ASUS ROG Thor 1200W Platinum III ATX v3.1 PSU Review

Epilogue

The ASUS ROG Thor 1200W Platinum III is an expensive, high-end PSU with a new Seasonic platform. Using a single GaN MODFET on the primary side doesn’t provide any real advantage since a totem-pole PFC isn’t used, and this type of PFC circuit offers the highest efficiency gains. Still, despite the conventional platform, the average efficiency is high, close to the Cybenetics Titanium levels, but efficiency at light and super-light loads should be higher. Transient response at 12V is good, especially at high loads, while the 3.3V rail didn’t perform so well in the normal transient response tests. The hold-up time is extended, thanks to the large bulk caps, but the NTC thermistors responsible for lowering the inrush currents don’t do their job effectively, and this platform has sky-high inrush currents. That said, my major complaint is in the protection features, where the setup is far from good, with the OCP at the 12V rail requiring tuning, and the same goes for the over-power protection’s triggering points and the OCP on the minor rails. Moreover, given the super relaxed fan speed profile, I expected to find fan failure protection in such an expensive platform. I didn’t perform a thermal analysis on this platform to check how the super-relaxed fan speed profile affects its operation and how much it stresses various parts, but Seasonic most likely did that before setting up the fan speed profile.

The ROG Thor 1200W Platinum III is a good PSU, achieving high overall performance and boasting impressive features like the OLED screen. If you need the extra bells and whistles and have the money to get them, it probably won’t disappoint you. However, I don’t give it a “Recommended” badge because of the issues I found in its protection features. This is not a tough fix.

Before investing in a new power supply, read my Best ATX v3.x PSUs article to check all alternative PSU offerings. You help me a lot by using my affiliate links, which don’t increase the product’s price. I get a commission from Amazon every time you do it, which can make a difference for me, especially now that I am on my own, working exclusively for my media and not for someone else.