I would like to ask if someone has already built something like this:
SFF computer (Intel i5 10th Gen.)
PCIe riser cable (PCIe 3rd/4th Gen.)
GPU mount
GPU (say an RTX 3060 Ti)
An additional PSU, to feed the GPU (maybe a standard desktop model?)
Bonus: Wires to auto start the second PSU.
This is currently a thought experiment for me, as I replaced my old computer with a used SFF machine and am thinking whether to add a modern GPU to this system, or build a second computer, purely for playing games.
The advantage, that I see is that the GPU could use the entire PCIe 3.0 bandwith and I could still dual boot Windows and Linux.
Hi back! Is fan noise a concern at all? If so, an eGPU enclosure seems to me, kind of a lot (+$200) too hang on to an sff setup, even with Windows thrown in (sorry, I hope thatās not too forward!).
A Noctua-NHP1 (~$100) or some other passive heatsink might fix that; but wouldnāt fit in any enclosure, limits the max. TDP you can work with (3060ti at [200w] would be right out, but 3050/8GB at [130w] might be okay. not 100% sure of that.), & of course carries the risks of installing a cooler on a bare die yourself.
These are the thoughts of a weird silence freak though, & if the sound of UltimatePowahhhhhh rocks you to sleep/your world, then Hell-Yeah, electric supercharger hood ornaments are always metal af!!
Not really, because itās not a Laptop. Iām not sure if eGPU were compatible with my setup. I donāt know if it were properly discovered by my Fujitsu D9010DT.
Hi, thanks for the answer! Iām someone who enjoys a silent setup. It doesnāt need to be super silent though.
However, I was wandering, what to do in case I want to game a little.
I could get a GTX1650 (without a 6 PIN connector) and try to modify it, so that it fits inside my Fujitsu D9010DT.
Assuming the host (computer/laptop/etc.) has a thunderbolt port (example below), and the enclosure supports it correctly, it will work with any PCIe-device in the enclosure.
Iāve checked on my SFF computer, it has only a standard USB-C port.
Iāll think about getting a small GPU for this case and / or building a gaming rig sometime.
Shame. While costly, it would have been easy to set up.
If there is an M.2 slot available inside the SFF, I think there are ways to pipe that through a cable and into a PCIe-riser. IIRC someone on this forum has done that with a laptop.
That would take me back to the start. I have a Full PCIe 3.0 x16 slot available. So using a riser cable an a GPU is possible. I could lead the riser cable outside of the case.
Maybe I could use a not so power hungry card. OR I could connect just any card and would need an extra PSU for this.
I should probably also include the disclaimer: Tech reviewers always say not to try to use Pro cards for Gaming. Price-to-Perf. is apparently just not there.
I didnāt know those existed. Sth. like that would be an option to deliver additional electricity to larger cards (RTX 3050, or RX 6600XT for instance).
In my case I would need a solution similiar to eGPU (withouth the USB C, but with a riser cable), to be able to use a more modern GPU.
What model is the SFF computer? I know that Gamers Nexus refers to these motherboards as e-waste because they are non-standard and ācanāt fit in any other caseā but that isnāt always true. I grabbed a cheap random ebay Acer motherboard to replace a flaky MSI board, and while it is kinda-sorta-but-not-really FlexATX shaped, it still fit and screwed down fine in an old Lian Li case. It would be way cheaper and easier to fit everything in one standard case if at all possible. If it has oddball power input instead of 20/24 pins, they sell adapters. I chose the Acer board specifically because it had standard power and fan headers to make life easier, but itās not an insurmountable issue.
Iāve bought this computer as a replacement, to have a stable and low power desktop at home. Iāve thought about moving the part into a standard ATX case too. The layout of the mainboard is non - standard ATX though, Iād have to check if it can be moved to a standard case.
You mentioned riser cable and additional external PSU.
Can you dremmel a slot near the PCIe slot, to pass a PCIe ribbon outside?
Problem would be a loose component hanging out the side.
Obviously you can link a switch to PSU 2ās green pins to jump them on, but again it is a little open.
Itās a shame the mini PC canāt have the sides transposed into a slightly larger case, that would allow it all to be contained, including a PSU for the GPU, but I guess mini PCās donāt have sockets lining up right, and not worth bmgettin extensions.
Maybe Dremel a hole for the riser ribbon, and making up a āboxā to encase/shroud the GPU/PSU? Out of wood? Metal better but cat be glued the same
The case has both a 1/2 height opening and a full size single-height opening for the PCIe 3.0 X16 card. A riser card is included, but I was considering to maybe get a riser cable.
Iām going to check the mounting mechanism for the custom mainboard later.
One more thing I forgot to mention; Fujitsu PCIe-slots are not all wired up too PCIe spec, & connecting to the slot directly, w/o going through the included riser can possibly fry your card. This is the case with some server motherboards as well, & Iāve lost a peripheral or two too this. My understanding is that proprietary pcie slots usually just move some GND pins to somewhere they shouldnāt be as a bit of a F$&%-You, so before plugging anything in I would double check both; the documentation, & some hardware modding forums where people may have dealt with these motherboards before.
