Thermaltake Smart RGB 700w Power Supply Review

A Closer Look

In terms of packaging, Thermaltake is one of the best out there. They tell you everything you need to know, right on the box, and it’s all presented in a nice clear way. A lot of other brands could learn from this design. In terms of the front of the box, you are given all of the basic details of the power supply, the 700w rating, the 80-Plus efficiency rating and a nice clear image of the power supply itself.

The rear packaging again ticks all the right boxes. You are given the basic key features, the output specifications, the efficiency rating as well as the cables which it comes with. Given that this is a non-modular power supply though, I feel that it should make that far clearer on the packaging.

The sides of the packaging highlight the RGB system which is provided with the power supply. This is a unique feature to Thermaltake power supplies and includes their own patended design.

Whats In The Box?

Open opening the Thermaltake Smart RGB everything is well presented in what is quite a small package. The power supply is kept inside bubble wrap. The non-modular cables are not wrapped but are well enclosed in the packaging. In addition, there is also a protective sleeve to prevent any potential scratching of the case.

You are also provided with your product manual as well as warranty information. Incidentally, this power supply does come with a 5-year warranty.

The information in the manual is nice and clear to read and understand, albeit if you’re buying power supplies to fit yourself, I’d hope you have a basic understanding of the installation process.

The Power Supply

The Thermaltake Smart RGB 700w power supply has some nice presentation to it. Usually, power supplies are one of the least aesthetically pleasing aspects to a PC build. Even in this regard though, Thermaltake has tried to make it attractive with it’s nice bold and clear branding to the side.

The power supply has some nice large vents which should help promote air-flow for both the intake and the exhaust. As this does not have a passive/hybrid mode, such large vents are a little unusual, but it’s nice to see that in the design they have maximised the space to its best potential.

As above, this doesn’t have a hybrid/passive cooling mode, so the rear is actually quite straight-forward. You have the on-off switch and you have the control for the RGB lighting effects. My only mild criticism of the rear is the unusually large vent gaps. Through these you can clearly see some of the internal components and I would have a slight concern over ingress. Particularly dust.

Interior

Internally, the Thermaltake Smart RGB 700w is well presented. Unlike cheaply make power supplies, this is nicely designed and well organised. As this is a non-modular power supply, there are more internal cables than you would usually see in a non-modular. These are, however, well organised and as such it’s hard to find any fault.

A closer look at the internals of the power supply highlight the nice design choices made. All components are nicely spaced including the 2 heatsinks which should sit nicely beneath the fan. It is a little cramped, but everything still has more than enough breathing room. A feature more commonly seen in passive cooling compatible power supplies.

My only slight gripe is the somewhat heavy-handed soldering to the power input circuit board. This is a little excessive but doesn’t appear to be poorly done.

In terms of the capacitor, we do note that none of the box work would appear to indicate that the Thermaltake Smart RGB has fully-Japanese capacitors. Despite this though, there is evidence to suggest that at least the main capacitor may be Japanese.

Unfortunately, due to the position, it’s hard to get a clear view of the manufacturer. It does, however, appear to be a company called ‘Ichi’. We must confess, this isn’t a manufacturer we have heard of and we did consider the possibility that this may have been Nichicon. It is, however, definitely ‘Ichi’ on it. So make of this what you will. Ichi is a Japenese word (for 1), we wouldn’t, however, be comfortable stating that this is Japanese as a 100% fact.

The cooling fan is at it’s best when clearly operating with the full RGB effects on show. Despite this though, we have always found Thermaltake fans to be well-built and reliable. This particular model does not appear to have the hydraulic bearings that we see in more updated designs, but it still appears to be more than competent for the task at hand.

Important – Please Read

To understand the results on the new few pages, please take the time to read our detailed testing methodology page. The next page of this review will help you understand what the results of our testing mean, and educate you on the various qualities we look for in a good PSU.