by A player wants to cheaply upgrade the PC he received as a gift. Since there isn’t much space in the compact housing, he comes up with a brilliant idea. This way he can use a graphics card that is actually too big and thus save money.
It often happens that companies dismantle their old PC systems and replace them with newer models. Reddit user DntPMme also found himself in a similar situation and received a mini PC from his company for free.
However, he received the device without a hard drive and gaming-capable graphics card. To keep the financial outlay as low as possible, the gamer opted for a standard graphics card that would not easily fit into the compact case. But there are also cases when the newly purchased graphics card is unknowingly too large for your case.
As a 3D printer owner, he came up with the idea of attaching the graphics card to the outside of the computer using a self-printed bracket. You can find out how he did it in detail here on MeinMMO.
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What is it about? A Reddit user received a mini PC as a gift. This is a Lenovo ThinCentre M720s with a compact design, the so-called SFF (Small Form Factor) format. His employer had decommissioned several such systems and provided him with one. For data protection reasons, the hard drive was previously removed and disposed of properly.
Sometimes lucky people find fully functional gaming PCs, including data storage, in the trash.
He provided the following specifications:
- Processor: Intel Core i7-8700, base clock 3.20 GHz
- RAM: 16GB DDR4
- Power: 180 watts
DntPMme’s plan was to turn the old office computer into a gaming system for less demanding games and for little money. To do this he needed new data storage medium and a suitable graphics card. Suitable low-profile graphics cards with a low overall height were too expensive for him on the second-hand market with prices between 85 and 140 euros.
So the gamer decided to buy a full-sized model and mount the graphics card outside the case. Due to the small power supply he chose an Nvidia 1050 TI from Gigabyte for around 50 euros. He installed a 1TB NVMe SSD from Cruical as the new data storage. The SSD also cost him 50 euros.
How did DntPme proceed? According to him, the amount of craftsmanship required was quite manageable. Within 10 minutes, he used a CAD program to design a suitable fixture on which to mount the 1050 TI. He then produced the finished design with his 3D printer and attached the bracket to the PC case. One hobbyist had to invest a lot more work in completely converting his old Xbox console.
Using a small saw, he removed a piece from the top of the case so he could attach the graphics card to the rest of the computer. Use a newly purchased PCIe riser cable for around 15 euros between the slot on the motherboard and the external Gigabyte 1050 TI.
Such expansion cards/cables are normally used to be able to install large graphics cards vertically in a space-saving manner. The player was able to do without an additional power cable as the card receives power exclusively via the PCIe port.
Was DntPMme successful in his plan? According to the comments in his post, yes. Now he’s done some testing and put the system through its paces with less graphically intensive games. He says that older titles are playable on medium graphics settings and that newer games are playable on low settings.
The player is satisfied with his project and is already thinking about whether it is possible to install a more powerful and therefore larger power supply. However he leaves the choice whether he wants to mount a larger power supply inside or as the graphics card outside.
If you are looking for a new power supply, we can recommend a model that will save you time and nerves.
