Mini ITX build suggestions!

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Hi everyone,

Been a while since I've posted, much longer since I've built a new rig and now I'm looking to build a small PC for some portable gaming. Nothing too serious, Minecraft with mods is probably the most demanding game for it, but I also don't want to use the integrated GPU.

I'd like to go with AMD and their Ryzen CPU's. Last time I shopped for parts was when Ryzen was just talk. I've heard they aren't too bad which is nice to hear. Intel had the market too long I think.

Anyways, I'm looking for something Mini-ITX: Built in Wifi if possible (don't they pretty much all have wifi now?) A PCI-E slot for some GPU, and for that GPU something decent but not too powerful.

The goal is to have a decent light gaming PC that isn't too power hungry. I'd like to keep it under 200 watts as I'd like to run this thing of a pack of 18650's (which I would solar charge/AC charge) Yes, this is something to keep me busy on rainy camping trips..

 

[trents]

I would suggest the 2600x instead of the 2700x if you are going mini-ITX. Even the boards that have good power delivery lack sufficient real estate to put good heat sinks on the VRM components for best overclocking of the 8 core CPUs. The six core Ryzens should give better overclocks. And of course, go with 240 water. Choose your case carefully to not limit your cooling and GPU options unduly.

Video card recommendation: https://www.newegg.com/evga-geforce-gtx-1660-06g-p4-1067-kr/p/N82E16814487448

RAM recommendation: https://www.newegg.com/g-skill-16gb-288-pin-ddr4-sdram/p/N82E16820232767

 

[Bill_Bright]

I don't see a budget.

...now I'm looking to build a small PC for some portable gaming

Please be more specific about what you mean by "portable" gaming.

While the size difference between a small ITX case and a large full tower is significant, you are still talking about a "PC". That means there's typically a full sized keyboard, mouse, a monitor (or 2!) - perhaps 24" or larger, and perhaps external speakers too. Where do they "fit" in with this "portable" requirement?

Water cooling is certainly nice - especially in compact cases where case fan options are limited and air flow is often restricted. But water cooling typically adds weight. Where does "weight" factor in with this portable requirement?

I note you said a pack of 18650 batteries. How are you planning to convert their DC output to AC so you can then power the PC's AC to DC power supply?

And by camping, are you "roughing it" in a pup tent? Or are you "glamping" in a $1,000,000 luxury motor coach?

I personally don't believe there really is such a thing as a good "gaming notebook" or a true "desktop replacement" notebook. I consider those terms pure marketing fluff/hogwash - but that's for another discussion. But when it comes to being "portable", it seems a good notebook might better fit the bill.

 

[trents]

If you are looking to keep the system under 200 watts I would certainly look at the Ryzen 2400G. That would give you a reasonable amount of gaming pop without the weight, expense and power draw of an add in video card. It would also give you more options with cases since there is no need to consider the length of a video card. And with the 2400g at stock you could likely get by with the stock cooler if there was head room in the case for the fan to breathe. Or, you could probably cool it with a 120mm water rad.

Given the scenario I suggest wit the 2400g, I might suggest the CM 110 elite and the Corsair H60. This is a really small, attractive and well-made mini-itx case that is easy on the wallet.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

I don't see a budget.

Please be more specific about what you mean by "portable" gaming.

While the size difference between a small ITX case and a large full tower is significant, you are still talking about a "PC". That means there's typically a full sized keyboard, mouse, a monitor (or 2!) - perhaps 24" or larger, and perhaps external speakers too. Where do they "fit" in with this "portable" requirement?

Water cooling is certainly nice - especially in compact cases where case fan options are limited and air flow is often restricted. But water cooling typically adds weight. Where does "weight" factor in with this portable requirement?

I note you said a pack of 18650 batteries. How are you planning to convert their DC output to AC so you can then power the PC's AC to DC power supply?

