The interior: The Next Evolution in PSUs?

Delving slightly deeper into the TurboCool 850 SSI we find what may be the very first example of true proprietary circuitry where each primary rail has its own dedicated topology from AC in, to DC out. Each circuit runs parallel to the next and each stage is clearly defined. To be honest I haven’t seen such simple sophistication since my days in High End Audio. The photos below detail the PSU circuit stages from AC to DC respectively.



AC in (photo above) begins the process where AC charges and voltage is rectified and stored in three large dedicated (per Rail) capacitors which aid in "smoothing out charges. Where pre-FET (Field Effect Transistor) capacitance is concerned the 850 SSI has more capacitance in this stage alone then most other PSUs have in total.



As charges pass to the FETs which are mounted to the first heatsink it will then pass to the primary side of the (yellow) transformers. It becomes clear the design is proprietary as there are three identical (large) sized transformers running in parallel. Charges will pass to the primary side of the transformers and then to the secondary where it is once again rectified at the final DC stage.



Once rectified charges pass through the DC-chokes (wire wrapped donuts three of which reside under the final heatsink) where any residual AC is removed and once again its stored in capacitors. While the initial pre-FET capacitors are very large these are much smaller. One reason behind this is the “speed” at which a smaller capacitor can discharge its stored charge. Simply using redundant caps at this stage ensures there’s ample amounts of charges stored to meet the systems demands no matter how heavy the “load” becomes. As I alluded to earlier, if DC is the lifeblood of your PC, then consider this stage the "Blood Bank". The "bank" on the daughter board in the close-up below is of course one third of the overall redundant circuitry.



Here we have a side view of one of three daughter boards at the AC pre-FET stage.



On the opposite side at the AC end of the unit we get a better perspective of the initial capacitance, note the size of the chokes, and capacitors.



At 23cm installing the TurboCool 850 SSI was a task which required some thinking ahead. I tried inserting the unit into the side of Thermaltake's Kandalf (reviewed out soon) which is one of the largest aluminum towers I've ever had, wasn't feasible. Luckily this case is a dream come true its front panel can stack three 120mm fans. Simply sliding out a few trays allowed an opening into which I inserted the TurboCool 850 SSI.



Once inside the PSU isn't obtrusive at all, due primarily to its sleek design. Long and Lean






Onto the testing--->