Because this thread is now moving off-topic I'll start a new thread on the topic of my SFX M.2/PCIe build when/if I feel the urge. Soro this will be the last post here except one providing a link to the new thread for those that are interested.
Well thanks for the overwhelming response to my request (If it was dumb someone please PM me and explain). Anyway, I was torn between a 2400GE and Ryzen 2400G. I know the 2400G and like it, but curiosity told me the 2400GE. In the end I went with a 2400G just because if my experiment fails, I still have a good chip, while I have a utility chip with the 2400GE if I can’t get M.2 dGPU to work.
SO, I’ve ordered the A300(W) barebones, you must add the Wi-Fi/BT as an optional extra (£18) in the UK but it is Intel and worth it. 8GB (4GB/2) DDR 2900, an OK NVme 500GB and I will use a SATA AADD I have. I also ordered a largish Artic Cooler £20, again this is because of the look I’m going for, I would just modify the Wraith otherwise. And I have a Palit GeForce GTX 1050 Ti KalmX Fanless 4GB GDDR5. All in I spent £420 plus something like £15 of the M.2 adaptor (and I already have the SSD (£20) and the 1050Ti (£70-90 used). Discounting the graphics, you can obviously go cheaper with HDD and the GE chips- like the lucky fellow who fitted 10TB of SDD recently (envy).
The M.2/PCIe adaptors arrived from the USA yesterday, good service. Will bookmark that supplier. It’s powered with a Molex to JST looking cable (it isn’t JST it is just that it is 6am here and my brain isn’t waking up, it is small and white 4pin). What I power it off is to be decided, I may have to focus my limited SBC experience and add an additional booster PSU.
However, 2 days ago, trawling through this excellent if difficult to navigate resource that is called SFF.Network I found I didn’t exactly have to reinvent the wheel, or rather that was what I was trying to do. And NFC has a YT video as well. People have already done this, so there’s a lot of help for me potentially, that makes me somewhat emboldened that I won’t have a massive problem doing a PoC on a bench. Therefore, the body of work will probably just be the case and making a bracket.
People elsewhere (I do have a few friends honest) have said I should go for a 1650 but looking at it. It doesn’t offer a great amount of extra for the cost. If I sell the 1050 I have I might get £70 then I must spend at least £90 to extra to get a 1650. Doesn’t add up to me. I think my friends just like shinny.
Likely distractions are going to be cancer, I’m off today to fight for a new immunology program that is available under the cancer fund (for those without a NHS, we have a cancer fund, it is an extra provision above the standard NHS stuff (Surgery/Chemo/Radio), you have to apply/fight for it- in the USA it would be can you afford it, here it is still that (you can go private and people do use a bit of both) but there is a money pool as well.
Someone, a friend, wants a relatively high-end PC for very little (£400) money and wants me to solve this- likely an eBay solution, older Xeon workstation- they are into photography and some video mainly).
2 outstanding builds for customers- I’m not a pro, it is a paying hobby and I am relatively cheap, I get work because I’m not shite and I ask enough right questions so that people get a system that matches what they want to do without falling into jargon and frightening them away like the Pro builders. So, I get paid for Googling basically-LOL.
EDIT: OK the A300 and stuff arrived today, looking at the M.2 adaptor it isn’t open ended so I might have to Dremel it which is a bugger. On eBay the image wasn’t clear. Maybe it will fit but it looks like an X2 to me (I know it is PCIe2, not 3, at least that is how I read it). We’ll see, I will look more tomorrow. Just a head up so nobody orders one (although the sensible would wait anyway, it is cheap at $12 for two or £15 including shipping to the UK).
*I rechecked the video and his is definitely open ended at 02:03. So either his link is wrong, they sent me the wrong part, or the specification has changed.
I might have to search again, although that Ryzen 2400G saves me ultimately failing in any real sense.