Thermaltake Smart RGB 500w Power Supply Review

Introduction

Thermaltake Smart RGB

In recent months we’re getting to see more and more interesting products from Thermaltake. Just to clarify, we mean interesting in a good way. We only make that point just in case you were wondering. Despite producing gaming equipment, chassis and cooling solution Thermaltake are starting to carve themselves a very solid reputation for their power supplies. Having reviewed many of them before, we have never failed to be impressed.

In this instance, we take a look at the Thermaltake Smart RGB 500w power supply. At 500w this sits perfectly for the vast majority of gaming PC requirements. This is particularly with the more modern processors which are designed to run at much lower power requirements than older models.

The Thermaltake Smart RGB is an inexpensive, non-modular power supply which is ideal for those looking for the essentials to get going in their build. The impressive RGB effects though shouldn’t confuse you into thinking this is just a basic power supply. It’s actually got a lot of bells and whistles that wouldn’t look out of place for those who are big fans of system lighting.

We should note that this is an 80-plus rated power supply and although it is not bronze-rated, we are curious to see how close it gets to that level of performance. Lets, therefore, take a look and see if the Thermaltake Smart RGB 500w could be the smart choice for your system!

Features

This Thermaltake Smart RGB power supply comes with a single +12V rail which outputs 420w through a single rail.

As this is a non-modular power supply, all the cables come pre-attached to the power supply and can not be removed. Despite this, you are provided with a good variety that should suit most systems. It is, of course, always advisable that you check to ensure that you are going to have enough to suit your build.

• High amperage single +12V rail design.
• 500w of continuous output at 40c.
• 80 PLUS 230V EU Internal Certified
• 10 LED light bulbs for brighter effects.

Specifications

For in-depth specifications, please visit the official Thermaltake Smart Series Smart RGB product page here.

What Thermaltake Had to Say

“Thermaltake, as the pioneer who incorporates RGB lights into PSU, has launched the Thermaltake Smart RGB Series, coming with a pre-installed RGB fan hub with 15 lighting modes to choose from and built-in memory. Featuring capacities ranging from 500W to 700W and 80 PLUS Standard certification, Smart RGB Series adopts the high quality components and silent design that always accommodate any mainstream build under any circumstance.” – Thermaltake

Smart RGB

The power supply comes complete with Thermaltake’s unique Smart RGB design which allows you to have fantastic customisation options for the lighting effects. With 256 colours available over 14 patterned designs, even the most hardcore of RGB fans are not going to struggle to find an option that suits them here!

Cabling

With this being non-modular, it’s important to know exactly what cables this power supply is provided with. Although this is detailed on the rear of the packaging we will detail it for you below.

• 1 x 20+4 main power connector.
• 1 x ATX 12 V 4 + 4 PIN
• 5 x SATA
• 2 x 6 + 2 PCI-E
• 4 x Molex
• 1 X Floppy Disk Adaptor

In terms of connectors, this should be more than enough to connect any standard gaming PC presuming your GPU doesn’t require more than 8 PCI-E inputs.