Can I get thoughts on a $400-500 budget build? I'm not new to gaming or pc gaming. Just wanting a cheap way while upgrading from a $400 non gaming laptop with r5 5500u 32gb ram and having a second system. I've shopped around for a mini pc with n95 cpu 16gb ram, adt link m.2 to pcie adapter using a rx6400, used dell 200W power adapter and external nvme drive to boot from. The pc doesn't have a second m.2 slot.
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Mini pc with e gpu
- Thread starter GrimFrost
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| System Name | stress-less |
|---|---|
| Processor | 9800X3D @ 5.42GHZ |
| Motherboard | MSI PRO B650M-A Wifi |
| Cooling | Thermalright Phantom Spirit EVO |
| Memory | 64GB DDR5 6600 1:2 CL36, FCLK 2200 |
| Video Card(s) | RTX 4090 FE |
| Storage | 2TB WD SN850, 4TB WD SN850X |
| Display(s) | Alienware 32" 4k 240hz OLED |
| Case | Jonsbo Z20 |
| Audio Device(s) | Yes |
| Power Supply | Corsair SF750 |
| Mouse | DeathadderV2 X Hyperspeed |
| Keyboard | 65% HE Keyboard |
| Software | Windows 11 |
| Benchmark Scores | They're pretty good, nothing crazy. |
What games are you trying to play and what thoughts are you looking for.
That's a very low end setup on the CPU side side of things, will be pegged 100% all the time, and also kind of a pain in the a%% way to connect the pcie to the rx6400, which needs a pcie 4 to do anything even half decent.
Then external storage and external power adapter.
It just sounds like a lot of pain and stuttering all around, no upgradeability, and you're not actually saving any money from just a low end rig. Not trying to be negative - but I think that's the most realistic take on 4 E cores running a rx6400 over pcie 3.0 connected to an external SSD.
That's a very low end setup on the CPU side side of things, will be pegged 100% all the time, and also kind of a pain in the a%% way to connect the pcie to the rx6400, which needs a pcie 4 to do anything even half decent.
Then external storage and external power adapter.
It just sounds like a lot of pain and stuttering all around, no upgradeability, and you're not actually saving any money from just a low end rig. Not trying to be negative - but I think that's the most realistic take on 4 E cores running a rx6400 over pcie 3.0 connected to an external SSD.
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| System Name | Veral |
|---|---|
| Processor | 7800x3D |
| Motherboard | x670e Asus Crosshair Hero |
| Cooling | Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO |
| Memory | 2x24 Klevv Cras V RGB |
| Video Card(s) | Powercolor 7900XTX Red Devil |
| Storage | Crucial P5 Plus 1TB, Samsung 980 1TB, Teamgroup MP34 4TB |
| Display(s) | Acer Nitro XZ342CK Pbmiiphx, 2x AOC 2425W, AOC I1601FWUX |
| Case | Fractal Design Meshify Lite 2 |
| Audio Device(s) | Blue Yeti + SteelSeries Arctis 5 / Samsung HW-T550 |
| Power Supply | Corsair HX850 |
| Mouse | Corsair Harpoon |
| Keyboard | Corsair K55 |
| VR HMD | HP Reverb G2 |
| Software | Windows 11 Professional |
| Benchmark Scores | PEBCAK |
Better off getting a 5700G or 3600/5600 with a 6500XT/6600XT. There is a point where going too cheap just makes things worse.
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| Processor | i5-9600K |
|---|---|
| Motherboard | Gigabyte Z390 Gaming X |
| Cooling | Scythe Mugen 5S |
| Memory | Micron Ballistix Sports LT 3000 8G*4 |
| Video Card(s) | EVGA 3070 XC3 Ultra Gaming |
| Storage | Adata SX6000 Pro 512G, Kingston A2000 1T |
| Display(s) | Gigabyte M32Q |
| Case | Antec DF700 Flux |
| Audio Device(s) | Edifier C3X |
| Power Supply | Super Flower Leadex Gold 650W |
| Mouse | Razer Basilisk V2 |
| Keyboard | Ducky ONE 2 Horizon |
I wouldn't prefer a mini pc, they usually have lower value and are hard to upgrade
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| System Name | Gamey #2 / #3 |
|---|---|
| Processor | Ryzen 7 5800X3D / Ryzen 7 5700X3D |
| Motherboard | Asrock B450M P4 / MSi B450 ProVDH M |
| Cooling | IDCool SE-226-XT / IDCool SE-224-XTS |
| Memory | 32GB 3200 CL16 / 16GB 3200 CL16 |
| Video Card(s) | Red Dragon 6800 XT / Eagle 3070 |
| Storage | 4TB Team MP34 / 2TB WD SN570 |
| Display(s) | LG 32GK650F 1440p 144Hz VA |
| Case | Corsair 4000Air / TT Versa H18 |
| Power Supply | EVGA 650 G3 / EVGA BQ 500 |
What Toothless said.
