Temjin TJ08 and oversized PSUs

PSUs: The source of DC power for all components in the PC & often a big noise source.

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Voldenuit
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:04 am

Temjin TJ08 and oversized PSUs

Post by Voldenuit » Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:47 am

Hi all,

looking to build my next PC around the Temjin TJ-08 microATX case and the Asus P5E-VM HDMI motherboard.

The dilemna I'm facing is that many modern PSUs exceed the ATX spec in depth (140mm).

The Corsair 520HX, which is highly regarded, is 150mm deep.

The Seasonic M12 500 is 160mm.

Are there any TJ08 users out there who can comment on clearance to the optical drive? I'm planning to use a 170mm long dvd writer.

The two shortlisted PSUs I have come across that fit within 140mm are the Enermax Liberty 500W and the Silverstone ST50EF-Plus-SC. The Liberty has the advantage of being modular, but is not the quietest PSU around (120mm fan spins at 1000 rpm at idle). I'm not sure of the acoustics of the Silverstone, but it is not modular, so I'll have to deal with cable mess in a small case.

Is space that much of a problem in the TJ08? Can I get away with using the Corsair 520HX?

SebRad
Patron of SPCR
Posts: 1121
Joined: Sun Nov 09, 2003 7:18 am
Location: UK

Post by SebRad » Wed Dec 19, 2007 5:50 am

Hi, the Seasonic S12 and S12 II models are all 140mm in length. Or are you looking specifically for a modular PSU? They tend to be longer as have to accommodate the connectors for the detachable cables.
Also what spec of PC are you building to need 500w. Seasonic 330w will be ample unless you're using Quad core CPU and high-end graphics card.
While I'm not familiar with the case, that you're concerned by the tight space and have picked a mATX motherboard I suggest that either you're building a (relatively) low power (of the watts sort) PC or it's going to be noisy or you need a bigger case.
Regards, Seb

Voldenuit
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:04 am

Post by Voldenuit » Wed Dec 19, 2007 6:26 am

I'm stuffing a Q6600 (or Q9400 if it's out next month) into the case and a 8800 GT 512 :p.

500W is a bit overpowered for my setup, but since the Liberty 500 is only $7 more than its 400W little brother on Newegg, it's a no-brainer.

Most PSUs under 400W don't support more than 17A on the 12V rails, so running high end GPUs on them becomes a problem. Especially since 12v1 (which usually has the highest amperage) is already running the CPU/mobo connectors.

The Enermax is the only reputable modular PSU I know of that adheres to ATX dimensions. I'd love to hear of more if anyone knows of them.

Just from spec sheets, outfitting an Enermax + standard DVD drive (170mm) in a TJ08 will leave me 68mm of room for cables. The Corsair 520HX will leave me 58mm. This sounds like there's enough room to play with, was hoping if there's anyone out there who can confirm this. The Liberty is getting long in the tooth, and although it was a top dog in its day, the Corsair unit sounds superior in every way. I'd really prefer it if I could.

Rebellious
Posts: 322
Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:53 pm
Location: EU, USA

no problem

Post by Rebellious » Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:22 pm

I have a TJ08 with a SeaSonic M12 500W and two Samsung DVD Burners SH-S203N. There's enough room for all the plugs on both sides. If you don't like fiddling from the sides, you can just remove the burners and reach in from the front opening of the 5.25" bays. Straight shot, plug anything you need and then put the burners back in. No problem. I took some photos as I was building it, I can post some if it helps.

Voldenuit
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:04 am

Re: no problem

Post by Voldenuit » Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:53 pm

Rebellious wrote:I have a TJ08 with a SeaSonic M12 500W and two Samsung DVD Burners SH-S203N. There's enough room for all the plugs on both sides. If you don't like fiddling from the sides, you can just remove the burners and reach in from the front opening of the 5.25" bays. Straight shot, plug anything you need and then put the burners back in. No problem. I took some photos as I was building it, I can post some if it helps.
Awesome! Thanks, man, that's a big weight off my mind. Much appreciated.

The Corsair 520HX is 10mm shorter than the M12, so this should be a cinch, and the samsung drive is also the same length as the sony optiarc at 170mm.

Pictures would be nice, if you can host them.

Any impressions of the case in general? I'm planning to replace the stock fans with 800 rpm S-Flexes on rubber grommets, is there anything else should know?

Cheers,
V.

jojo4u
Posts: 806
Joined: Sat Dec 14, 2002 7:00 am
Location: Germany

Post by jojo4u » Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:02 am

I got the case for over a year now.
What I like:
The design is simple and clean
The size is just right for µATX mobo + ATX PSU
120 mm fan
Ninja fits

What I don't like:
The drive bay covers are fixed with two screws and aligning them is a PIA.
A part broke out of the front USB ports, so I can only use two ports.
Screws are everywhere, so no quick changing of HDDs.

LongJan
Posts: 163
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 11:06 am
Location: Sweden

Post by LongJan » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:38 am

I have a TJ08 with Corsair HX520 and a NEC AD-7170S SATA (suppose it's standard size). It is possible to mount the detachable cables with the DVD in place. However, it's much more easy to connect the cables to the burner from the front, before you put it in, as Rebellious says.

Some pictures and impressions of the case on My homepage

Rebellious
Posts: 322
Joined: Sun Dec 09, 2007 12:53 pm
Location: EU, USA

Re: no problem

Post by Rebellious » Sat Dec 22, 2007 10:21 am

Voldenuit wrote:
Rebellious wrote:I have a TJ08 with a SeaSonic M12 500W and two Samsung DVD Burners SH-S203N. There's enough room for all the plugs on both sides. If you don't like fiddling from the sides, you can just remove the burners and reach in from the front opening of the 5.25" bays. Straight shot, plug anything you need and then put the burners back in. No problem. I took some photos as I was building it, I can post some if it helps.
Awesome! Thanks, man, that's a big weight off my mind. Much appreciated.

The Corsair 520HX is 10mm shorter than the M12, so this should be a cinch, and the samsung drive is also the same length as the sony optiarc at 170mm.

Pictures would be nice, if you can host them.

Any impressions of the case in general? I'm planning to replace the stock fans with 800 rpm S-Flexes on rubber grommets, is there anything else should know?

Cheers,
V.

Here's a couple of photos as promised. This was a preliminary build to test out the mobo. I have since returned the Gigabyte mobo and replaced it with Asus.

http://zcxg8s2v5qpgt.home.att.net/IMAGE ... 801_25.JPG

http://zcxg8s2v5qpgt.home.att.net/IMAGE ... 834_25.JPG


Re your question about the case -- If it's a hobby and you have money to burn go ahead with the TJ08, but if you're looking for value or quality I'd strongly advise against it. It's an unusual design with potential but it's very poorly constructed.


_

shing
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 1:30 pm

Post by shing » Sat Dec 22, 2007 1:36 pm

Coolermaster Elite 340 is basically the identical case to tj08 with a different faceplate. 520hx fits fine alongwith an Asus SATA DVD Burner.
The only tightness you'll get is if you put a big heatsink aka Ultra 120 Extreme as it's kind of close to the hard drive.
I removed the 3.5" cage, put in an extra 120mm fan and put the hard drive decoupled in the bottom front.

The case is ideal for quads because of all the airflow.

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