good enough PSU in the Cooler Master TC102 case with 500W Power Supply?

sid234 · Jul 22, 2014

Hi guys,

I'm building a budget gaming pc, and so far I have decided to get a pentium G3358 + MSI Z97 PC MB ( $100 combo) and a R7 260x 2gb GPU.. I was looking for a case and came across this one:
Cooler Master TC102 Mid Tower ATX Computer Case with 500W Power Supply

It costs just $ 40 and has a 500W PSU, would that be sufficient for my present build? Since I'm on a tight budget this solved my need for both a case and a psu.

Also, can i replace the PSU in the future if I decide to upgrade the system?

If the PSU isnt powerful enough, would be grateful if someone can recommend a cheap PSU + Case to me.

Thanks!

drill97 · Jul 22, 2014

sid234 :

The Case itself is good, and it's even better if it comes with a PSU with sufficient power, which it does. The wattage is not the problem.

I usually recommend a PSU with 80+ Bronze rating, they're efficient and thrustworthy. The one who comes with the case handles the computer but isn't the safest and more efficient option. Let me make a quick search and I'll try to give you a better cheap solution.

And yes, you can always upgrade the PSU as long as it fits the case.

Karsten75 · Jul 22, 2014

That PSU is rated high enough to suit your needs. ANd yes, you can replace it eventually.

drill97 · Jul 22, 2014

PSU: Corsair Builder 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($29.99, newegg.com) http://goo.gl/lI3X3e
This PSU is really cheap for it's quality, it also supplies 500W but is more efficient than the one included with the case.

Case: Thermaltake Commander MS-I ID ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99, microcenter.com) http://goo.gl/L9jGyv
Cheapest positively reviewed Case I found. It has really nice ventilation.

Now, this is a lot more expensive then the case you found included with a PSU. If you are able to spend a little bit more I advise atleast get the PSU I suggested, if you can't do it right now, you can always upgrade the PSU in the future as long as it fits your case.

EDIT: I read the reviews for the case and they do not sound nice. http://goo.gl/5PuU9K It seems like the PSU is really loud, but the case is decent. Remember, this is not a Cooler Master, it is a Thermal Master, althought designed by Cooler Master it's not the same thing

ko888 · Jul 22, 2014

For a system using a single Radeon R7 260X graphics card AMD specifies a minimum of a 500 Watt or greater system power supply. The power supply should also have a maximum combined +12 Volt continuous current rating of 26 Amps or greater and have at least one 6-pin PCI Express supplementary power connector.

Total Power Supply Wattage is NOT the crucial factor in power supply selection!!! Sufficient Total Combined Continuous Power/Current Available on the +12V Rail(s) is the most critical factor.

Overclocking of the CPU and/or GPU(s) may require an additional increase to the maximum combined +12 Volt continuous current ratings, recommended above, to meet the increase in power required for the overclock. The additional amount required will depend on the magnitude of the overclock being attempted.

The PSU that is included in the Cooler Master TC102 Mid Tower ATX Computer Case is the Thermal Master TM-500-PSSR-F1 W/o PFC

As you can see on the PSU's label the +12V current rating is only 20 Amps. There's no proof that the Thermal Master TM-500-PSSR-F1 W/o PFC can even deliver what is specified on its label. Also that PSU does not have any PCI Express supplementary power connectors.

sid234 · Jul 22, 2014

I didnt get the math..

The CPU is 53 watts, and the r7 260x is 115 watts. The r7 260x needs only 9 Amps. 115 watts/12 V =9.583343333344 Amps. W=V multiplied by I right?

when the TDP is only 115 watts, how can it drain 26 Amps at 12 volt.

ko888 · Jul 22, 2014

Graphics card manufacturers use an Intel i7 3.2GHz 130 Watt TDP processor system in specifying the minimum system power supply requirements. 15 Amps on the +12V rail is generally what is allowed for use by that system (i.e. excludes the graphics card's requirement).

The maximum board power of a Radeon R7 260X is 150 Watts. The typical board power is 115 Watts.

An HIS R7 260X iPower IceQ X² 2 GB [H260XQM2GD] reaches 132 Watts when running FurMark Stability Testing. Don't assume all Radeon R7 260X cards draw the same amount of power. Some of the non-reference design cards that are factory overclocked will draw more power.

If the Radeon R7 260X is used for GPGPU computing (e.g. file compression/decompression, crypto-currency mining, video stream processing, etc.) then it may draw around 35 Watts more than when it's used for gaming.

sid234 · Jul 22, 2014

But that doesnt cross the maximum right?

ko888 · Jul 22, 2014

sid234 :

From what I've seen, no. The highest power draw I've seen for a Radeon R7 260X is 143.2 Watts when the GPU was overclocked by 155 MHz and the graphics card's memory by 175 MHz above reference design clock speeds.

sid234 · Jul 23, 2014

ko888 :

So do you advice against getting that Case + PSU?

Dark Lord of Tech · Jul 23, 2014

The PSU is horrible quality.

sid234 · Jul 23, 2014

Duly noted, I decided to get a seperate PSU and case.. Would the Corsair CX-430 be good? Its the only brand I could recognise and that was falling i my budget?

Is 430W too low?

Dark Lord of Tech · Jul 23, 2014

What specs do you want to run?

drill97 · Jul 23, 2014

sid234 :

At least 500W in my opinion. XFX and Corsair are two great brands if you don't want a big number of PSU's to choose from.

sid234 · Jul 23, 2014

Pentium G3258 CPU, 2gb AMD R7 260x GPU, Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB DDR3-1600 ram, MSI z97 PC mate MB

I want something below $50 if possible, someone recomended this
Solid Gear Neutron Series 650 Watt to me. Apparently his company uses that brand's PSU's for their Servers and work computers, but for some reason the brand sounds like one of those generic Chinese manufacturers..

Dark Lord of Tech · Jul 23, 2014

SolidGear is Garbage get a EVGA 500B or a Corsair CX500.

drill97 · Jul 23, 2014

Corsair CX500, exactly what I said a ton of posts above.

good enough PSU in the Cooler Master TC102 case with 500W Power Supply?

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