FanlessPC Custom Build

watts_happening

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Original poster
Apr 15, 2020
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Hi folks, it's been a while since I did a custom build. The last one was about 2015, putting a NUC-style Gigabyte Brix Pro 4700R into an Akasa Euler case left over from a previous build. It's time for an update, which will be used for general purpose computing with some light gaming (flight simulators). As it will be going in my home office, I'm optimizing for silence as well as something that doesn't heat up the room at idle but can burst to higher performance for the occasional heavy workload.

Total power budget is 65W for the CPU + 75W for the GPU, run from an external 192W AC-DC power adapter.

I recently came across some nice custom cases made by FanlessGuy, who has a youtube channel showcasing his work. What appeals to me is the stylish efficiency of building a "case" around a big giant heatsink. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of free time, so this will be a slow process (about 2 months and counting so far), but I will post updates when I can.

Parts List
  • Microstep TH310C-P motherboard - this is a nice ITX board with a side-mounted PCIe slot, only available direct from China as far as I can tell
  • MSI GEFORCE GTX 1850 D6 AERO ITX OC - new GDDR6 version of the 1650 with a 75W TDP (no external power required)
  • i7-9700F CPU
  • Samsung (MZ-V7S1T0B/AM) 970 EVO Plus SSD 1TB
  • HyperX Impact 32GB 2666MHz DDR4 CL16 SODIMM Laptop Memory HX426S16IB/32
  • 12V 192W AC-DC power supply from mini-box.com (makers of the Pico PSU)
Case Parts
Motherboard with side-mount PCIe and MSI 1650 GDDR6 GPU:


Preview of the materials I plan to use. Bamboo ply is leftover cutoff from a counter install.


First set of blocks in 1-1/4 and 1 inch aluminum to allow extra space for other devices - have since decided to go to 3/4 and 1/2 inch instead to make the total assembly thinner


Test fit of heatsink blocks - will need a thin shim under the CPU block to even things out:
 

ignsvn

By Toutatis!
SFFn Staff
Apr 4, 2016
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Nice, I didn't know that the vendors have equipped 1650 (non-Ti & non-super) with GDDR6 as well!
 

Arboreal

King of Cable Management
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Oct 11, 2015
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For 90 degree L shaped PCI mount for side mounting, which part did you use?

There is no adaptor or mount used here.
As per the OP, @watts_happening has bought a super specialised PIO thin ITX board available only in China.
It has a 16x PCIe slot on the 'wrong'side of the board and is mounted with the output parallel to the board, so 90 degrees away from teh usual design.

1590254564494.png

Very nice work, there; that is one serious heatsink you have lined up for the build!
 
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watts_happening

Caliper Novice
Original poster
Apr 15, 2020
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There is no adaptor or mount used here.
As per the OP, @watts_happening has bought a super specialised PIO thin ITX board available only in China.
It has a 16x PCIe slot on the 'wrong'side of the board and is mounted with the output parallel to the board, so 90 degrees away from teh usual design.

Yes, exactly, it's a specialized board with a side-mounted PCIe slot. In theory it should make for a cleaner build, although the downside is trying to get the parts lined up especially if the CPU slot is slightly tilted as it is on my board. In retrospect it might have been better to just use a flexible PCIe cable and mount the MB and GPU separately.

The other downside to this motherboard is that it came with absolutely zero documentation or support, and in fact it came in a used box from another motherboard brand. ?
 

Arboreal

King of Cable Management
Silver Supporter
Oct 11, 2015
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I believe @Goatee on here has one and it's up and running.
He may be able to advise, as he's done a lot of digging to make sense of it, especially in the PSU department
 

Goatee

King of Cable Management
Jun 22, 2018
738
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I use the same 12V PSU and very similar components. You got a box? Mine just had loads of bubble wrap

@watts_happening Rather than using solid aluminium block to link the CPU and GPU to the heatsink have you considered heatpipes?

Something like the below from Streacom?
or
 

watts_happening

Caliper Novice
Original poster
Apr 15, 2020
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I've used solid aluminum blocks before, and they've worked fine for me in transferring heat over that short distance, especially with the transfer area being larger between the block and heatsink. This is the same technique used in my old Akasa Euler case that was designed for thin mini-ITX (DH61AG). I'm also going for a relatively thin assembly with a center section of 1-1/2 inches to fit it into my "rack" consisting of a 15" Ikea cabinet.

The other aspect to this build is that it was a chance for me to learn CAD design with Autodesk Fusion 360. Previously, I had designed projects on paper or with simple dimensioned drawings in LibreOffice Draw. CAD is definitely the way to go once you get over the initial learning curve, and opens up new opportunities for sending out parts to be 3D printed or machined.

Concept render below - note also the side panels extending further back allowing the unit to fit into my Ikea cabinet as a "shelf". There will be a small amount of ambient air movement and convection due to my home server and its 120mm fan sitting on a shelf below. Drawings are almost done - on to the execution once I have time to get out into the shop.

 
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watts_happening

Caliper Novice
Original poster
Apr 15, 2020
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Sorry for the long time with no update. I finished this build a while back and have been using it for 2-3 months.

On the plus side, I like how the build turned out visually. Some components I had to re-build a couple times while I refined the process. With no fans, this computer runs totally silent, and for general productivity it's nice and fast and works great.

On the negative side, with any sort of heavy load, it runs super hot, and the heatsink quickly becomes too hot to touch for long. I had run calculations and thought it would be sufficient for a 65W CPU and 75W GPU, but the results are not good. One unforseen issue is that the newer Intel CPUs appear to actually run at a higher wattage than their listed TDB. Using the Intel Extreme Tuning utility, I undervolted by -0.1V and reduced the turbo boost TDP limits which helps a bit. However, while running the new MS Flight Simulator 2020 the other day, the heatsink got so hot that it went into Motherboard VR Thermal Throttling and performance was pretty bad.

Also, as you can see in the photos, the heatsink turned out to be cupped. I tried to straighten it out with a heat gun and clamps, but it just sprung back. It's not too noticeable, just needs some mild flexing of the boards to get everything installed

Next step may be to mount a couple of fans on a switch to add some airflow while gaming. Or maybe try a quiet watercooled build instead.


 

Goatee

King of Cable Management
Jun 22, 2018
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Have you thought of sticking a slow running ran on top, something like a 200mm nocuta?
 

watts_happening

Caliper Novice
Original poster
Apr 15, 2020
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36
Creating more open space above the heat sink has helped a bit, especially when the central air conditioning is blowing on it, although it will still thermal throttle mainly on the VRM while under lod. I had left enough room to add some 30mm fans to circulate air inside the case, but next step may be to add some heat sink blocks for the VRM components to extract the heat that way.

I’m powering with the 4 pin DIN using the power supply that was bundled with a Pico PSU.