Coolermaster Elite 500w PSU dangerous to computer???

[AndyKurtis]

Hey, I was just reading this thread http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-1777862/cooler-master-elite-psu-good.html, and the info within sounds rather alarming. My PC currently uses a cm 500w, should I just cease even using it until I get a new PSU or was the fellow in that thread going over the top with how dangerous it is? Also can somebody go into detail of how exactly it can be damaging and what components specifically could be at risk?

CPU: FX 8350 cooled by Hyper TX3 Evo
MOBO: GA-78LMT-USB3
GPU: Gigabyte GTX 660 OC
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2x4 gig 1866 underclocked to 1333 (so I don't have to upgrade again when I get a new mobo that supports 1866)
All at stock speeds and voltages.

It's possibly worth noting that the RAM is new because the 2x2 gigs of mushkin (dual channel 1333) that were in there before stopped working. I was using the stock cooler on the 8350 (which is about 3 weeks old) but the noise was driving me insane, so I put on a TX3 Evo that I had from my Athlon II x3, and as soon as I did that the PC wouldn't boot up, so after trying different combinations of CPUs, videocards and coolers to no avail, I put the mushkin into different slots and it worked, but I was having random freezes still, so I tested the ram chips one at a time and one worked fine, let me play games etc, and the other one wouldn't even boot up half the time, and froze within seconds of getting into windows the rest of the time. Could this be related to the PSU? Could putting the 8350 in there have affected the RAM in any way? Everything was working fine before I installed the TX3 Evo, and is working agreeably now that I have the new RAM.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

It's a very very poor power supply , I wouldn't run my components with it.

Get a quality Seasonic power supply.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $59.99
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-19 19:16 EST-0500)

 

[jnkweaver]

Coolermaster makes alot of nice computer products. Their power supplies are not however. The are considered quite poor.

Your system consumes at the high end about 300W. The problem is when your supply fails it may take out some of those nice components.

I would get a high quality supply like the one SR-71 suggested.

 

[toyftw]

Hey, I was just reading this thread http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-1777862/cooler-master-elite-psu-good.html, and the info within sounds rather alarming. My PC currently uses a cm 500w, should I just cease even using it until I get a new PSU or was the fellow in that thread going over the top with how dangerous it is? Also can somebody go into detail of how exactly it can be damaging and what components specifically could be at risk?

CPU: FX 8350 cooled by Hyper TX3 Evo
MOBO: GA-78LMT-USB3
GPU: Gigabyte GTX 660 OC
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2x4 gig 1866 underclocked to 1333 (so I don't have to upgrade again when I get a new mobo that supports 1866)
All at stock speeds and voltages.

It's possibly worth noting that the RAM is new because the 2x2 gigs of mushkin (dual channel 1333) that were in there before stopped working. I was using the stock cooler on the 8350 (which is about 3 weeks old) but the noise was driving me insane, so I put on a TX3 Evo that I had from my Athlon II x3, and as soon as I did that the PC wouldn't boot up, so after trying different combinations of CPUs, videocards and coolers to no avail, I put the mushkin into different slots and it worked, but I was having random freezes still, so I tested the ram chips one at a time and one worked fine, let me play games etc, and the other one wouldn't even boot up half the time, and froze within seconds of getting into windows the rest of the time. Could this be related to the PSU? Could putting the 8350 in there have affected the RAM in any way? Everything was working fine before I installed the TX3 Evo, and is working agreeably now that I have the new RAM.

Hi - Personally I would change it. In fact I did the very same thing with a CM 460 elite, and even had to postpone a video card for two month's. Even the label is misleading the elite 500 (RS-500-PSAP-J3) is rated for 450w.

Here is a recap of CM elite & extreme series PSU's, and these are only the models that have been tested.
Courtesy of johnnylucky.org from reviews by Hardware Secrets and HW Info:

Model Watts Problems and Issues Reviews
Elite Power 350 Lousy efficiency. Does not have two +12volt rails as advertised. No Over Current Protection as advertised. No Over Power Protection as advertised. Hardware Secrets
Elite Power 400 Poor efficiency. Noise and ripple levels very high. Hardware Secrets, Hardware Info
Elite Power 460 Not 460 watt as advertised. Identical to Elite Power 400 watt model. No over current protection as advertised. Hardware Secrets
Extreme 2 475 Not 475 watt as advertised. Voltages drop below minimum allowed. Ripple and noise increase above minimum allowed. Hardware Secrets
eXtreme Power Plus 400 Very Poor efficiency. Ripple and Noise above maximum allowed. Hardware Secrets
eXtreme Power Plus 460 Not a 460 watt power supply as advertised. Hardware Secrets
eXtreme Power Plus 500 Very Poor efficiency. Ripple and Noise above maximum allowed. Hardware Secrets
eXtreme Power Plus 550 Burned during load tests. Not 550 watt as advertised. Could only deliver 500 watts. Very Poor efficiency. Hardware Secrets
eXtreme Power Plus 600 Burned during load tests. Not 600 watt as advertised. Could only deliver 450 watts. Voltages regulation out of spec. Very Poor efficiency. Hardware Secrets

 

[AndyKurtis]

Thanks for the replies guys I'll probably get that one you mentioned SR-71. Regarding the possibility of it damaging my components, the PSU isn't just constantly wearing them down, and any damage would come from the power supply failing? I mean if my components are fine now they probably haven't been affected?