Updating my PC in 3.3L case
I haven’t made any changes to my compact PC for a long time. So during recent Holidays, it was finally time to do something with it. Basically, I have found only three options:
- Shrink down SFF case from 3.3L to 2.1L. It was my main goal but it appeared, that I also need an external power supply like for a laptop. So this idea wasn’t so appealing anymore. Due to the fact, that the overall volume of the solution remains the same. But for some people, it could be a good option to move forward.
2. Upgrade CPU from Ryzen 5 3400g to a Ryzen 5 5600g. The main focus was gaming performance and 2 generations update had to help me. I checked specs and multiple youtube videos. It appeared, that the difference is really slim in terms of GPU. CPU was way better due to a more efficient tech process (12nm vs 7nm) and more cores (4 vs 6) but it hasn’t affected gaming performance due to lower range APU (Vega 11 vs Vega 7).
3. Upgrade cooler from Noctua L9i to Noctua U12S. The idea behind this option is related to a better and more consistent boost clock due to better cooling. Also, it was room for overclocking as well.
The installation process was straightforward but I had to get rid of the hood of the case and it reminded me a bit of muscle cars.
Then I checked a default performance in Geekbench and Cinebench and I was disappointed. It was not any big difference and sometimes it was no difference at all. The biggest change is the noise level. It went down from 50db to 40db at max load. Also, it got much cooler (82C to 62C).
Then I checked gaming performance and it hasn’t changed as well. It was noticeable, that CPU and GPU had better and sustainable clocks. But overall, no effect on gaming.
So the last chance was to overclock GPU. I was able to bump the clock from 1400MHz to 1650Mhz. Unfortunately, it was no visual FPS change. The only thing which was better is the responsiveness of the game. Anyway it was not enough to convince me of the success of the upgrade, so I decided to get back to the initial state of the build (
