Thermaltake Smart M Series 750W PSU review

1. Introduction2. Thermaltake Smart M Series 750W (Bundle & Cabling)3. Thermaltake Smart M Series 750W (External)4. Thermaltake Smart M Series 750W (Internal)5. Thermaltake Smart M Series 750W (Super High Res Gallery)6. Testing Methodology & Results7. Closing Thoughts8. View All Pages

The Thermaltake Smart M Series 750W is a capable unit which is competitively priced in the United Kingdom. Aesthetically this power supply isn't going to offend anyone, although it doesn't appeal to me as I really dislike the appearance of the full length paper stickers on the sides of the chassis.

I know a few people who don't mind invalidating their warranty to swap out the fan in their power supply for an ultra high grade model. Sadly Thermaltake have placed several screws underneath the paper stickers on the side panels and these will need destroyed to get inside the unit.

Thermaltake will argue that people shouldn't be doing this, however a slight redesign of their power supplies could negate this completely. A simple ‘warranty invalidated' sticker over one of the screws is an industry standard for a reason.

The modular cabling will appeal to a wide audience, especially those people with limited routing space inside their chassis. The ribbon style cables are easy to route and they help ensure that system airflow isn't compromised.

The Channel Well Technology design is solid throughout, delivering steady voltage and excellent ripple suppression across the range. Efficiency is also a strong point, especially for an 80 Plus Bronze rated unit. Additionally, the design handled our stressful cross loading tests with only minor fluctuation.

Thermaltake have opted for an aggressive fan profile for the Smart M Series 750W power supply. When tasked hard the fan spins up dramatically, emitting substantial levels of noise between 550W and 750W. If I bought this supply I would experiment with other fan options.

You can buy the power supply direct from Scan in the UK for £92.38 inc vat. At this price point it offers reasonable value for money, but the competition in this sector is stiff. The 3 year warranty is also relatively weak when compared to some competitor products (Corsair offer a 5 or 7 year warranty now with their supplies for instance).

Pros:

• Good load regulation.
• handled our intensive cross load tests.
• modular design.
• efficient.
• excellent ripple suppression.

Cons:

• Fan is a little aggressive under high load.
• stiff competition.
• not a wonderful looking unit.
• only a 3 year warranty.
• poor packaging.

Kitguru says: A solid release from Thermaltake, and well worth buying.

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