Retro-ish miniPC - Core 2 Quad

[Lnace9231]

I'm building a super cheap retro-ish miniPC for Windows 7, mainly aiming at co-op couch gaming, and trying to use used parts off of ebay wherever possible to do my part to reduce the net sum of e-waste floating around. I've already got a Core 2 Quad Q9400 coming in, an Intel DG45FC mini-ITX motherboard coming in, a low profile 95W cooler for LGA775 coming in, and I'll eventually be getting a new 300W flex-ATX PSU for it because used power supplies scare me. I want to eventually buy two 4GB DDR2 800MHz sticks for it, but for now I think I've got some 1GB or 2GB sticks laying around somewhere to get it up and running. I've also got a GT-1030 to pair with it for now, and all of this will be packed into a Velka 3 case I've been sitting on, with a 500GB SATA SSD. My issues/questions are these:

 

1. The motherboard in question only has a x1 PCIe slot, and the GT-1030 uses up to 4 PCIe lanes if what I've read is correct. It's already a little underpowered for 1080p gaming with that CPU, around a 13% GPU bottleneck, but will the x1 lane limitation make a meaningful dent in it's already modest performance? I have the appropriate riser coming in, I just don't know what to expect.

 

2. Given that x1 PCIe slot limitation, albeit with a x1-x16 riser, what low power ITX graphics card could I upgrade to later, considering it needs to be powered off of the slot, fit in the Velka 3, and have Windows 7 drivers?

 

3. How tolerant of lower RAM speeds are motherboards, generally? This one is specced for DDR2 800MHz and 677MHz, but would it hypothetically work with slower RAM if that's all I have on hand, as an interem configuration to get it up and running?

 

Those questions and concerns aside, if anyone has any advice or ideas they'd like to share, please feel free.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[da na]

You want your RAM speed to be close to your FSB speed. Get 800MHZ RAM if you can, but 667 will be alright.

You really do not want to run that 1030 on a single PCIe 1.1 or 2.0 lane. Get a dedicated x1 graphics card (GT 730 has some x1 models IIRC) or a different motherboard with a x16 slot.

X1 slot can only provide 15 watts on its own. You'd need a riser with a power connector - those used in mining rigs have a 6-pin or Molex connector on the riser to supply the connected x16 slot with the full 75 watts. Again, though, you'd want a native lane of at least x8 on the board.

[jaslion]

What are you playing?

 

Getting an x1 to power a x16 card requires a dedicated riser with power input. Something that isnt small.

 

You'd just be far better off buying a older i5/i7 sff office pc and slapping in a gpu.

[Needfuldoer]

1 hour ago, Lnace9231 said:

a 13% GPU bottleneck

Bottleneck calculators are pretend nonsense. Ignore them.

 

That 1030 (or really, any GPU) is going to be hamstrung by the 1x PCIe interface. 

 

If you want a mini PC to play Windows 7 games, get a small form factor office desktop for a pittance. The parts you bought sound more like an XP machine.

[Alex Atkin UK]

1 hour ago, Needfuldoer said:

Bottleneck calculators are pretend nonsense. Ignore them.

 

That 1030 (or really, any GPU) is going to be hamstrung by the 1x PCIe interface. 

 

If you want a mini PC to play Windows 7 games, get a small form factor office desktop for a pittance. The parts you bought sound more like an XP machine.

Are there even any Windows 7 games that don't work on modern Windows?  In which case, a modern APU would get the job done without the risk of that older hardware failing.  The few older games (late XP, early Windows 7 days) I occasionally play I use the Steam Deck, and they only need a late Pentium 4/Core 2 Duo, not a Quad.

 

Its really early DirectX, Glide/3DFX and late DOS games that are easier on era accurate hardware and software.  Those probably would actually struggle on a Core 2 anything due to timing issues.

[Lnace9231]

 

4 hours ago, Lnace9231 said:

 

While I appreciate the wise suggestions to just build or buy a more modern system, I suppose I should clarify that the main purpose of this project is to be a fun, cheap and potentially useful means of reusing what would otherwise be e-waste. I found the mobo on ebay for $15 and the idea kinda just snowballed from there. So I'm kinda set on using this mobo, x1 PCIe and all, specifically because no one else will or would. I selected a Core 2 Quad because I never got to mess around with one when they were the new big thing, and Windows 7 because it falls well within the realm of feasibility for such a system and because GOG games still support it natively right out of the offline installer, generally speaking. This is a project of compromises, an exercise in craftiness and thriftiness, and above all, an effort to breathe new life into old hardware few people want. So thank you for the suggestions so far everyone, I'll try to find a x1 GT-730 if I can, and in the meantime I'll find a powered riser as advised, thank you! That 1030 has been sitting on my shelf for months, with no home. It'd be nice if it could find one in this build. I'll also shoot for 800MHz memory when I get to the point of finalizing the build. This will hopefully end up being a neat little travel PC for my significant other and I to play couch co-op games on hotel TVs and whatnot when we travel, and I'm looking forward to seeing people doubletake when they see a Core 2 Quad casebadge on the front of a Velka 3!

[Lnace9231]

One further question I suppose, I see a bunch of listings for DDR2-800 on ebay that say they're only for AMD systems, is that legit?

[da na]

5 minutes ago, Lnace9231 said:

One further question I suppose, I see a bunch of listings for DDR2-800 on ebay that say they're only for AMD systems, is that legit?

Many of those indeed only work on AMD systems, not Intel. I wouldn't take the gamble.