And by camping, are you "roughing it" in a pup tent? Or are you "glamping" in a $1,000,000 luxury motor coach?

I personally don't believe there really is such a thing as a good "gaming notebook" or a true "desktop replacement" notebook. I consider those terms pure marketing fluff/hogwash - but that's for another discussion. But when it comes to being "portable", it seems a good notebook might better fit the bill.

I agree with the no good desktop replacement, I don't really like laptops for that purpose.

No glamping here, just a tent and a nice lake side site
I don't have a set budget, this would be something I buy over a few paycheques.

As for the case, I will probably end up building my own again, so I don't need to worry much about that. I also have a decent sized card table so it'll hold a full size keyboard and mouse. Speakers will probably be headphones as I like them better anyways.

Power supply.... That is something I have to look into more. I may just end up use a spare deep cycle battery + inverter. I can use that same battery for some outdoor fairy lights for the tent

If you are looking to keep the system under 200 watts I would certainly look at the Ryzen 2400G. That would give you a reasonable amount of gaming pop without the weight, expense and power draw of an add in video card. It would also give you more options with cases since there is no need to consider the length of a video card. And with the 2400g at stock you could likely get by with the stock cooler if there was head room in the case for the fan to breathe. Or, you could probably cool it with a 120mm water rad.

Given the scenario I suggest wit the 2400g, I might suggest the CM 110 elite and the Corsair H60. This is a really small, attractive and well-made mini-itx case that is easy on the wallet.

I'd like to stick with air cooling if possible. Now, is Ryzen like Bulldozer in the sense that the vrms need to be cooled and the chip itself likes to run cold (stay under 62c)?

I'll look up the cpu suggestions you mentioned. I have an old low profile GPU I might use. It is a weak card though (Nvidia GT420) but it responds to overclocking.


EDIT: Just found this PSU here it's a dc-dc ATX power supply, so I might be in luck for the 18650 idea.

 

[trents]

No, the Ryzen's are not power hogs like the FX series was and Ryzen's tolerate higher temps as well. Much like Intel's in that sense. But still, if you overclock much the VRM cooling limitations come into play. There is no heatsink on the VRM component to the north of the socket for any iTX motherboard I know of. There just isn't room for one.

 

[Bustos]

I second the laptop route.

 

[trents]

My big hesitation with the laptop idea is that there seems to be a high failure rate with gaming class laptops. The heat just kills them. Besides, I think from the first post I discern that SP wants to take on a DIY project.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

No, the Ryzen's are not power hogs like the FX series was and Ryzen's tolerate higher temps as well. Much like Intel's in that sense. But still, if you overclock much the VRM cooling limitations come into play. There is no heatsink on the VRM component to the north of the socket for any iTX motherboard I know of. There just isn't room for one.

Ahh that's good to hear about them not being power hungry in that department. I'll probably add some small heatsinks to the vrms anyway, plus I always have a fan on the vrms section on my main rig, so I'll do the same for this one.

My big hesitation with the laptop idea is that there seems to be a high failure rate with gaming class laptops. The heat just kills them. Besides, I think from the first post I discern that SP wants to take on a DIY project.

Very much so
I love DIY projects even if they are a challenge or there is an easier route.

But yes, a laptop would be the logical choice for something like this


The Ryzen 2400G looks good, I think that will be the CPU I get for this build.

What should I be looking for on the VRM side of things? Is 4+1 too little power?

 

[Bill_Bright]

this would be something I buy over a few paycheques.

Not recommended.

You should just save your money until you have enough to buy everything at once. Remember, warranty periods start at the date of purchase. So do return policies.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Not recommended.

You should just save your money until you have enough to buy everything at once. Remember, warranty periods start at the date of purchase. So do return policies.

Good point. Something I overlooked...
I've never had to RMA anything CPU/Motherboard related before, but never say never.. That's why I didn't consider the warranty period

 

[Bustos]

My big hesitation with the laptop idea is that there seems to be a high failure rate with gaming class laptops. The heat just kills them. Besides, I think from the first post I discern that SP wants to take on a DIY project.

