On the low end of the spectrum, Thermaltake’s Smart RGB 500W brings a necessity to a budget build. For those looking to put more money toward performance-pushing components, this is the power supply that aims to hit that market. But even still is it a worthy choice to this day? We find out as we review the Thermaltake Smart RGB 500W to see what it has to offer beyond the small price and features.
- Wattage: 500W
- Form factor: ATX
- Rating: 80+ White, Cybenetics Bronze
- Design: Non-modular, RGB fan
Thermaltake’s Smart RGB 500W brings a strong value choice to the table. With a low price, it makes it a strong choice if you only need a 500W PSU on a low-powered system. However, it has a rather low power efficiency just about making the standards ratings. It also is a non-modular supply, leaving you stuck with the cables it comes with and they’re not exactly a top-looking choice.
But the PSU does offer a strong 5-year warranty giving you some peace of mind to choosing the PSU. It also brings some RGB to the market, giving some glow to the table if your power supply faces down and glows down. It can easily be changed as the button on the back cycles or turns off the RGB.
- A cheap yet reliable option when it was available
- RGB lighting provides some uniqueness and can be changed and turned off easily
- Low overall efficiency that just meets the standards
- Non-modular and not attractive cables
Design
For a general design, the Thermaltake Smart RGB is a bit limited in what it offers, which is kind of expected for the budget option that it is. First of all the big drawback is the non-modularity of the power supply, compared to fully and semi-modular it does make it a lot less customizable and flexible to what you do with it. Stuck with the ketchup and mustard of the old, it does bring some nostalgia, but limits your ability to change them out and how much you have plugged in. Although at 500W you’re unlikely to get much more, length can be a big issue depending on your PC case and routing.
Stuck with the ketchup and mustard of the old, it does bring some nostalgia, but limits your ability to change them out and how much you have plugged in
Although that is part of the low budget, not providing much customization or changes but keeping things simple. But that is differentiated by the color aspect, included. The Thermaltake PSU puts in a 120mm RGB fan for the cooling solution, which is easily switched in mode via a button on the back like the power switch. Allowing you to switch through 15 modes that are remembered in the built-in memory for easier use between your sessions.
Thermaltake Smart RGB 500W Fan © PCGuide
Thermaltake Smart RGB 500W profile © PCGuide
Thermaltake Smart RGB 500W cable bunch © PCGuide
Thermaltake Smart RGB 500W PSU and box © PCGuide
To also keep costs down the power supply limits itself to a minimum spec of hardware inside. You won’t be seeing the famed Japanese capacitors inside but something more minimal and low-quality electrolytic caps. Although these may not be as common and popular they shouldn’t cause any harm as we see with the warranty on offer. Although the performance and protections aren’t as effective as they could be.
Size
As with any other ATX power supply, it is a full-size option, measuring 150 x 140 x 85 mm which makes it a standard choice for a range of builds. That does not make it a suitable SFX PSU and is limited to those sizes. Whilst the non-modularity puts all the cables to one side, and without replugging options, makes it a lot easier to handle. But it does bulk up the cable management required and hide away whatever you’re not using that needs some space in the basement of your case.
Thermaltake Smart RGB 500W PSU and box © PCGuide
Thermaltake Smart RGB 500W box profile © PCGuide
Thermaltake Smart RGB 500W plugged in PC © PCGuide
Thermaltake Smart RGB 500W turned on in PC © PCGuide
Thermaltake Smart RGB 500W on top of box © PCGuide
Sound and efficiency
Looking at the testing done on the power supply, we look at what the Cybenetics standards testing showed about it. This does show why it’s rated so low, as the 80+ White rating and Bronze awards from the testing do show it is not an ideal choice for those looking to get the most value for money in the long term, as the input power conversion to useful electricity is not as good as it could be.
The Smart RGB 115V version averaged an efficiency of 82.838%, which doesn’t seem too bad, but the 10W and 5VSB efficiency drops further making it a hard choice when under high loads. That is the same for the 230V, although the average reaches 85.490% it also does not fare well in the specific uses. The fan is not quiet either, reaching 43.97 and 43.32 dB(A) respectively, although not a sound to hear throughout your build it still is higher than others and not an ideal choice for a quiet build.
What GPUs to pair with the Thermaltake Smart RGB
For the low 500W PSU you don’t want to overload it with high-powered and best graphics cards. Instead, the low-end selection is what can be managed, as it pairs up with the entry-level choices even the new-gen option. The likes of the RTX 4060 and RX 7600 are both good choices to match the power supply’s capability.
Most of your system’s power is dictated by your GPU, as their TDP or power consumption is the greatest out of the entire PC build. With a 115W and 165W typical board power respectively for the cards, they only require a 500W PSU and go well with the Thermaltake choice as it also covers the one or two power connectors they might require. There is even potential to jump up to an RTX 4060 Ti if you need a bit more from your graphics power.
perfectly fine choice for a budget build when you want a good value option
Warranty and support
The lower choice Thermaltake Smart RGB 500W has a more limited support system than compared to a higher choice power supply, such as the RM1000X Shift we also reviewed. It comes with about half the life support with only 5 years from when you purchase the power supply from a retailer, and it might not be a strong choice for multiple systems. It might be a good pick for a budget pick now but might not be strong enough for the next build in years to come.
Conclusion
Overall, the Thermaltake Smart RGB 500W is a perfectly fine choice for a budget build when you want a good value option. Lacking the looks and customizability, you want to make sure it suits your needs with the limited-length cables and their red and yellow looks. But when efficiency doesn’t matter too much either and instead you want better components, it is a perfectly strong choice of power supply.
