Upgrading PSU for a M93p Thinkcentre for a Nvidia Quadro K4000 video adapter and SSD drive

[Albert_23]

Hello,

I have a M93p Thinkcentre that I'm planning on upgrading it's PSU to accommodate an 80 watt Nvidia Quadro K4000 video adapter.

After using Neweggs online PSU calculator entering my hardware, results showed I would need a 550 watt PSU ( current hardware power demands are approx 500 watts)

Newegg PSU calculator https://images10.newegg.com/BizIntell/tool/psucalc/index.html?name=Power-Supply-Wattage-Calculator

I started looking for a PSU brands such as Corsair, Seasonic, PC Power and Cooling, XFX, Silverstone, Enermax, OCZ and Antec.

I came across several Antec 550 and 600 watt power supplies used and new, more recent and earlier models.

An older model TP3-550 and several newer models such as VP SERIES, BASIQ, EARTHWATTS, EDGE SERIES, NEO ECHO and TRUE POWER series.

The TP3-550 is I believe is an older True Power model.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article712-page1.html

Most I've been looking at are either modular or semi-modular withing a price range approx. ~$75.00 - $80.00 or less. All are new either from an online store or eBay.

I've been reading over specifications, but most I've looked at so far have the same or nearly the same specs.

Other Antec PSUs

Antec Earthwatts EA-550 GREEN 550W 80 PLUS Bronze
Antec NE550M NeoECO 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Semi-Modular Power Supply
Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX 80 PLUS Certified
ANTEC VP550F ATX Quiet PSU Vp550F 550W 120mm Fan 80+ 87%

as well as other brands
K480 XPower Dual Cooling Fan 550W

SilverStone Technology 550 Watt 80 Plus Bronze ET550-B
ST60F-ESB Bronze ATX 600W SilverStone

Enermax EPS 12V ATX-GES EG651AX-VH(W) 550W
ENERMAX POWER SUPPLY ENP550AWT 550W
ENERMAX EPS 12V ATX-GES, model: EG651AX-VH 550W
Enermax RevoBron 600W 80+ Bronze Semi Modular ERB600AWT

Seasonic SS-600ET 600W 80 Plus bronze
SeaSonic G Series 550-Watt SSR-550RM
Seasonic FOCUS series SSR-550FM 550W 80 + Gold
Seasonic SS-600ES 600W Active PFC ATX Power Supply, 8CM Fan, 80Plus Bronze

___________________________________

I believe the K4000 video adapter with 3GB ram requires a PCI-E power connection of some sort.

Even if I add three more magnetic hd and a larger or more SSD drives my power requirements are still approx. 550 watts, with my current hardware it's close to 500 watts so I added another 50 watts to make room for any expansion. I'm also looking at several 600 watt PSU but don't believe I would ever require to need more than 600 continuous watts. Most likely 550 will suffice.

I'm also trying to determine build. e.g Antec has several psu lines (VP SERIES, BASIQ, EARTHWATTS, EDGE SERIES, NEO ECHO and TRUE POWER series.)

Some appear to have less expensive build quality, potentially may not last as long, are durable, etc.

Why did I choose a K4000 and not e.g. GeForce 10 series such as the popular 1050 ti?

1. I don't game at all, don't even own any games. GeForce adapters are better suited for gaming.
2. I found a used K4000 at a good price of $115.00 (shipping incl.) The original retail price for these adapters was at one time $800.00.

The K4000 and K series adapters are good for applications such as CAD. I needed a video adapter for graphic file editing and also for mapping and map creation. The price of the GeForce video cards with 4GB has significantly gone up a hundred dollars and more in the past two years.

In a price comparison the K4000 with 3GB was a much better deal than a GeForce with 4GB where the prices have gone up within the past two years. E.g. a new 1050 ti once sold for $130 - $140 now sells for $200.00 - $250.00+ used ones are difficult to find under $150.00, even used ones are selling more than $150.00.

The K4000 I found used for $115.00 is a graphics card designed for professional graphics applications, such as computer-aided design (CAD) applications, Digital Content Creation (DCC) applications, and Scientific Visualization applications.

• The demands of graphic-intensive software for CAD, Digital Content Creation (DCC), and virtualization.
• The need to view multiple operations such as manufacturing, scientific modeling, or financial transactions simultaneously across dual monitors.

