Exploring Innovation: Building a Mini Gaming PC that Surpasses a Home Console
Step into the world of innovation with a breathtaking new look at the creation of a compact gaming PC that outperforms your standard home console. Embracing the Lian Li A4-H20 case, smaller than a PlayStation 5, this PC houses an RTX 4090 graphics card, a large water cooling system, and a pump, all in its tiny frame.
Join our thriving Facebook community dedicated to PC building, where we have witnessed a plethora of unconventional gaming PC designs, ranging from modified existing cases to ground-up builds. You can even submit your own project for consideration. Here, we delve into a conversation with Etienne about his journey in assembling and designing this SFF PC model.
Etienne shares, “Having seen numerous SFF builds with custom cooling setups on YouTube, I decided to take on the challenge. While I’ve crafted custom cooling systems before, I had never done so in such a compact case.”
Using a Dremel, Etienne modified the bottom part of the case to fit the water block and created a handmade side panel with acrylic ventilation and a wooden front plate.
The entire process took around 30 hours over the span of a year, including time for recording a time-lapse during the build.
Encountered any challenges during the design and build process?
“Yes, initially, the water block didn’t fit, so I had to trim the case. Furthermore, the reservoir-pump-radiator combo was leaking, and it took me hours to troubleshoot to realize that the O-ring seal inside the pump had shifted.”
Are you completely satisfied with the final result or is there anything you’d like to refine further?
“Overall, I am content, but I was slightly disappointed with the GPU’s temperature. I’m used to aggressively overclocking GPUs, as it’s one of the aims of water cooling, but in this case, I can’t push it further because the small radiator is too limited to dissipate more heat. Even at stock settings, the temperature under stress reaches the upper 60s, not significantly different from a good air cooler. Nevertheless, I did manage to install an RTX 4090 in this case thanks to the water cooling setup.”
### Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
#### What are SFF PCs?
SFF stands for Small Form Factor, referring to compact-sized computers designed to maintain high performance in a small footprint.
#### What is a water cooling system in a PC?
A water cooling system circulates liquid coolant through a series of components in a PC, transferring heat away from critical parts to keep temperatures low for optimal performance.
#### What is a time-lapse in PC building?
A time-lapse is a video recording technique where a series of images taken at set intervals are played back at a much faster rate, visually compressing time, ideal for showcasing lengthy processes such as PC building.
### Parts of Compact Size:
– Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
– Motherboard: MSI MPG B650 Carbon
– Memory: 32GB G.Skill Flare 6000MHz
– GPU: Gigabyte Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 OC 24G
– Storage: WD Black SN850 1TB x2
– Power Supply: Silverstone Technology SX1000 80+ Platinum
– Case: Lian Li A4H2O
– Fans: Noctua NF-A12x25 x2
### Cooling Components:
– EK-Quantum Vector² Master RTX 4080 D-RGB – Nickel + Plexi
– HJ 240MM Pump Radiator Reservoir Combo Kit
– Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM chromax/black/swap 60.09 CFM 120 mm fans (x2) in a push configuration
– EK-HDC LigNum 12mm
– Walnut – EK-Quantum Torque Micro Rotary 90°
– Black – EK-Quantum Torque Rotary 45°
– Black – Hydro X Series XT Hardline 12mm Tubes – Satin Black
– EK-CryoFuel Acid Green
Would you proudly display this mini PC instead of a home console in your living room? We certainly would, especially considering how stunning the final design looks. It could have easily fit into a much larger case, but its small size is a remarkable feat in itself.
This feature was originally shared on Custom PC, known for showcasing incredible PC builds for over 20 years and now part of PCGamesN. Join our Facebook group with over 500,000 members to discuss this project.
If you consider yourself an expert in PC building, you can submit your own project today for a chance to feature on PCGamesN in the future.
Experience the marvel of a compact SFF gaming PC. With the use of the Lian Li A4-H20 case, the creator managed to house an RTX 4090 and robust cooling system. This innovative approach to PC building is gaining momentum among enthusiasts seeking high performance in a minimalistic setup.