INTRODUCTION

   Up until recently power supply unit manufacturers just had to produce affordable models with good rail stability, sufficient power output and a relatively nice feature set in order to win over a good percentage of the mainstream market. However, the arrival of RGB lighting changed all that so there's a very large consumer base out there right now also looking for that on top of all of the above. That being said many of the leading power supply unit manufacturers have yet to jump onto the RGB wagon but some have and one of them is certainly Thermaltake since they've released numerous models featuring RGB fans. Unfortunately, up until recently almost all of those models were high and ultra-high end ones which didn't really fit the bill. The Smart BX1 RGB line released by Thermaltake late last year however changed all that and today after quite a bit of testing with us we have the 650W model.

   The beginning of every myth and legend is about dreams and desire: the challenging, creative and combative features of Thermaltake Group create an exciting and fascinating user experience to share with everyone, while allowing users to enter a selfless state in terms of function and potential. Thermaltake Group's 3 main brands: Thermaltake, Tt eSPORTS and LUXA2 have been merchandising throughout the world, and have successfully established 6 business footholds in areas such as Europe, America, Oceania, Japan and China, with 95 regional distributors and over 4000 premium retailers. All product planning is orientated by observation of global PC peripheral market and understanding of consumer demands. Thermaltake creates direct contact opportunities with resellers and consumers by participating major global ICT exhibitions and trade shows every year, and develop innovative marketing strategies for the promotions of new products. Meanwhile, Thermaltake incorporates the composite marketing system by making branch offices and regional distributors both the distribution channel and technical support or service center to provide instant support; by maintaining close contact with end users, we manage to strengthen corporate competitiveness and create the momentum for the growth of accomplishments. With its outstanding wisdom and strength Thermaltake Group is recruiting creative talents to build a cultural brand for the enjoyment of entertainment, e-Sports, technology and lifestyle!

   The Smart BX1 RGB line currently includes 550/650/750W models all of which have their power cables hardwired into the chassis (Thermaltake however has used flat ones with this line). The Smart BX1 RGB 650W model which we have here features an 80 Plus Bronze efficiency certification (up to 88% electrical efficiency) and can deliver up to 650W of continuous power (780W peak). It also features a strong 48A single +12V rail which can deliver up to 89% of the units’ total power output, minor rails with a total output of 128.5W, Japanese primary capacitor, ATX v2.4 support, 120mm RGB LED fan (10 LEDs with 7 different colors and 3 modes) and several electrical protections including OVP (over-voltage), SCP (short-circuit) and OPP (over-power). Last but not least Thermaltake covers the entire Smart BX1 RGB line of power supply units with a very good 5 year limited warranty.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

A partial product picture is located at the front of the box right next to the main product features and beneath the company logo.

The RGB feature of the fan is showcased on the left side.

Some of the features are also printed at the base of the box in 12 languages (however it should say ATX v2.4 and not v2.3).

Taking a look at the rear of the box we see the electrical specifications and the available power connectors of the Smart BX1 RGB 650W.

Packaging could be better I guess but the unit did arrive without issues.

Along with the Smart BX1 RGB 650W power supply unit and its power cord you will also get 4 mounting screws, warranty information paper and the user manual.

THE SMART BX1 RGB 650W EXTERIOR

Measuring 150mm in length, 140mm in width and 86mm in height the Smart BX1 RGB 650W is a compact model.

An 120mm fan with 7 clear blades is located at the base of the enclosure.

Large stickers located on both sides of the enclosure have the product name and output on them.

The units electrical table is printed on a very large sticker placed at the top.

At the rear of the unit we find the usual on/off switch, the power port and the RGB LED button.

Thermaltake has used flat power cables with the Smart BX1 RGB line.

THE SMART BX1 RGB 650W INTERIOR

Other than the fact that the 120mm RGB fan can hit up to 38.39dB of noise at full load we don't have any other details.

The layout of the unit is very clean and the OEM behind it seems to be Channel Well Technologies (CWT).

The primary capacitor is manufactured by Rubycon and is certified for use up to 105 degrees Celsius.

Secondary capacitors are Chinese models also certified for use up to 105 degrees Celsius.

Here you can see all of the available fan colors.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

     Using a dedicated measurement instrument such as a Chroma or a SunMoon to test power supply units is without doubt the most ideal and accurate way (not to mention the fastest) to do that currently. However, it's certainly not the only way there is and so pretty much anyone can test a power supply unit just by using a computer. Certainly, limitations do apply and so you can't really test a 1000W power supply if your system only uses 500W at peak loads and that's why many years ago i put aside certain hardware components for the purpose of building a dedicated PSU test rig. True it may not be as accurate as the above mentioned solutions but it comes really close and is in fact closer to real world usage. So as always, we ran several games with maximum graphic options enabled at a resolution of 2560x1600 in order to stress every hardware component and increase the overall power demands of the system. The Passmark BurnIn Test was also used to overstress the components in an effort to provide the most accurate results possible. As a final test we also used the latest OCCT 4.4 software and its dedicated PSU testing suite since it can really bring a power supply to its knees after inside a few minutes.

     Rail stability was checked/measured with the CPUID Hardware monitor and a Metex multimeter which also recorded the system load in idle and in load. As always try to remember that the power consumption numbers listed in the graph are the highest (Peak) ones recorded during the entire duration of the tests and not the average ones. Noise levels coming from the fan were recorded using the high precision HD600 ExTech Sound dBA Meter from the rear of the unit and at a range of no more than 5-10cm. Readings under load are recorded the exact moment we manually switch the fans of all graphics cards from full speed to almost zero, that way the fan of the power supply does not have enough time to slow its RPM and so by doing this we get very accurate noise level readings. Needless to say, in order to get 100% accurate readings, you need to have a noise isolated room for that exact purpose, something which is quite impossible unless you are working inside a real lab (some people use very small noise insulated boxes but due to their size both heat and noise exceed normal levels and so the results can't really be considered to be 100% accurate). Also do take into account that since all noise measurements take place from just 5-10cm away the final noise levels to reach your ears will be considerably less.

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

    Looking back at our charts and the rest of our review it’s very easy to tell that the Smart BX1 RGB 650Wby Thermaltake has everything consumers on a tight budget could ever hope to find in a PSU such as solid rails, good build quality and RGB lighting. True the 120mm RGB LED fan may not be the most quiet one to date (quite the opposite really at almost full load - also the intro/outro pictures are marketing only, the fan never gets to light up like that) , the hardwired flat power cables may not appeal to everyone (non-modular model) and it doesn’t feature the same long array of electrical protections like some of the most expensive models do but for a non-modular 650W unit we feel that it delivers everywhere that really counts.

   As expected, price matters a lot when we’re talking about affordable models and with a current price tag set at USD69.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and at 72.90Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) the Smart BX1 RGBB 650W PSU by Thermaltake ticks that box as well. True you might be better off spending USD6/11Euros for the 750W model instead but still the for most consumers the 650W model should be more than enough. At the end of the day the Smart BX1 RGB 650W Power Supply Unit has it all, solid performance, good build quality, looks, 5-year warranty and an affordable price tag thus getting highly recommended by us for people on a budget.

PROS

- Overall Build Quality
- Solid Rail Stability
- 120mm RGB Fan (7 Colors / 3 Modes)
- 80 Plus Bronze Certified
- Peak Output (780W)
- Electrical Protections (OCP/SCP/OPP)
- 5 Year Warranty
- Current Price

CONS

- Noise Levels
- Secondary Capacitors Quality
- Not Modular