 

[dontlistentome]

I used to use Antec power supplies, they were pretty good. As I recall, the Earthwatts and True Power were good ones. They essentially get their units from companies like Delta or Seasonic and rebadge them. If you can get an Antec that is a rebadged Seasonic, that would be the way to go. Or just buy a Seasonic, whichever costs less.

Yes they do offer a range of power supplies from low end to good. So you'd do well to stay away from their low end. The motherboard slot outputs 75W, which means most 80W videocards will need one 6 pin pci-ex connector from the power supply. Any worthwhile 500-600W power supply will have one, if not two, of these connectors.

 

[Albert_23]

I used to use Antec power supplies, they were pretty good. As I recall, the Earthwatts and True Power were good ones. They essentially get their units from companies like Delta or Seasonic and rebadge them. If you can get an Antec that is a rebadged Seasonic, that would be the way to go. Or just buy a Seasonic, whichever costs less.

Yes they do offer a range of power supplies from low end to good. So you'd do well to stay away from their low end. The motherboard slot outputs 75W, which means most 80W videocards will need one 6 pin pci-ex connector from the power supply. Any worthwhile 500-600W power supply will have one, if not two, of these connectors.

The Seasonic I'm currently looking at within my price range are

Seasonic SS-600ET 600W 80 Plus bronze
SeaSonic G Series 550-Watt SSR-550RM
Seasonic FOCUS series SSR-550FM 550W 80 + Gold
Seasonic SS-600ES 600W Active PFC ATX Power Supply, 8CM Fan, 80Plus Bronze

Other Antecs looking at all are new. I did find some used PSU's however there's no way to determine actual condition other than they've been tested to work.

Antec Earthwatts EA-550 GREEN 550W 80 PLUS Bronze
Antec NE550M NeoECO 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Semi-Modular Power Supply
Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX 80 PLUS Certified
ANTEC VP550F ATX Quiet PSU Vp550F 550W 120mm Fan 80+ 87%

Other brands

XFX Pro 550 Watt Power Supply Single Rail 80+ Bronze Certified
XFX P1-650X-CAH9 650W

K480 XPower Dual Cooling Fan 550W

SilverStone Technology 550 Watt 80 Plus Bronze ET550-B
ST60F-ESB Bronze ATX 600W SilverStone

Enermax EPS 12V ATX-GES EG651AX-VH(W) 550W
ENERMAX POWER SUPPLY ENP550AWT 550W
ENERMAX EPS 12V ATX-GES, model: EG651AX-VH 550W
Enermax RevoBron 600W 80+ Bronze Semi Modular ERB600AWT

 

[Karadjgne]

Hold the phone. The m93p I found (2 of them tiny and 10A8) are small form factor desktops. From what I can determine, the psu for the 10A8 version is most likely a TFX from its shape, couldn't find anything on the Tiny version. Your standard ATX psus such as the above will definitely not fit. Also, it's Lenovo, pretty much guarantee you'll need power adapters as Lenovo runs a proprietary mobo mostly using a 14pin mains, not the standard 20/4.

Or is there a 3rd version I could not find?

 

[dontlistentome]

I saw a mini tower version, but did not check the documentation to look at the connectors. That would be a problem, since I would not want to use adapters with power supply connectors.

 

[Albert_23]

Hold the phone. The m93p I found (2 of them tiny and 10A8) are small form factor desktops. From what I can determine, the psu for the 10A8 version is most likely a TFX from its shape, couldn't find anything on the Tiny version. Your standard ATX psus such as the above will definitely not fit. Also, it's Lenovo, pretty much guarantee you'll need power adapters as Lenovo runs a proprietary mobo mostly using a 14pin mains, not the standard 20/4.

Or is there a 3rd version I could not find?

People use a PSU motherboard adapters or cables to adapt their PSU to a 14 pin mb plugin. I think some PSU may included adapters or a 14 pin cable as most PSU now a days are modular or semi modular using plug-in to the PSU cables.

