Thermaltake Smart RGB 500w Power Supply Review

Mike Sanders / 6 years ago

Final Thoughts

Pricing

The Thermaltake Smart RGB 500w retails for around £37. In terms of 500w power supplies, this is quite cheap. It’s actually so cheap that it falls into the territory of entry-level (and the minefield of cheap Chinese power supplies). In this regard though, the Thermaltake does stand out from the crowd.

Not only does it perform well in testing, but it also has the fantastic RGB lighting we have come to associate with Thermaltake. In terms of value, this is definitely at the top of the list for inexpensive power supplies.

Overview

While Thermaltake is a brand that pushes its RGB lighting effects, that shouldn’t detract from what is an overall excellent design. In terms of build-quality and presentation, Thermaltake is definitely one of the best providers of power supplies. Even when you consider that this model is their basic entry-level scale, it’s still near faultless on every level.

Yes, it is non-modular, however, that isn’t uncommon for this price bracket and even then, it still gives you everything you could need without being excessive.

My only criticism in this regard would the length of the cables. They are not very long. Therefore, the Thermaltake Smart RGB 500w is possibly best suited to uncomplicated systems and perhaps even builds where cable management isn’t a high priority.

Something I will criticise, however, is the lack of making it clear on the packaging that this is a non-modular power supply. You could easily buy this under the impression that it was fully-modular.

Efficiency and Beyond

While this is an 80-Plus rated power supply, it isn’t bronze rated. Based on our testing though, we’re not entirely sure why it doesn’t have this certification. Admittedly, when you go for the less expensive power supplies, you do not expect fantastically efficiency. In this regard though the Thermaltake Smart RGB 500w power supply gives an excellent account of itself.

Through all the testing the results were better than we expected. The only mild criticism we could make is with the fan which does run rather rapidly. Not, however, to a point, that noise is a significant issue.

Should I Buy One?

If you are looking for a power supply within this price bracket, you shouldn’t set your expectation too high. If you don’t though and you do but this power supply, the good news is that it will pleasantly surprise you on every level.

Not only is a solid and efficient performer, but it also comes with Thermaltake’s patented RGB lighting design.

If you are looking for something with a little more power though, you can check out our review of the 700w variant of this model!

When you take this as a package as a whole, for less than £40, this power supply is an absolute bargain. If you’re therefore looking for something to power your mid-low end gaming system or indeed something as a stop-gap until your budget improves, you would struggle to find a better power supply than this.