Unless Minecraft requires a strong GPU, he wouldn’t need a ‘gaming’ laptop. He also wants this for camping. He will need to bring a monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse. Carrying all the peripherals is not camping friendly. A laptop checks all the boxes. I understand he may want a DIY build but for his needs, a laptop would very convenient. I am just voicing a second vote for the laptop route as a strong consideration.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Unless Minecraft requires a strong GPU, he wouldn’t need a ‘gaming’ laptop. He also wants this for camping. He will need to bring a monitor, a keyboard, and a mouse. Carrying all the peripherals is not camping friendly. A laptop checks all the boxes. I understand he may want a DIY build but for his needs, a laptop would very convenient. I am just voicing a second vote for the laptop route as a strong consideration.

Honestly I was going to use a smaller 8" or 10" HDMI screen. I think that would be cool and quaint

 

[trents]

A screen that small would not need a lot of gpu power unless it was a high pixel density device like they put in some smart pones and tablets.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

A screen that small would not need a lot of gpu power unless it was a high pixel density device like they put in some smart pones and tablets.

Good point. I didn't think about that.

Any brands to avoid for Ryzen chips? I know the Saberkitty was great for FX, is there something like that for Ryzen or...?

 

[unsafesteagle]

Got to. Gotta say Hi Pharaoh.
Nice Avatar.

 

[Alaric]

Any brands to avoid for Ryzen chips? I know the Saberkitty was great for FX, is there something like that for Ryzen or...?

As far as I know those problems are behind AMD's board partners. Not to say there aren't cheaper boards that aren't top tier, but the much lower power requirements for Ryzen seem to have put that issue to rest for the most part. I think the sales figures for Ryzen have also encouraged more effort be put in to mobo quality, too.

 

[trents]

Any brands to avoid for Ryzen chips? I know the Saberkitty was great for FX, is there something like that for Ryzen or...?

Not really brands to avoid but there may be some individual motherboards that companies have not done a good job with in memory compatibility updates. The board in my Sig, though there are some things that are quirky, has really good memory compatibility. MSI has done a good job in that respect with their bios updates, at least for the mid and higher end products. I would read customer reviews for memory compatibility issues for individual motherboard products. I still see people complain about this issue occasionally on some motherboards, even on the higher end x470 Asus products. But as a whole, it is much less of a problem now than it was with 1 gen Ryzen. Notice the RAM I recommended above is specifically geared for AMD and I did that to eliminate as much as possible any chance of memory incompatibility issues.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Got to. Gotta say Hi Pharaoh.
Nice Avatar.

Haha hey Eagle
Yeah, I can't believe I found Les Stroud in a hot tub lol

As far as I know those problems are behind AMD's board partners. Not to say there aren't cheaper boards that aren't top tier, but the much lower power requirements for Ryzen seem to have put that issue to rest for the most part. I think the sales figures for Ryzen have also encouraged more effort be put in to mobo quality, too.

Not really brands to avoid but there may be some individual motherboards that companies have not done a good job with in memory compatibility updates. The board in my Sig, though there are some things that are quirky, has really good memory compatibility. MSI has done a good job in that respect with their bios updates, at least for the mid and higher end products. I would read customer reviews for memory compatibility issues for individual motherboard products. I still see people complain about this issue occasionally on some motherboards, even on the higher end x470 Asus products. But as a whole, it is much less of a problem now than it was with 1 gen Ryzen. Notice the RAM I recommended above is specifically geared for AMD and I did that to eliminate as much as possible any chance of memory incompatibility issues.

Ahh good! That should make life easier looking for a mobo then.

Might go with a Gigabyte board, I have good success with them in the past & present.
I'm hoping most of the Mini-ITX boards have an M.2 slot as I wanted to just use that rather than a rust spinner.