24 Pin to 14 Pin PSU Main Power Supply ATX Adapter Cable for Lenovo IBM 24p 14p

Many new ATX12V v2 compliant PC power supplies come with a dual 24/20 (sometimes called 20+4) connector for backward compatibility. It has the last four pins on a detachable section that slips out, so you can plug it into an older motherboard (see the diagram above). Just don't plug the remaining 4-pin piece anywhere- it is not compatible with any other circuits! If your PSU happens to have a solid 24-pin connector, you can still try to insert it into 20-pin slot with the last four pins hanging over the edge of the board's connector. Alternatively, you can buy a 24 to 20 pin adapter. To check compatibility of a specific model see Intel's database and selector of tested PSU.

The M83 / M93p users manual lists two PSUs

• 280-watt automatic voltage-sensing power supply
• 320-watt automatic voltage-sensing power supply

However I remember reading another Lenovo users manual that lists for the M93p a 450 watt psu.

• 280-watt automatic 85% voltage-sensing power supply
• 450-watt automatic 92% voltage-sensing power supply

According to the FRU list for the ThinkCentre M93/p (MT: 10A1, 10A7, 10A0, 10A6)
(Mini Tower Form Factor)

There are other optional PSUs for the M93/p which includes 240W, 280W and 450W.

54Y8897 2 CRU,TFX240W 85% Single PSU
54Y8898 2 CRU,TFX240W 92% Single PSU
54Y8899 2 CRU,ATX450W 92% Single PSU
54Y8900 2 CRU,ATX280W 85% Single PSU
43N9160 2 CRU power supply 120W for Blueleaf
54Y8877 2 CRU,ATX280W 85% Single output PSU for 5000m CCC
54Y8874 2 CRU,TFX240W 85% Single output PSU for 5000m CCC
54Y8876 2 CRU,ATX450W 92% Single Ouput PSU for 5000m CCC
54Y8875 2 CRU,TFX240W 92% Single output PSU for 5000m CCC
54Y8878 2 CRU,TFX240W Autosensing Single output PSU for 5000m CCC
54Y8901 2 CRU,TFX240W Autosensing Single Output PSU (add KC certificate)
54Y8879 2 CRU,ATX280W Autosensing Single output PSU for 5000m CCC
54Y8902 2 CRU,ATX280W Autosensing Single Output PSU (add KC certificate)

I remember seeing a Lenvo 450W on eBay which iirc is listed for Thinkstations and Thinkentres including the M93p. As for the actual dimensions I'm uncertain

The P300 Thinkstation as far as I can determine is nearly exactly the same as a P93p with motherboard, case and cpus. Uses exactly the same mb layout with PCI and PCI-e slots, all the mb components are laid out the same.

The main difference is Thinkstation are certitified as "Workstations" and Thinkcentres are certfied as "Desktops" which makes a differece if your purchasing PC's for institutions and business. Thinkstation use ECC memory whereas Thinkcentres use non-ecc memory which makes a difference for businesses and institutions, as their PC's are most often used by paid professionals to perform certain types of authorized and certified work.

Here's a video that shows a person replacing a PSU in a M93p from Lenovo Support
ThinkCentre M83 / M93p Tower Desktop - Power Supply Assembly Replacement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh9sQLH9IYA

The FRU lists does show optional ATX PSUs @ 450W

Here's a 54Y8860, 54Y8899 PSU that listed for a P300 Thinkstation and also E31 M82 M72 M72 M78 M79 M92 M93
tower systems. Thinkcentres normally are denoted with an M where Thinkstation use a P or C.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Lenovo-ThinkStation-P300-E31-tower-450W-Power-Supply-54Y8860-54Y8899/282353368919?hash=item41bd927f57:g:ZWoAAOSw4DJYmfgC

Also found on eBay listed to fit Thinkcentres.

54Y8930 Lenovo 450W 80+ Bronze 24-Pin ATX PSU - AcBel PC7033
54Y8899 2 CRU,ATX450W 92% Single PSU
54Y8876 2 CRU,ATX450W 92% Single Ouput PSU for 5000m CCC

I've also seen on forums of people installing standard ATX PSU into thinkcentres such as the M92 which I believe is essentially the same as the M93 and M93p only has slightly different mb layout and cpu options. I believe all use the same size mini tower.