B450, R5 5500/3600, 16GB 3200 DDR4, 5-600W PSU, RX 6600 (used to save more $€£), cheap 2-fan case and you've spent similar money and will be much faster with an upgrade path.
I have done mini PC with eGPU (various NUCs + Akitio Node w/various GPUs) and since the eGPU case has a similar footprint as a PC case, there's not even any space saving to be had and you will compromise your FPS by 15-40% with the eGPU.
I had fun with mine but the gaming was instantly and noticeably better with an affordable regular PC.
B450, R5 5500/3600, 16GB 3200 DDR4, 5-600W PSU, RX 6600 (used to save more $€£), cheap 2-fan case and you've spent similar money and will be much faster with an upgrade path.
I have done mini PC with eGPU (various NUCs + Akitio Node w/various GPUs) and since the eGPU case has a similar footprint as a PC case, there's not even any space saving to be had and you will compromise your FPS by 15-40% with the eGPU.
I had fun with mine but the gaming was instantly and noticeably better with an affordable regular PC.
- Joined
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| System Name | Veral |
|---|---|
| Processor | 7800x3D |
| Motherboard | x670e Asus Crosshair Hero |
| Cooling | Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO |
| Memory | 2x24 Klevv Cras V RGB |
| Video Card(s) | Powercolor 7900XTX Red Devil |
| Storage | Crucial P5 Plus 1TB, Samsung 980 1TB, Teamgroup MP34 4TB |
| Display(s) | Acer Nitro XZ342CK Pbmiiphx, 2x AOC 2425W, AOC I1601FWUX |
| Case | Fractal Design Meshify Lite 2 |
| Audio Device(s) | Blue Yeti + SteelSeries Arctis 5 / Samsung HW-T550 |
| Power Supply | Corsair HX850 |
| Mouse | Corsair Harpoon |
| Keyboard | Corsair K55 |
| VR HMD | HP Reverb G2 |
| Software | Windows 11 Professional |
| Benchmark Scores | PEBCAK |
Thing with current mini PCs is that it'll eat your 9600k in a heartbeat. Newer laptop chips are fairly strong now and if properly done, you don't need to upgrade them besides maybe storage. Doing eGPU is a thing for people that travel a lot but for long term/like what OP is doing, not worth it.
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| System Name | Gamey #2 / #3 |
|---|---|
| Processor | Ryzen 7 5800X3D / Ryzen 7 5700X3D |
| Motherboard | Asrock B450M P4 / MSi B450 ProVDH M |
| Cooling | IDCool SE-226-XT / IDCool SE-224-XTS |
| Memory | 32GB 3200 CL16 / 16GB 3200 CL16 |
| Video Card(s) | Red Dragon 6800 XT / Eagle 3070 |
| Storage | 4TB Team MP34 / 2TB WD SN570 |
| Display(s) | LG 32GK650F 1440p 144Hz VA |
| Case | Corsair 4000Air / TT Versa H18 |
| Power Supply | EVGA 650 G3 / EVGA BQ 500 |
Here's a sample parts list from PC Part Picker:
$336 before video card and $536 with. The Case and PSU are for example only. Do your homework with the PSU to get at least a decent one and same goes for case.
The 6500 XT is $153 and an eGPU case is like $250 or you can try to roll your own with parts for ~$120? so overall this is cheaper and much faster. Also simpler, cleaner, and quieter.
And building PCs is damn fun, I love it. Have ermmhhhh..... 4 below my desk right now. Plus 2x i7 Optiplex 9020s, one with replacement PSU and 5600XT and the other with 1050 Ti. Also built a couple for the kids.
Did I mention the fun bit?
$336 before video card and $536 with. The Case and PSU are for example only. Do your homework with the PSU to get at least a decent one and same goes for case.
The 6500 XT is $153 and an eGPU case is like $250 or you can try to roll your own with parts for ~$120? so overall this is cheaper and much faster. Also simpler, cleaner, and quieter.
