What's The Smallest PC I Can Buy/Build With A Dedicated GPU Inside?

[ESC@PE]

I'm looking for something that I can either buy pre-built or potentially build on my own.

I'd like for the case to be able to house at least a 3070 or better card.

It doesnt have to be SO cramped inside that everything is super-snug. But I dont want a full tower anymore, that's for sure.

Recommendations? Current gen Intel CPU, DDR5 RAM - No flashy lights needed, I'm open to whatever, hopefully price point could be around $1k or so.

Thanks

[Brandon H Supervisor]

most mini-itx cases support full size GPUs these days with a riser. if looking on Newegg or similar sites then the case sales pages will usually advise what dimensions are supported for GPUs

[ESC@PE]

How do i know which motherboard would fit into whichever case properly? 

[Brandon H Supervisor]

On 03/10/2023 at 13:23, ESC@PE said:

How do i know which motherboard would fit into whichever case properly? 

cases will also state what size board they support (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX, etc.)

[hellowalkman Editor]

On 03/10/2023 at 23:53, ESC@PE said:

How do i know which motherboard would fit into whichever case properly? 

Cases and motherboards have size standards so they work together. For example, since you want to build a small PC, you are looking for ITX or Mini ITX form factor case / board.

Likewise for GPU, you will be better off with either a reference card or a low-profile card.

The PSU will be an SFF (small form factor) one as well.

In this way, you will gradually be selecting the parts that fit your budget.

[ESC@PE]

Thanks. So a Mini-ITX case is probably the smallest case i can get that will house a regular sized graphics card?

Whats the case size chart look like from smallest -> Biggest?

[satukoro]

On 04/10/2023 at 12:13, ESC@PE said:

Thanks. So a Mini-ITX case is probably the smallest case i can get that will house a regular sized graphics card?

Whats the case size chart look like from smallest -> Biggest?

I found this which one of the reviewers has a 3080 in: https://www.newegg.com/black-jonsbo-d30-series-micro-atx-mini-itx/p/2AM-006A-00089?Item=9SIAY3SHUW4112

I found this which allegedly supports dual slot full size gpus up to 300mm in length (but no reviews): https://www.newegg.com/alamengda-fn-atx-mini-tower/p/2AM-0319-00083?Item=9SIBFGVJKU3754

I found this which some reviewers have an RTX gpu in (it says it supports dual slot gpus up to 270mm in length so you'd have to measure): https://www.newegg.com/p/2AM-006A-00091?Item=9SIAY3SHUW6373

Here is a reference for case sizes: https://www.easypc.io/img/cases/different-case-sizes.png

 

After skimming through the reviews on these it seems heat dissipation can be a concern in certain cases.

For GPU size reference I have an RTX 3080 and it is 305mm long. After a quick search on newegg I found some RTX 3070 cards between 290 and 320mm but I'm sure you can find them outside that size range.

[Skyfrog]

This site may be helpful for you, you can choose all your parts and it will make sure they are compatible. You could first choose a case and then go from there.

https://pcpartpicker.com

[Jim K Global Moderator]

I believe it would be wise to watch a few videos on YouTube of ITX builds w/ full size GPUs.  You can learn the different challenges of such a build (cable management, thermals, costs, etc.).

Some channels I would recommend which have reviews and builds in ITX cases.

https://www.youtube.com/@optimumtech/videos

https://www.youtube.com/user/HardwareCanucks/videos

For example:

 

[ESC@PE]

Crap I guess the other thing i forgot about is that i'd like to fit at least 1 3.5inch HDD inside the case. So Mini ITX may not work for me. Thanks for the tips so far everyone, Still digging....

[ESC@PE]

Can anyone recommend a next size up case that would be able to fit a 3.5 hdd inside?

[satukoro]

Have you considered getting an external case for a 3.5in hdd array?

[Jim K Global Moderator]

On 09/10/2023 at 08:33, ESC@PE said:

Can anyone recommend a next size up case that would be able to fit a 3.5 hdd inside?

mATX.

The Hyte Revolt 3, NZXT H210i and Phanteks Evolve Shift 2 can have full size* GPUs, are ITX and can fit a 3.5 HDD.  Might want to take a look at reviews/build a videos of those cases to see if any meet your requirements and if you're up to the challenge (especially the Hyte and Phanteks).  Take a good look at the NZXT model...that could satisfy your needs and might be relatively easy to build in.

[Brandon H Supervisor]

On 09/10/2023 at 08:33, ESC@PE said:

Can anyone recommend a next size up case that would be able to fit a 3.5 hdd inside?

there are a few good low profile options available that could fit 3.5s. they're just less common these days because people seem to like to go to the extreme with 'low profile' now.

here's a couple I found on Newegg though.

This one is mini-ITX compatible if you did want to go with the smaller motherboard https://www.newegg.com/black-silverstone-ml07b-mini-itx-media-center-htpc-case/p/N82E16811163256 with a riser cable it can fit a dual slot GPU.

This is a good all-arounder if it's not too big for your needs; should fit micro-ATX or full size ATX https://www.newegg.com/p/2AM-006F-001C9

[ESC@PE]

On 10/10/2023 at 08:16, satukoro said:

Have you considered getting an external case for a 3.5in hdd array?

No but it's a good idea! I'd like everything to "live" internally though. 

On 10/10/2023 at 09:47, Brandon H said:

there are a few good low profile options available that could fit 3.5s. they're just less common these days because people seem to like to go to the extreme with 'low profile' now.

here's a couple I found on Newegg though.

This one is mini-ITX compatible if you did want to go with the smaller motherboard https://www.newegg.com/black-silverstone-ml07b-mini-itx-media-center-htpc-case/p/N82E16811163256 with a riser cable it can fit a dual slot GPU.

This is a good all-arounder if it's not too big for your needs; should fit micro-ATX or full size ATX https://www.newegg.com/p/2AM-006F-001C9

I like these! Thanks for the tips

[Ixion]

They may be a little hard to find as Intel have stopped making new NUC machines but https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/docs/boards-kits/nuc/mini-pcs/nuc-13-extreme.html supports a 12" triple slot GPU just not the 3.5" disk as others have suggested I would go external for those.

May I ask why you want "the smallest PC possible?" having been there done that for a couple of builds I went back to mid-sized cases as the better airflow and space for bigger fans made everything so much quieter and cooler, that way you also get plenty of room for a full-sized ATX board and power supply and no worries about internally mounting 3.5" drives, in terms of footprint on the floor there's less difference than you'd think and modern components run hot hot hot so the more space the better!

[ESC@PE]

On 11/10/2023 at 07:19, Ixion said:

They may be a little hard to find as Intel have stopped making new NUC machines but https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/products/docs/boards-kits/nuc/mini-pcs/nuc-13-extreme.html supports a 12" triple slot GPU just not the 3.5" disk as others have suggested I would go external for those.

May I ask why you want "the smallest PC possible?" having been there done that for a couple of builds I went back to mid-sized cases as the better airflow and space for bigger fans made everything so much quieter and cooler, that way you also get plenty of room for a full-sized ATX board and power supply and no worries about internally mounting 3.5" drives, in terms of footprint on the floor there's less difference than you'd think and modern components run hot hot hot so the more space the better!

I just dont want a large tower taking up a lot of space. Maybe a smaller box i can leave on top / off to the side of my desk - at least looking like it's a little more confined. I'm tired of a big heavy tower sitting under my desk whereas i can probably get the same output with a smaller box.