Dimensions I've found for the mini tower: From the ThinkCentre M83, M93/p User Guide

Width: 175 mm (6.89 inches)
Height: 414 mm (16.30 inches)
Depth: 442 mm (17.40 inches)
Weight Maximum configuration as shipped: 11.2 kg (24.69 lb)

Mini tower is approx. the same dimensions as a Thinkstations Mid Tower such as the P300 uses.

Will any standard size ATX PSU fit? I'm not absolutely 100 percent certain. I'm going to wait for the M93p to arrive and I'll first measure the PSU and the space which the PSU fit's into and compare the dimensions to a standard size ATX PSU.

LENOVO POWER SUPPLY 450W PSU THINKSTATION & THINKCENTER 54Y8899 36200506

 

[Albert_23]

I saw a mini tower version, but did not check the documentation to look at the connectors. That would be a problem, since I would not want to use adapters with power supply connectors.

Modular and semi modular PSU come with plug-in cables to free up cabling problems of hardwired PSU. I seem to remember some PSU's having a cable choice of a 14 pin cable vs a 24 pin cable to plug into the motherboard.

Many of the new PSU's come with a 20+4 connector to connect to either a 24 or 20 pin mb.

 

[Albert_23]

Hold the phone. The m93p I found (2 of them tiny and 10A8) are small form factor desktops. From what I can determine, the psu for the 10A8 version is most likely a TFX from its shape, couldn't find anything on the Tiny version. Your standard ATX psus such as the above will definitely not fit. Also, it's Lenovo, pretty much guarantee you'll need power adapters as Lenovo runs a proprietary mobo mostly using a 14pin mains, not the standard 20/4.

Or is there a 3rd version I could not find?

My M93p is called a mini tower, essentially the same size as a mid tower.

Here's a response from a person on the Lenovo forum who upgraded their M91p Thinkcentre tower which I believe is the same size as the 93p tower.

‎06-01-2015 08:26 AM - edited ‎06-01-2015 08:53 AM

(quote)
I run a Gigabyte 750 Ti in my M91p tower with an upgraded ATX power supply (which fits in the case provided they aren't too long, and works with the converter [M92 and later] - best to get a semi-modular supply as there's limited room in the case for unused cables.) The Gigabyte looks quite a bit shorter than the one you ordered, check the specs.

I also added the front fan (easy to do on the M93 - download and refer to the Hardware Maintenance manual - a standard 92mm fan with rubber mounts will work) and ventilated PCI slot covers at the back to help dissipate heat from the graphics card. Check the readme file for the Nvidia driver on the Lenovo website for this system for the list of supported cards. And no, there isn't a way around the white list, otherwise it wouldn't be a white list.
(unquote)

Note; he states it's better to get a semi-modular ATX PSU as there's limited room in the mini tower. also that the ATX PSU fits in the case provided they aren't too long.

Essentially what I'll need to do is measure the area where the PSU fits into the M93p and then compare those dimensions of an ATX PSU.

Case dimensions are the same for the M91p and M93p

Case Dimensions M91p

(mini tower)
For machine types: 4468, 4473, 4476, 4479, 4495, 4497, 4499, 4504, 4513,
4517, 4524, 7021, 7032, 7034, 7049, 7052, 7053, 7073, 7136, and 7178.

Width: 175 mm (6.89 inches)
Height: 414 mm (16.30 inches)
Depth: 442 mm (17.40 inches)

Case Dimension M93p Thinkcentre (mine is *10A1 machine type)

For machine types: 10A0, *10A1, 10A6, 10A7, 10AG, 10AK, 10AL, and 10BE (mini tower)

Width: 175 mm (6.89 inches)
Height: 414 mm (16.30 inches)
Depth: 442 mm (17.40 inches)

 

[Karadjgne]

Nice one.. two.. three lol

Yes, best bet is to measure actual space for the psu. While ATX is a standard as such, there's lots of flexibility as to actual dimensions, you'll find that psus such as the Corsair CXM 450 run very small for an ATX whereas some older models such as the Antecs will run considerably larger. 10mm additional depth may not seem like much, but that doesn't include being able to flex cabling around obstructions without hard bends on the wiring, so can make a world of difference to some.

There is also adapter plates that'll make an SFX psu bolt upto an ATX psu layout, Seasonic and Corsair making excellent psus for that standard and Silverstone having the widest variety.