And building PCs is damn fun, I love it. Have ermmhhhh..... 4 below my desk right now. Plus 2x i7 Optiplex 9020s, one with replacement PSU and 5600XT and the other with 1050 Ti. Also built a couple for the kids.
Did I mention the fun bit?
- Joined
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- 9,818 (2.42/day)
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| System Name | Veral |
|---|---|
| Processor | 7800x3D |
| Motherboard | x670e Asus Crosshair Hero |
| Cooling | Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO |
| Memory | 2x24 Klevv Cras V RGB |
| Video Card(s) | Powercolor 7900XTX Red Devil |
| Storage | Crucial P5 Plus 1TB, Samsung 980 1TB, Teamgroup MP34 4TB |
| Display(s) | Acer Nitro XZ342CK Pbmiiphx, 2x AOC 2425W, AOC I1601FWUX |
| Case | Fractal Design Meshify Lite 2 |
| Audio Device(s) | Blue Yeti + SteelSeries Arctis 5 / Samsung HW-T550 |
| Power Supply | Corsair HX850 |
| Mouse | Corsair Harpoon |
| Keyboard | Corsair K55 |
| VR HMD | HP Reverb G2 |
| Software | Windows 11 Professional |
| Benchmark Scores | PEBCAK |
I sure wouldn't a PSU that's not of quality and the Versa cases are just.. not fun and are horrid with airflow. Did a build in one for someone (they picked the case) and everything just ran hot.
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| System Name | Gamey #2 / #3 |
|---|---|
| Processor | Ryzen 7 5800X3D / Ryzen 7 5700X3D |
| Motherboard | Asrock B450M P4 / MSi B450 ProVDH M |
| Cooling | IDCool SE-226-XT / IDCool SE-224-XTS |
| Memory | 32GB 3200 CL16 / 16GB 3200 CL16 |
| Video Card(s) | Red Dragon 6800 XT / Eagle 3070 |
| Storage | 4TB Team MP34 / 2TB WD SN570 |
| Display(s) | LG 32GK650F 1440p 144Hz VA |
| Case | Corsair 4000Air / TT Versa H18 |
| Power Supply | EVGA 650 G3 / EVGA BQ 500 |
Yes that's why I mentioned the PSU and Case were placeholders, but to be fair both are worlds better than what you'd get in a Mini PC + eGPU. And with a lower power build like the 3600 + 6600 the case is fine as I have a Versa (not sure which one) and have no cooling issues.
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| System Name | Brightworks Systems BWS-6 E-IV |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i5-6600 @ 3.9GHz |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 Rev 1.0 |
| Cooling | Quality Fractal Design Define R4 case, 2 x FD 140mm fans, CM Hyper 212 EVO HSF |
| Memory | 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4 3000 Corsair Vengeance |
| Video Card(s) | EVGA GEForce GTX 1050Ti 4Gb GDDR5 |
| Storage | Samsung 850 Pro 256GB SSD, Samsung 860 Evo 500GB SSD |
| Display(s) | Samsung S24E650BW LED x 2 |
| Case | Fractal Design Define R4 |
| Power Supply | EVGA Supernova 550W G2 Gold |
| Mouse | Logitech M190 |
| Keyboard | Microsoft Wireless Comfort 5050 |
| Software | W10 Pro 64-bit |
And like laptops, are inherently vulnerable to heat related problems simply because they have extremely limited space and restricted cooling options.
Designers and manufacturers can pack the power of a standard PC into those tiny cases, but not the cooling. And considering even standard tower cases, with all their many and large case and CPU cooling options are often still challenged to provide sufficient cooling to prevent throttling, it is no wonder tiny cases simply cannot.
It is not about the "need" to upgrade. Nobody ever "needs" to upgrade the hardware except in those cases where the older hardware has become obsolete and will not support (is no longer compatible with) the latest software and protocols.
HOWEVER - computer users (at least those who don't see their computers as just another communications appliance) "like" to upgrade every so often. And therein lies the problem with laptops and mini-PCs. Besides being greatly limited on space (restricting options), they tend to be "proprietary" - an evil, nasty word! They do not comply with an industry standard form factor such as the ATX Form Factor for "PC" computers. So being proprietary greatly restricts (or even eliminates) upgrade options too.
With a PC (at least self or custom built, ATX compliant PCs - not some proprietary factory PCs), it can "evolve" to stay current through years of upgrades not possible with laptops and mini-PCs.