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Packaging, Contents, Exterior & Cabling
Packaging
The front of the box lists the Smart Pro RGB 850W's most interesting features, including its seven-year warranty, Japanese bulk caps, modular cabling, semi-passive mode, and 256-color RGB lighting. An 80 PLUS Bronze badge is also displayed prominently.
On one of the two sides, TT describes available lighting options that can be selected through a push-button next to the power switch. There are five lighting modes; the one you pick as your preference is saved in memory so you don't have to select it every time you turn your PC on.
Around back, two graphs show the efficiency and fan noise curves. Another two graphs depict the promised ripple and load regulation performance. The available connectors are illustrated, and a power specification table conveys relevant speeds and feeds.
Contents
There is no packing foam inside the box. The PSU is only protected by bubble wrap, which we don't think it is enough to safeguard against tough shipping conditions. At least the box is sturdy.
There is nylon pouch for storing unused modular cables. The rest of the bundle includes two leaflets, a set of screws, a power cord, and the modular cables.
Exterior
The PSU features a nice external design; its perforated chassis helps it stand out from the crowd. Nonetheless, we believe the fan's grille should be less restrictive.
Aside from the small power switch up front, there's also a fan mode selection switch and a push-button for choosing the fan's RGB lighting.
The modular panel has 10 sockets, and the red ones correspond to auxiliary PCIe power cables. There is only a single EPS socket, which is a shame since this 850W PSU could easily power a high-end motherboard needing more juice for CPU overclocking.
For a PSU in this wattage category, the SPR-0850F-R is average-sized. And as we already mentioned, the external design is appealing. It is good to see PSUs that don't fall back on a honeycomb-style design, which might be efficient when it comes to airflow, but looks boring.
Cabling
Thermaltake paid special attention to its bundled cables. They're all flat and have darkened wires, blending in well in cases with black interiors. Some enthusiasts don't care for flat cables, but we prefer them over round ones.
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