Some will tell you that, but like anything else, its what the truck/pump/injectors/turbo likes on that given day on that given dyno. I'd say a smarty would be a good investment, no matter what you do. Even without the timing you could run an even number and still gain power. The key to the smarty is to TURN IT DOWN. What you really have to decide is whether or not you're shooting for peak numbers on a dyno or a fat real world torque curve. Its not that the smarty doesn't add power, its that on the catcher software, it adds it down low and to the midrange. Your peak suffers a little but on the street its made up for in faster spoolup. I gained 27 peak hp from going from SW4 down to SW2 back to back within four minutes of each run. However, the lower SW number that netted me more peak power had a spiked curve, where as the catcher programming came on a lot quicker and stayed fat the entire run, although it didn't peak out quite as high. Smarty's are more street friendly/fun on the higher numbers for a reason.
As far as fueling boxes, you're on your own. I'd get every buddy you've got to let you borrow them all for a day to do some tuning with each. I hear a bunch on here talk about the redline being the only way to go, or even the best way to go. The only reason I use it is because it will get me to 4k RPM everytime so that I can come out of the hole when pulling. I like about every other box for fueling over the redline, but none will get me off the line, so I don't use them. I've seen two trucks dyno with the redline and make less peak hp than running with no electronics (pump only). I am not sure what they had the redline set at, so I can't speak on that side of it. They may have had it set too high and drained the pump early in the run. This is a VERY common mistake in all VP tuning whether it be electronics, pumps, or injectors. I guess some buy into the whole "drain every last drop from the rotor" BS, but I don't. There's more going on than is being told when you're draining a pump. Just my $.02, but it usually aint worth too much.