Tested: Asus and Cooler Master’s “TUF Gaming Alliance” Components

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Cooler Master stepped into Asus’ budget-focused TUF Gaming Alliance in a big way recently, with a gaming-value case and two coolers. The company worked with Asus to supply review sites with the requisite hardware. Before we treat each component to an individual review, we got a chance to see how these parts worked and looked together. Should they form the basis of your next budget gaming rig?

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Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
15 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Jake Hall
    TUF & FRAGILE
    Reply
  • jpe1701
    "Corsair included special standoffs..." I think you meant Cooler master.
    Reply
  • Crashman
    21117447 said:
    "Corsair included special standoffs..." I think you meant Cooler master.
    Excellent, thanks!

    Reply
  • Karadjgne
    Did they at least go back and fix the MA620P? Last I heard it was barely any better than its smaller (and cheaper) brother, the MA420P.

    Really nice looking case, but adding less than an inch of height would open up top mount rads ability dramatically, and thats where ppl do like to put them, especially combined with some RGB fans.

    Changing out a good, solid steel backer for a cheap pos piece of plastic, and then having to 'wiggle' the mount to seat it right? Really? Is Diy John Doe really going to read that in the mounting instructions and then wonder why temps are off the charts?

    The only thing 'TUF' I see in this whole thing is what the salesman says ( followed by 'Luck') when you try and return everything.
    Reply
  • Crashman
    21117551 said:
    Did they at least go back and fix the MA620P? Last I heard it was barely any better than its smaller (and cheaper) brother, the MA420P.

    Really nice looking case, but adding less than an inch of height would open up top mount rads ability dramatically, and thats where ppl do like to put them, especially combined with some RGB fans.

    Changing out a good, solid steel backer for a cheap pos piece of plastic, and then having to 'wiggle' the mount to seat it right? Really? Is Diy John Doe really going to read that in the mounting instructions and then wonder why temps are off the charts?

    The only thing 'TUF' I see in this whole thing is what the salesman says ( followed by 'Luck') when you try and return everything.
    Remember that Tuf is Asus's low-cost alternative to its ROG line. So it would be nice if the case, power supply, and motherboard were also $60 each. But that kind of price alignment is just a dream.

    Reply
  • Soda-88
    Worst VRM among all your motherboards? Better call it TUF
    Reply
  • hdmark
    im not sure about others, but i realy like the orange/black theme they have going on in the 3rd picture
    Reply
  • Calculatron
    Haven't the last batch of TUF products been rather lackluster?

    I remember when I bought my AM3+ Sabertooth 990FX motherboard, and it was one of the best motherboards for AMD on the market.
    Reply
  • Crashman
    21118901 said:
    Haven't the last batch of TUF products been rather lackluster?

    I remember when I bought my AM3+ Sabertooth 990FX motherboard, and it was one of the best motherboards for AMD on the market.
    We will have reviews to sort all of that out.

    Reply
  • rubix_1011
    21117551 said:
    Did they at least go back and fix the MA620P? Last I heard it was barely any better than its smaller (and cheaper) brother, the MA420P.


    The reviews for both the MA620P TUF and MA410M TUF highlighted in this article will be available very soon and I'll be addressing these questions in each breakdown. But like it is mentioned in the article, the MA410M TUF and MA620P TUF are each (currently) priced at $60, which does allow for some interesting talking points and conclusions...
    Reply