Mini Custom PC for Dad
by James C Posted on: 10/21/2022
Build Description
This is a Mini-ITX I built for my father as a birthday gift to replace his old PC. I bought him a new monitor recently, but his old PC was incapable of 4K playback, so I decided to build him this new work/media PC as well. I wanted to go for a unique look and had some fun customizing a tempered-glass case for him. The original case had the tempered glass completely flush and had reviews indicating that the temperatures were atrocious - so I decided buy some stand-offs and new screws to create a 5 mm opening for air to escape. Slapped on budget-friendly parts with some RGB and a pico-power supply to complete this super-slick small-form factor. Was also happy I managed to keep the build near my $500 budget.
Favorite Feature
The look of the tempered-glass case is the most appealing thing about this Mini-ITX build. It's subtle and unique - great for setting in the corner and having a small lightshow in the background without being garish.
Intel Pentium Gold G7400 3.7 GHz Dual-Core LGA 1700 Processor
Qty: 1
$87.00
Saw the review on Gamer's Nexus that this was a decent CPU for work and media with the integrated Intel UHD 710 graphics and decided the price was right.
ASRock H610M-ITX/AC Mini-ITX Motherboard
Qty: 1
$117.00
Fair price for a no-nonsense Mini-ITX motherboard with all the essential features.
XPG DDR4 D50 RGB 16GB (2x8GB) 3600MHz PC4-28800
Qty: 1
$59.00
Subtle RBG ram with decent specs that I got on sale.
Goodisory A01
Qty: 1
$50.00
A sleek little Mini-ITX that looks great but the reviews were saying it had awful thermals for the tempered-glass version. I had to customize it a bit to address the air flow issues.
LEDwholesalers 12V 20A 240W AC/DC Power Adapter
Qty: 1
$48.00
Found this power supply was recommended with the Pico PSU after browsing reddit recommendations.
RGEEK 24pin DC ATX PSU 12V DC Pico PSU Mini ITX PC Power
Qty: 1
$29.00
Needed a Pico PSU to accommodate this super-small-form-factor build instead of a common PSU.
Noctua NH-L9i-17xx
Qty: 1
$55.00
Selected this heatsink for it's ultra-thin form-factor and good reviews, and I replaced the fan with an ARGB ID-Cooling NO-9215-XT fan so I'd have the lights.
Samsung 970 Evo Plus 500 GB
Qty: 1
$45.00
Purchased a refurbished SSD which worked perfectly fine and was right for the price.
Aluminum Stand-Off Rings and M3 Screws
Qty: 1
$10.00
Needed this to create a small lip opening of 5mm between the tempered-glass and case. Got these from a local hardware store.