat pipes from my PSU to a small heatsink, and magic. Only time my Ma is happy 😂
 
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So we have reached the limit with 1600 watt, interesting.
It means our future GPUs can go good 600 more leaving 400 for CPUs and other parts.
But that is it.
Are you guys excited to live in time where our homes' wiring will prevent further growth of computing?
Where do we go next? PSU approved 1600+ homes, or completely new tech that uses 5-10 watt but is ten times more powerful?
 
Dr Roboto said:
Since this was completely missing from the article (shame):
2000W / 120V = 16.6 Amps (conservatively).

Average US residential outlet is 15 Amps, thus you would need a 20A circuit. Your average person would not know if they have 15A or 20A, so it is safer to just not sell it in the US.
Click to expand...
All you have to do is walk out to the circuit breaker and read what's printed on it and anyone can do that average person or not.
 
Ojref said:
Pssht. @ 240VAC and at its peak power all you would need is 8.3A. Too easy to supply that.
Click to expand...
I assume that you where making fun of Americans with this one. In the US we only have 120Vac, there is no practical option for 120Vac for a home computer (unless you are hooking it up to you clothes drier receptacle). Any place that uses 240 will only draw have the Amperage, must be nice. I don't know why the US and Europe are different in this fact, but I am sure there is an easy answer that can be googled.
 
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GTvon said:
All you have to do is walk out to the circuit breaker and read what's printed on it and anyone can do that average person or not.
Click to expand...
Ha. You give the average person way too much credit. Also, 20A is typically only used in kitchens and laundry rooms. The outlets in most rooms, and likely where a person is to have a computer, will only be 15A.

As someone else noted, there are likely other things on that same circuit that are pulling some current so you don't actually get the full 15A just for you computer's power supply.
 
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GeforcerFX said:
My parents built there house with all 20amp circuits and we usually have two circuits per bedroom, the kitchen has 6 and the living rooms have 3 each. The garage has 8 all on its own, never had to worry about throwing breakers there.
Click to expand...
Just because you have 3 outlets does not mean you have 3 separate 20a services in that room that you can draw from. I can guarantee your garage is all on the same breaker, maybe 2 at best.

The average new home can only utilize up to 200a of service from the pole for the whole house. Up until the last few years the average home only has 100a service from the pole.
 
I had a 1600W PSU back in 2010, when I had 3 480's in SLI. The power supply actually came with two power cables. One was for a 240V socket that a dryer or stove typically uses.

Also, those making claims on breakers in US homes, the average number of breakers in a home is 20-30, with 20 amps being the average type. I live in an old apartment building and my apartment has all 20's, except for a single 30. Most devices pull basically no amps whatsoever, so unless you're running appliances on the same circuit as your PC (unlikely), it by nature will have it's own dedicated circuit essentially.

Now, keep in mind, this has NOTHING to do with GPU's. While they pull a lot of power, the two big draws of CPU and GPU would struggle to break 1200W max draw even with basic other components. This is for people that want to put in a BUNCH of equipment into a tower, including tons of LED lighting, tons of hard drives, etc. This is for the enthusiast of enthusiasts.
 
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