Mostly its going to be op figuring out exactly what case, what model thinkcenter/thinkstation he has, it seems M93p covers a variety of options.

 

[Albert_23]

Nice one.. two.. three lol

Yes, best bet is to measure actual space for the psu. While ATX is a standard as such, there's lots of flexibility as to actual dimensions, you'll find that psus such as the Corsair CXM 450 run very small for an ATX whereas some older models such as the Antecs will run considerably larger. 10mm additional depth may not seem like much, but that doesn't include being able to flex cabling around obstructions without hard bends on the wiring, so can make a world of difference to some.

There is also adapter plates that'll make an SFX psu bolt upto an ATX psu layout, Seasonic and Corsair making excellent psus for that standard and Silverstone having the widest variety.

Mostly its going to be op figuring out exactly what case, what model thinkcenter/thinkstation he has, it seems M93p covers a variety of options.

Yes, I will need to measure as there are no dimensional specs for Lenovo PSU's that I'm able to find online.

There are dimensional specifications for aftermarkets such as e.g.

Seasonic SS-600ET 600W 80 Plus bronze - 5.50 x 5.90 x 3.40 Inches / 140 x 150 x 86 mm
SeaSonic G Series 550-Watt SSR-550RM - 3.39 x 6.3 x 5.9 in
Seasonic FOCUS series SSR-550FM 550W 80 + Gold - 3.39 x 6.3 x 5.9 in
SeaSonic 650-Watt ATX12V/EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire SSR-650RM 3.39 x 6.3 x 5.9 in
Seasonic SS-600ES 600W Active PFC ATX Power Supply, 8CM Fan, 80Plus Bronze 5.9 x 5.5 x 3.3 inches (150 x 140 x 86mm)
Seasonic S12II 620 BRONZE, SS-620GB - 5.9 x 3.4 x 5.5 inches

I did find some specs for the M93p PCI slots

Slot 1: half-length, full-height, PCIe 3.0 x16 (75w max)
Slot 2: half-length, full-height, PCIe 2.0 x1
Slot 3: half-length, full-height, PCIe 2.0 x16 (x4 elec, 75w max)
Slot 4: half-length, full-height, 32-bit PCI 2.3

I'm uncertain what is meant by 75 watts max? As I think some people have swapped in graphic cards some of which are over 100 watts some common gaming adapters are rated 150 to 250 watts max. draw. perhaps higher.

The K4000 is an 80 watt card. By 75 watts max do they mean 75 watts is the max power the PCI slot will produce? or the max. power the pci slot can handle?

The K4000 I believe has gets power from the PCI slot and also has additional plug to get power from the PSU. So getting 80 watts (max.) power shouldn't be a problem.

If an aftermarket PSU is too large I can go with a Lenovo 450 watt psu which is optional for the M93p and many other Thinkcentres and Thinkstations.

Tried another PSU calculator and the results are a bit lower than the Newegg's psu calc.

https://outervision.com/power-supply-calculator

results were a little different depending if I chose
2x 8GB memory (or)
1x 8GB + 1 x 8GB

Load Wattage: 301 W
Recommended UPS rating: 750 VA
Recommended PSU Wattage: 351 W

Load Wattage: 308 W
Recommended UPS rating: 750 VA
Recommended PSU Wattage: 358 W

So apparently I could get way using a 400 or 450 watt PSU.

 

[Karadjgne]

Mobo standards and general usage puts slots and connectors at certain values. Assume a pcie x16 slot is capable of 75w,but there were multiple reports of gpus (especially early rx480) pulling in excess of 90w from that slot. Pcie Co necrosis are the same way, 6pin is 75w, 8pin is 150w. Actual wattage capability is different, you can ostensibly get 10A @12v DC, or 120w from a 18ga wire less than 1 foot long, but each pin individually is only rated to 5A, or 60w. There's 2x 12v wires in a pcie 6pin, so realistically you could pull upto 120w total from the psu. But everybody agrees on 75w to cover all bases since not every psu has 18ga x 1ft wiring, often using cheaper 20ga.

