Mini-ITX GPU-less AND upgraded Build (feedback/improvement request)

[mlolm]

Hi All,

I did my first mini-itx build and love it! So much in fact that I want to sell a few of them on ebay in my country. I was just wondering if you have any improvement suggestions. I have two versions a GPU-less "workstation" and a "gaming version". Things to keep in mind: I want to keep it quiet, and "lower-ish" energy consumption, hence why i didnt go with the max GFX card I could fit. But maybe you have suggestions here. Secondly, I want to keep the costs low, so not going for the biggest, most expensive components but rather best bang for your buck components as I will plan to sell a few of these.

GPU-Less (work machine):

My Build - Mini-ITX + GPU-less

pcpartpicker.com

Upgraded CPU and GFX Card (for work + gaming):

System Builder

pcpartpicker.com

One idea I had was to swap out the 400w hdplex for a pisco since I dont think i need that much power in the GPU-less version and its a bit overkill, maybe there is a cheaper 150-200w pisco psu or something, could reduce cost and also open up more space in for airflow and viewability (case has transparent top).

Thanks,

 

[GuilleAcoustic]

My comments down below:

• 32GB of RAM is pretty overkill if your going for budget friendly build
• GT 710 for the "Gaming" is more a downgrade than anything, compared to the Ryzen5 3400G iGPU

If you want a cost firendly, small and energy efficient GPU ... I'd go with a GTX1050 or 1650 (maybe low-profile). This would be a real upgrade over the R5-3400G iGPU.

An an example, I'm running an i7-4785T + GT1030 (for light gaming). It's powered by a 90W Dell laptop brick. But if you want to play games in better conditions, I'd suggest stretching to at least 1050 level of performance, even for light gaming.

This is a workstation rig, using thin mini-ITX (builnt-in DC-DC) and Q series Intel chipset (for vPro and a few other features). The 35W CPU is cooled using a Tt engine27 and it does an excellent job with such low TDP CPU. It also has 16GB of DDR3L and a 500GB mSATA SSD, not a single cable. The GT1030 is plugged from time to time when I want to play (Path of Exile mostly).

If you do not need a discrete GPU, thin mini-ITX is great. The only "drawback" is that it is almost impossible to add a dGPU (except a few industrial motherboards that cost over 300€ or the very low TDP dGPU ... GT1030 at best ... or with powered riser and some modifications ...)

Here's a link to our Thin mini-ITX "fan club" thread: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/thin-itx-discussion-thread.10257/

 

[mlolm]

Maybe i didnt clarify, the build will not be a "super budget build" in terms of cost it will be mid to medium high. But any way i can keep the cost of the build low while still maximizing performance will mean more profit margin for me in the final sale. I will consider doing a "budget" version of the build next with all budget parts to see how cheap i can get it, but the two i linked above are not meant to be budget, still this should be a medium level workstation.

RAM - I built this system originally for myself and i'm a RAM abuser its what i value most and have tons of shit open constantly (i'm at 64% at the moment of my 32gb) so i'd keep that one at least for this version of the build. I even thouhgt of considering a 64gb-friendly mainboard but that i would agree with you is probably overkill.

Graphics Cards - Good suggestions. I thought upgrading to a faster processor (ryzen 7 3600x) + a dedicated GPU will still be an improvement over Ryzen5 3400g iGPU due to just having a dedicated card meaning the processor can work better independently. But good suggestion on a better card! I will consider this in the final builds. In general the gaming version I will offer is still a mini-itx rig, mid level really. No liquid cooling etc. I will research the cards you suggested, just needs to fit in my mini-itx case which is not the smallest case so it does have some decent clearance. However I thought of looking at passive cooling to keep the whole build super silent and hopefully lower power consumption (i am pitching this as a selling point).

This is a workstation rig, using thin mini-ITX (builnt-in DC-DC) and Q series Intel chipset (for vPro and a few other features). The 35W CPU is cooled using a Tt engine27 and it does an excellent job with such low TDP CPU. It also has 16GB of DDR3L and a 500GB mSATA SSD, not a single cable. The GT1030 is plugged from time to time when I want to play (Path of Exile mostly).

Did you mean to link a build here? Not sure which build youre talking about?

What do you mean by disrete GPU, I would put a low-profile card, preferablly passive cooling card in there for the gaming version.

Again I'm not looking to build a 2k+ mini-itx liquid cooled gaming rig, but giving customers the option to expand it's gaming capabilities by adding a GFX card with good price/performance ratio without impacting the build too much. If i add a gfx card i can also upgrade to a non iGPU processor too so I did that in the "gaming" version.

 

[GuilleAcoustic]

I was just giving advise based on my experience.

As for the GT710 ... it's a very very very low end graphics card. Ryzen5-3400G built-in GPU is on par with a GT1030 discrete GPU). Here is a comparison between a GT710 and a GT1030 :


If you want low profile, then GT 1030, GTX 1050 (ti) or GTX 1650 are your friends. I strongly advise to go check reviews to have a better idea. GTX 1050, 1050ti and 1650 are available in low profile form factor and do no need an additional power connector (PCIe bus powered only).

Ryzen 7 + dedicated (aka discrete) GPU will be faster than Ryzen 5 3400G on the CPU side, for sure ... but 3400G still is miles ahead of a GT710.

Overall, I'm all for silent and low power draw. This is a huge selling point for my eco-conscious mind .

 

[mlolm]

Thanks, good to know. I am wondering if i should sell the 710 i have but did not install yet. will check out your other card suggestions and report back on my thoughts and findings

 

[rfarmer]

If I was looking at a workload only build and just needed something for monitor output the GT 710 would be fine but for any type of gaming I would want at least a GTX 1650.

 

[mlolm]

Yah 1650 looks good, wish they had a passive cooling version but i guess thats a bit too much to ask. Anyone know of the best low-profile passive cooling GFX card? Would that be the GT1030 or is there better?

 

[mlolm]

The Zotac GeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile 4GB GDDR5 is about 10 euro cheaper then gigabyte. Is there much of a difference or are they essentially the same exact card? How big of a diff could this be...

 

[GuilleAcoustic]

About passive cooling, I do not know as my GT1030 is low profile and single soit (so actively cooled). There might be better option out there, but keep in mind that a passive GPU will need a good air flow inside the case.

 

[ignsvn]

I'd go with a GTX1050

You mean GTX 1050 Ti.

 

[GuilleAcoustic]

Palit has a passive GTX 1650 worth about 180€, but it's quite big

You mean GTX 1050 Ti.

Ahahah ... of course

 

[mlolm]

OK thanks, then the answer is no.

Hey look at this:

Kind of excited...I hope it fits (It should but right now my case fans are sitting in the spot where it will go, so need to figure out if/where i can put my case fans now.

 

[mlolm]

Ordering new components makes me feel like a kid again ahah.

 

[GuilleAcoustic]

Ordering new components makes me feel like a kid again ahah.

I know the feeling

 

[ignsvn]

OK thanks, then the answer is no.

Hey look at this:

Kind of excited...I hope it fits (It should but right now my case fans are sitting in the spot where it will go, so need to figure out if/where i can put my case fans now.

Yeah there's almost no point in 2020 to get 1050. Get the 1050 Ti or 1650 like what @GuilleAcoustic mentioned.