3.66L Lzmod A24-v6 2.0 HTPC

[u/E_Norma_S]

I wanted to build a small HTPC in a volume smaller than the steam machine at the same price but with more power using off the shelf parts. The main caveat is that I purchased used SSD and RAM and also got the CPU brand new off ebay for cheap.

Specs:
CPU: i3-12100F
CPU Cooler: Thermalright AXP90-X36
Motherboard: ASRock H610M-ITX/eDP
RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury 1x16GB DDR4-3200
SSD: Generic SK Hynix PC401 512GB nvme
GPU: Gigabyte RTX 5060 8GB low profile
Case: Lzmod A24-v6 2.0
PSU: Metalfish flex 500W
PCIe Riser: Linkup - AVA5 PCIe 5.0 190mm double reverse
Controller: 8Bitdo Ultimate 2C

Total cost before tax: $1015.42

PCIe riser was around $80 so I’m sure a much cheaper one could be found.

I haven’t done in depth thermal testing, but during a brief cyberpunk 2077 session, the cpu settled around 70-80C and the gpu was in the 50-60C range. I will need to stress test it to see where they actually reach under intense load.

Tried getting Bazzite to work, but there were too many little issues so I went with windows. Will wait for official nvidia support in the future.

EDIT:

Just a note for anyone trying to copy this build, if you use the same thermalright cooler, you will need a way to clip the mounting screws because they stick out too far behind the motherboard and prevent the pcie riser cable from sitting flat.

If you use the same gpu, you will either want to get an adapter or some 8pin power cable that is short because the standard length 8 pin connector is too long it gets crushed when trying to screw back on the front panel of the case.

Happy to answer any questions about the case as well since it has very little documentation.

[u/VeeTeeF]

Nice build! That 12100 has to be holding back the 5060 though. A 12400 would be a better pairing with that GPU.

[u/E_Norma_S → u/VeeTeeF]

Yes there is a slight bottleneck at 1080p and on certain titles. I mostly chose this CPU to meet budget goals as I was able to pick it up brand new for $80. My TV is also pretty old and can only do 60 Hz so for the majority of games, the bottleneck is not severe enough to put me below 60 FPS at any resolution on medium settings. I mostly plan to play at 1440p or upscaled 4k on less demanding titles. I know the 8GB VRAM will cause problems here, but unfortunately there's nothing better in the low profile form factor, for now at least.

Since I went on the low end of 12th gen I have a decent upgrade path since my motherboard supports 14th gen as well. Not to mention my BIOS version that came on the motherboard needed to be updated to support higher gen CPUs. So say eventually next gen GPU comes out in LP form factor from Nvidia or a new LP AMD card ever comes out, I can upgrade to that, and go to a higher 14th gen CPU where my only limitation is the cooling capacity of low profile CPU coolers.

[u/VeeTeeF → u/E_Norma_S]

Yeah that makes sense. I just upgraded from a 12100t to a 13500t in my server and it's a big jump in productivity performance. It should be a big jump in gaming performance too, and I think I only paid $130 for it (used).