Your 80w vga should need a secondary power, a 6pin pcie, it splits power consumption between the pcie and motherboard, reducing stress on both, but I'd not be surprised to see it pull that wattage entirely from the pcie. 5w won't make a real difference, but will add undo stress to the power management circuitry when pushed at full loads.

It's a basic pc, sheesh, 100w for cpu, 50-100w for everything else. At absolute worst case 100% loads on the entire pc (physically impossible to run every component simultaneously at 100% loads) you'd be looking at 150-200w draw on the psu. Add in a 100w gpu and you'll be seeing 250-300w max. Average use (time means nothing) will be closer to 70-80% of that at most, you'll not be rendering with gpu and cpu simultaneously at 100%), so figure 225w is about normal draws. To put that in the best range for DC efficiency, thermal efficiency, stress etc, you'd be wanting that pc to be pulling @50% load on the psu. 225w x2 =450w.

You could ostensibly use a decent quality 400w to a mediocre quality 600w, but best bet would be a good quality 450w.

 

[Albert_23]

Mobo standards and general usage puts slots and connectors at certain values. Assume a pcie x16 slot is capable of 75w,but there were multiple reports of gpus (especially early rx480) pulling in excess of 90w from that slot. Pcie Co necrosis are the same way, 6pin is 75w, 8pin is 150w. Actual wattage capability is different, you can ostensibly get 10A @12v DC, or 120w from a 18ga wire less than 1 foot long, but each pin individually is only rated to 5A, or 60w. There's 2x 12v wires in a pcie 6pin, so realistically you could pull upto 120w total from the psu. But everybody agrees on 75w to cover all bases since not every psu has 18ga x 1ft wiring, often using cheaper 20ga.

Your 80w vga should need a secondary power, a 6pin pcie, it splits power consumption between the pcie and motherboard, reducing stress on both, but I'd not be surprised to see it pull that wattage entirely from the pcie. 5w won't make a real difference, but will add undo stress to the power management circuitry when pushed at full loads.

It's a basic pc, sheesh, 100w for cpu, 50-100w for everything else. At absolute worst case 100% loads on the entire pc (physically impossible to run every component simultaneously at 100% loads) you'd be looking at 150-200w draw on the psu. Add in a 100w gpu and you'll be seeing 250-300w max. Average use (time means nothing) will be closer to 70-80% of that at most, you'll not be rendering with gpu and cpu simultaneously at 100%), so figure 225w is about normal draws. To put that in the best range for DC efficiency, thermal efficiency, stress etc, you'd be wanting that pc to be pulling @50% load on the psu. 225w x2 =450w.

You could ostensibly use a decent quality 400w to a mediocre quality 600w, but best bet would be a good quality 450w.

After looking around I came across Seasonic's from 350 to 650 watts. Some are hardwired while other are semi or full modular.

Another thing I noticed is the case sizes aren't all the same.

e.g. the Gold series SSR-550RM I found different case sizes some of which are the same size as in other Seasonic series.

The I'm not a hundred percent certain SSR-550RM case size I've seen it listed as 3.39 x 6.3 x 5.9 in - 86mm x 160mm x 150mm so it seems it's standard case size is 160mm.

Seasonic also has compact case size version which are 140mm, however I'm not certain if the compact size pertains to all models and wattage or only certain models and wattage.

There is a new version of the Gold which is called Ultra Gold version 2 or p/n SSR-550GD

The SSR-550RM has a five year warranty whereas the SSR-550GD has a 12 year warranty (which imo is a significant difference.

Case sizes:

Dimensions: 170 mm (W) x 150 mm (L) x 86 mm (H)
Dimensions: 140 mm (W) x 150 mm (L) x 86 mm (H)

The SSR-550GD costs more but by not all that much. Anywhere from $25.00 to $40.00.

