[SOLVED] Cheapest ARM and/or X86/64 PC with a PCIE slot?

[MeeLee]

Looking for a sub $100 system, tiny, power efficient, with at least a PCIE 1x slot, or mini PCIE slot, preferably 4x or higher if possible!

Small in package, low in power, just to drive a single graphics card (with or without riser).

 

[NightHawkRMX]

https://m.newegg.com/products/9SIA5HA67X9307
You could stretch to a sff del optiplex.

 

[MeeLee]

I was actually looking for something smaller than a mini itx, and cheap, motherboard, not an entire pc.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

What about an intel nuc baby canyon. They do not have a full size PCIE slot, but you could adapt the m.2 slot to a pcie. They also have a thunderbolt port you can adapt to a pcie enclosure (for a lot of money) The nuc are about $200 used since they havw kaby lake cpus but they may need aditional parts to work.

 

[NightHawkRMX]

Here is a weaker but still pretty modern celeron (2c/2t) nuc with 8gb or ram and 40gb ssd. It has unactivated win10 Used for $130. Note this nuc doesnt have a thunderbolt port. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intel-NUC-DN2820FYKH-8GB-RAM-MEMORY-40GB-SSD-/202547221564
You could use this $30 m.2 to pcie 16x adapter with this. https://m.newegg.com/products/9SIAA0C7Z96866?ignorebbr=true&source=googleshopping&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleMKP-Mobile&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleMKP-Mobile-_-pla-beaugoodgoods-_-Video+Cards+-+AMD%2FATI-_-9SIAA0C7Z96866&gclsrc=aw.ds&gclid=Cj0KCQiA37HhBRC8ARIsAPWoO0xEMh21WvZRv1NAVbEiCof8IlyPAmPPYsWLlWlltLaKILYYuBWVX-0aAioiEALw_wcB
This is $150 total, i know this is a little pricy, but this is a tiny system and i dont know of anything that small for cheap. This nuc is so small it comes in a box the size of a normal intel cpu box!

 

[Vic 40]

Some names ,google those,
"ASRock J3355B-ITX"
"ASRock J4005M" (has four cores for if it matters)
"ASRock J4005B-ITX"

 

[MeeLee]

Thanks,
I looked around, but there are too many incompatibilities with m2 ports, and graphics cards.
Starting from driver issues, to issues with cabling.

I checked out the fractal design node 202, their smallest case, but it's nearly the same size as a Dell desktop PC, so I returned it!

In the end, I had to settle for this rosewill case:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004Q7J1S0/

It only fits a single slot graphics card, but with some serious frankensteining, like cutting, bending and drilling, I was able to fit a Zotac 2070 Blower type of card.
It all fits perfect, save for the motherboard, that needed separate mounting holes, and the backplate I needed to cut 1/2" of material off.

I now own probably the first and only $50 motherboard, $50 CPU, $50 ram, $24 SSD, $10 dual 8cm fans, $50 rosewill case with a 2070 mounted in!
Even the CPU cooler, I had to remove the fan, because it wouldn't fit. So the CPU gets passively cooled, through one of the Case fans, and the PSU fan.

It's truly a frankenstein monster inside, but from the outside one can only notice some minor cutting in the back,and a power supply cable hole on the top cover.

The rest looks totally stock; fits in a backpack.
If I try hard, it will still have room inside for a DVD disk drive.

It runs cool. CPU reaches about 70-77F under full load; well within throttle limit.
GPU reaches 80F under 100% fan load and 175Watt. Once I start overclocking, it can reach temperatures of 85F with 100% fan speed.
I'm looking to drill some holes in the side of the case, for better airflow.
That GPU in an open case, reaches 77C with 66% fan speed, or 66C with a 100% fan speed. So in a tiny case like this, it could go down by a good 10C the least!
GPU fan sucks air out of the case, and helps CPU to cool down by a few degrees, to 70-74F.

Overall it's a very stable system. Great for gaming (100+ FPS heaven benchmark).

I just wished it was a tiny bit smaller. The size is good, but it's more shaped like a toaster than flat; as the card and the motherboard are perpendicular, rather than parallel.

 

[MeeLee]

I used my Brix PC, and it does come with 2x mini PCIE 2.0 1x slots.
With a converter, I can convert it to a standard PCIE 1x/4x slot, and from there use full size, powered PCIE risers!

Thanks for the suggestions!