SPCR

For sometime I’d wanted to upgrade my HTPC setup so it could also handle all emulators + other light gaming (racing/sports).

I was unaware, until some research, that my old Antec 300-65, which had gone through two builds, had a beefier power board than expected. Since it was apparently 135w, I thought it could probably take a Ryzen 5 2400G with a little to spare when used with a larger 19v brick. So I went down that route.

All seemed good, with the set-up and install, no issues getting it to post, etc. However, despite not hitting anything remotely high on my wattage meter, I found most stress tests caused an instant reboot i.e. within a second. Puzzled by this I did a few checks, no apparent issues. Therefore, I went back to the net and tucked away in an old XBMC forum thread I found someone had experienced similar albeit 6 or 7 years ago.

So I went a different route after eschewing a pico-psu. I struggled to find a suitable case, nothing really fitted where the Antec went or if it did, it wasn’t of similar quality. If I’d gone for a large HTPC case like a Grandia, I would have had to dump by Bluray player. That idea was binned.

I had an alternative space, about 18cm wide and 40cm deep. Up for consideration were the Node 202, Silverstone Fortress and the Cougar QBX. I went for something leftfield with the Cooltek/Jonsbo UMX1 Plus. Having to get it from Germany, which will hopefully be painless. It hits the mark for style with a decent amount of substance. Although my build will be utilising the Ryzen’s APU, the case gives me decent upgradeability down the line.

So here’s the planned full build (most parts already bought):

Case - Cooltek/Jonsbo UMX1 Plus (Black with Window)
CPU - Ryzen 5 2400G
Board - ASRock Fatal1ty AB350 Gaming-ITX/ac
Cooler - Noctua NH-L9a-AM4
RAM - Crucial Ballistix Sport 3000Mhz 2x 8GB (did initially get HyperX Fury but when I read the Ryzen loves fast ram I switched up)
Storage - Samsung 850 EVO 250GB (may change to Crucial MX500 500GB if there’s another deal before Xmas) + WD 2TB (WD20SPZX)
PSU - BeQuiet Pure Power 11 500w (so I can add a GPU with no need to upgrade)
Case Fan - Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM

I am planning a slight overclock of the CPU & APU, just see where it goes. If all is good, I’ll add Noctua NF-A8 PWM in the remaining fan space.

I think it’s pretty solid, touch of overkill I admit. I’d be interested to know others' thoughts. Ta.

With 130mm case clearance for the cooler, I would have gone with something beefier than the L9...like the L12, if you want Noctua. Much more overhead for silent cooling.

CA_Steve wrote:With 130mm case clearance for the cooler, I would have gone with something beefier than the L9...like the L12, if you want Noctua. Much more overhead for silent cooling.

I'd originally bought it for use in the Antec case. It's sitting on MB as I 'speak'.

Worth trading up even for a small overclock?

<shrug> Since it's on hand, try it. Then decide if you need something better.

I'm going to re-use the Antec case in a different set-up. So If I can find a cheap AM4 board (tricky for itx) I'd pair it with an 35w Athlon 200GE and use the NH-L9a-AM4 there. Pick up the L12 as suggested for the new machine.

The Antec's previous build was an integrated J3710 from ASRock. That's now in another (InterTech) case and struggling a little. Fine for light stuff and Kodi, not much else. I'd stick that back under a TV again.