Hello all,
This is my first post here, but I'm looking for some advice on a tiny build with limited PSU Headroom.
My girlfriend is looking for a new productivity and light gaming rig to replace a dying macbook. I have suggested that I build her a small form factor PC that fits the bill, and she has agreed.
I was given some guidelines though - Upgradability is a must, productivity is the main goal but playing something like Stellaris shouldn't be a struggle either. No larger than 15 liters, and all (preferably below) $600-$700 CAD.
Given the small budget, I had a couple of thoughts - small RAM and storage amount, as that can be upgraded later, and an APU would allow for a smaller size and get rid of the need for a GPU, two birds with one stone. I thought the InWin Chopin would be a nice fit for this build, as it's a relatively inexpensive small case that comes with a power supply. However, the PSU is only 150 Watts, which is a bit of a limiter.
I've thrown together two part lists, with the only real difference being which APU I've put in. The "lower end" list uses a Ryzen 3 3200G and the "higher end" list uses a Ryzen 5 3400G.
Lower End (R3 3200G):
Higher End (R5 3400G):
The PSU is what's giving me pause on the higher end build. PC Part Picker estimates the wattage at 122 Watts, and OuterVision's Power Supply Calculator puts it at 124W. That's cutting it a little close to the end of the 150W PSU, and with the 'add 25% of TDP for under load' puts the system drawing 152-155 Watts. I don't know how much variance there will be on the APUs under load, so I'm wondering how unstable this combination could be. For the price I'm wondering if I should upgrade the PSU or go with the lower APU to avoid the stability issues.
I'd love to get your guys thoughts on this!
This is my first post here, but I'm looking for some advice on a tiny build with limited PSU Headroom.
My girlfriend is looking for a new productivity and light gaming rig to replace a dying macbook. I have suggested that I build her a small form factor PC that fits the bill, and she has agreed.
I was given some guidelines though - Upgradability is a must, productivity is the main goal but playing something like Stellaris shouldn't be a struggle either. No larger than 15 liters, and all (preferably below) $600-$700 CAD.
Given the small budget, I had a couple of thoughts - small RAM and storage amount, as that can be upgraded later, and an APU would allow for a smaller size and get rid of the need for a GPU, two birds with one stone. I thought the InWin Chopin would be a nice fit for this build, as it's a relatively inexpensive small case that comes with a power supply. However, the PSU is only 150 Watts, which is a bit of a limiter.
I've thrown together two part lists, with the only real difference being which APU I've put in. The "lower end" list uses a Ryzen 3 3200G and the "higher end" list uses a Ryzen 5 3400G.
Lower End (R3 3200G):
Higher End (R5 3400G):
The PSU is what's giving me pause on the higher end build. PC Part Picker estimates the wattage at 122 Watts, and OuterVision's Power Supply Calculator puts it at 124W. That's cutting it a little close to the end of the 150W PSU, and with the 'add 25% of TDP for under load' puts the system drawing 152-155 Watts. I don't know how much variance there will be on the APUs under load, so I'm wondering how unstable this combination could be. For the price I'm wondering if I should upgrade the PSU or go with the lower APU to avoid the stability issues.
I'd love to get your guys thoughts on this!
