Final thoughts and rating
An examination of the Thermaltake Smart M550W power supply indicates that you don't need to spend an exorbitant amount of money when looking at a PSU capable of powering a decent system in 2012.
Presented nicely with flat cables for SATA and Molex devices and offering up good voltage regulation, ripple suppression, temps and noise at all but the harshest of settings, we find it hard to criticise at the current £55 shipping price.
There are better, more expensive 550W 80 PLUS 'Gold' supplies out there, absolutely, but the few per cent drop in efficiency and regulation, which remains well within official specifications, is a price well worth paying when sticking closely to a budget. A fundamentally sound PSU with no obvious flaws, given the price, do consider it for your next build.
Bottom line: a no-nonsense power supply that is capable of powering most mid-range PCs for today and tomorrow.
The Good
Solid performance
Nice cabling
Attractive price
The Bad
Voltage regulation droops at extreme load
HEXUS Rating
Thermaltake Smart M550W modular PSU
HEXUS Awards
HEXUS Where2Buy
The tested supply is available from Scan.co.uk.
HEXUS Right2Reply
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