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PSU Guide

Thermaltake SMART RGB

500W

80 PLUSATXATX 2.xnon-modular230V only2020
EPublished tier

2 known revisions of this model

Manufacturers revise a platform without changing the model name. Each row below is a distinct revision with its own rating.

Why this rating

Every criterion, its status, and the evidence behind it.

EPublished rating
EEngine rating

Evidence

74%Limited lab data
PASS
3
WARN
1
FAIL
6
N/D
12
Rules v1.0.0

Architecture

  • FAIL

    Legacy primary topology (DF)weight 3

  • FAIL

    Passive (Schottky) rectificationweight 2

  • FAIL

    Group-regulated minor railsweight 3

  • N/D

    PFC type is not documented; APFC assumed only when statedweight 2

Standards

  • WARN

    ATX 2.x generation platformweight 2

  • FAIL

    Restricted 230V-only inputweight 2

Efficiency

  • FAIL

    No efficiency certification claimedweight 2

Components

  • N/D

    Capacitor temperature rating is not documentedweight 2

  • N/D

    Fan bearing type is not documentedweight 1.5

Protections

  • N/D

    Protection set has not been verified independentlyweight 3

  • N/D

    OCP declaration has not been verifiedweight 2

  • N/D

    OTP declaration has not been verifiedweight 1.5

  • N/D

    Protection trip points have not been measuredweight 2

Electrical performance

  • FAIL

    Electrical performance criticised: Under crossload, 5V rail experiences high ripple >100mV, doubling ATX spec.weight 3

    Under crossload, 5V rail experiences high ripple >100mV, doubling ATX spec.(editorial note)

  • N/D

    No ripple measurement on recordweight 3

  • N/D

    No voltage regulation measurement on recordweight 2

  • N/D

    No transient response measurement on recordweight 2

Evidence

  • PASS

    Built by HKCweight 1.5

  • PASS

    Platform ATX-13Aweight 1.5

  • N/D

    No independent laboratory report linked yetweight 2

Warranty and support

  • N/D

    Warranty length is not documentedweight 1.5

Safety

  • PASS

    No safety incidents or false claims on recordweight 3

How the tier was reached

  1. MISSED

    Tier A - reference classspec 12.9

    • Primary conversion stage: Legacy primary topology (DF)
    • Secondary rectification: Passive (Schottky) rectification
    • Minor rail regulation: Group-regulated minor rails
    • Efficiency certification: No efficiency certification claimed
    • AC input range: Restricted 230V-only input
    • Measured electrical behaviour: Electrical performance criticised: Under crossload, 5V rail experiences high ripple >100mV, doubling ATX spec.
    • Too many failed criteria for this tier (6)
  2. MISSED

    Tier B - strong mainstreamspec 12.10

    • Primary conversion stage: Legacy primary topology (DF)
    • Secondary rectification: Passive (Schottky) rectification
    • Minor rail regulation: Group-regulated minor rails
    • Efficiency certification: No efficiency certification claimed
    • Measured electrical behaviour: Electrical performance criticised: Under crossload, 5V rail experiences high ripple >100mV, doubling ATX spec.
    • Too many failed criteria for this tier (5)
  3. MISSED

    Tier C - adequatespec 12.11

    • Minor rail regulation: Group-regulated minor rails
    • Measured electrical behaviour: Electrical performance criticised: Under crossload, 5V rail experiences high ripple >100mV, doubling ATX spec.
    • Too many failed criteria for this tier (2)
  4. MISSED

    Tier D - basicspec 12.12

    • Minor rail regulation: Group-regulated minor rails
    • Secondary rectification: Passive (Schottky) rectification
    • Efficiency certification: No efficiency certification claimed
    • Measured electrical behaviour: Electrical performance criticised: Under crossload, 5V rail experiences high ripple >100mV, doubling ATX spec.
    • Too many failed criteria for this tier (4)
  • Insufficient evidence, unknown platform or unsatisfactory architecture (spec 12.13)
  • Modifiers do not apply to E and F

Missing evidence

These criteria could not be resolved. They lower the confidence index rather than count against the unit.

  • Active power factor correction
  • Electrolytic capacitor temperature rating
  • Fan bearing type
  • Protection coverage
  • Over-current protection declared
  • Over-temperature protection declared
  • Protection trip points
  • +12V ripple
  • Voltage regulation
  • +12V transient response
  • Independent laboratory evidence
  • Manufacturer warranty

Specification

Values carry the source they came from; unknowns stay unknown.

Capacities
500 W
Form factor
ATX
ATX generation
ATX 2.x
Efficiency class
White
AC input
230V
Cable modularity
No
Introduced
2020

Electrical architecture

What is actually inside, when it is known.

Primary stage
DF
Secondary rectification
PR
Minor rail regulation
GR
Built by
HKC
Platform
ATX-13A

Reviewer notes

Free text from the source, used by the engine as signals.

Under crossload, 5V rail experiences high ripple >100mV, doubling ATX spec.

  • Electrical performance criticised by the reviewernoconfidence 60%

Where this data comes from

Each field records which source supplied it and how sure we are.

FieldSourceConfidenceCaptured
oemPSU Tier List (seed workbook)trust 7070%workbook import
intro_yearPSU Tier List (seed workbook)trust 7070%workbook import
modularityPSU Tier List (seed workbook)trust 7070%workbook import
atx_versionPSU Tier List (seed workbook)trust 7070%workbook import
form_factorPSU Tier List (seed workbook)trust 7070%workbook import
input_rangePSU Tier List (seed workbook)trust 7070%workbook import
platformPSU Tier List (seed workbook)trust 7070%workbook import
editorial_tierPSU Tier List (seed workbook)trust 7070%workbook import
efficiency_classPSU Tier List (seed workbook)trust 7070%workbook import
primary_topologyPSU Tier List (seed workbook)trust 7070%workbook import
minor_rail_regulationPSU Tier List (seed workbook)trust 7070%workbook import
secondary_rectificationPSU Tier List (seed workbook)trust 7070%workbook import

Primary source: PSU Tier List (seed workbook) (row 1045). Community-maintained tier list imported as the seed data set. Ratings from this source are shown as the published tier; the Tier Engine computes its own rating separately.

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