A SSR-550GD, compact 140mm version

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151207

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Seasonic-Modular-Control-Poweron-Self-Warranty/dp/B0778Z6TQ6?th=1

5.51 x 5.91 x 3.39 in - 140 X 150 X 86 MM

I think I may be interested in the SSR-550GD Utltra Gold version 2 as it comes with a 12 year warranty and better specs than the previous version.

https://seasonic.com/prime-ultra-gold

 

[Karadjgne]

That's an extremely good psu, one of the highest ranked 550 there is, either of them actually. But considering you have such limited space, the case dimensions of the psu, the compact being 20mm shorter, can make a huge difference. I have a very large ATX mid tower, it's almost a full tower in size, and has room for 2x 140mm fans on the bottom, between the psu and the front of the case. If I go with a standard 150mm depth psu, I can just fit both fans and not impede the modular connectors of the psu. A 140mm would be easier. A 160mm puts the connectors right on top of the rear fan, so there's only room to mount 2x120mm there instead. I could mount the 140mm,but to do so would require extremely hard 90°bends,and for the thick cable of the 20+4pin, it'd put pressure on the connector itself. Not ideal on a $100+ psu.

Compact version is definitely the way to go.

 

[Albert_23]

That's an extremely good psu, one of the highest ranked 550 there is, either of them actually. But considering you have such limited space, the case dimensions of the psu, the compact being 20mm shorter, can make a huge difference. I have a very large ATX mid tower, it's almost a full tower in size, and has room for 2x 140mm fans on the bottom, between the psu and the front of the case. If I go with a standard 150mm depth psu, I can just fit both fans and not impede the modular connectors of the psu. A 140mm would be easier. A 160mm puts the connectors right on top of the rear fan, so there's only room to mount 2x120mm there instead. I could mount the 140mm,but to do so would require extremely hard 90°bends,and for the thick cable of the 20+4pin, it'd put pressure on the connector itself. Not ideal on a $100+ psu.

Compact version is definitely the way to go.

I have two PC's arriving tomorrow a M93p Thinkcentre and a P300 Thinkstation. The M93p is called a mini tower while the Thinkstation a mid tower. Both cases are nearly the same dimensions. One difference between the the two PCs is the M93p is certified as a Desktop and the P300 a Workstation. The M93p uses non ecc memory while the P300 uses ecc memory. I'm uncertain what other differences there are in the hardware architecture. Both mbs have the three pci-e and one pci slot and the other mb components from a diagram all appear to be layed out the same. Perhaps it's the same motherboard only one uses ecc memory while the other uses non-ecc memory.

Both use the same OEM PSUs which is usually either a 280W or 450W depending what hardware is installed. Each have various video card options.

The P300 already has a Nvidia Quadro K4000 installed. Thinkstations have Quadro video card options whereas the Thinkcentres a GeForce. I think because both PCs have a different customer base.

The Quadro line of video cards are designed and optimized for softwares such as CAD and architectural design related whereas GeForce design and optimization is more for gaming and softwares related to gaming.

When playing games a GeForce adapter is far superior to a Quadro adapter, where a Quadro adapter is superior to a GeForce when running CAD and related softwares.

I'll take a look at the P300 to determine what PSU it has and determine if the M93p internal case design is any different and that it won't have any problems with a Quadro video adapter installed.

As for the Seasonic PSUs there are differences in prices. I'm considering either the 550W or 650W of version 2 however I could save a few dollars with the older version that's 160mm. either new pre-owned. eBay has several pre-owned Seasonic PSU such as e.g. one was used for only used for one month (under light duty).

SeaSonic G Series SSR-550RM 550W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply New 4th Gen CPU Certified Haswell Ready - 5 year warranty

SSR-550RM 550W - 5.9 x 6.3 x 3.39 in (150mm x 160mm x 86mm) $60.32 -
SSR-650RM 650w - 5.9 x 6.3 x 3.39 in (150mm x 160mm x 86mm) $79.99

(new, ver. 2) PRIME Ultra 550W 80 PLUS Gold Power Supply, Full Modular, 135mm FDB Fan w/Hybrid Fan Control, ATX12V & EPS12V, Poweron-Self Tester,- 12 yr Warranty (SSR-550 GD v2)

SSR-550 GD v2 55OW - 5.91 x 5.51 x 3.39 in (150mm x 140mm x 86mm) $99.90
SSR-650 GD v2 650W - 5.91 x 5.51 x 3.39 in (150mm x 140mm x 86mm) $109.90
SSR-750 GD v2 750w - 6.00 x 5.50 x 3.40 in (150mm x 140mm x 86mm) $129.90

* SSR-850 GD v2 850W - 5.91 x 6.69 x 3.39 in (170mm x 140mm x 86mm) $149.90 (case size increases to 170mm)