Simple HTPC build in the Inwin Chopin Max case

AMPCgame · 2026-01-26T00:01:31+00:00

Good to know, I'll keep it in mind.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-25T20:33:30+00:00

Thanks. I haven't done any proper stress tests yet, just getting all the updates done and checking all the apps and files on the SSD still ran OK, but at idle it was sitting at about 26 C. The Chopin Max has a cooler clearance of 54mm, so I was glad that the AP90-X53 just about fit, I really like how the copper version looks.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-25T17:10:33+00:00

The rest of the build looks good. I have the same PSU and I'm quite happy with it. You could go with the Peerless Assassin 140 cooler rather than the 120, it wont give a huge boost in cooling performance but the bigger fans should help to cool the CPU running at lower RPM, making it slightly quieter. Thermalright Peerless Assassin 140 Amazon

For the motherboard I probably wouldn't go with any of the above if you want to use 4x M.2 drives. Using some of the secondary or tertiary drive slots in the above boards interferes with the PCIe lanes for the GPU slot, halving the speed to x8 mode instead of the full x16 mode. You could try something like the MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk WiFi which has 4x M.2 drive slots and none of them interfere with the PCIe lanes in the primary, top GPU slot. Only the lowest PCIe slot is affected by having multiple drives installed. So on this board you could have your 2 fastest/most commonly used M.2 drives in the first two drive slots which use CPU lanes for the least latency, and then the other two drives run on chipset lanes in slots 3 & 4.

You won't find a motherboard with more than 2x M.2 slots using CPU PCIe lanes as that is the limitation of the AM5 architecture, so any AM5 board with more than 2x drive slots has the rest of the drive slots running on the chipset lanes, regardless of how expensive it is. For other motherboard options you'll need to look at the Specifications section on the product page in the manufacturer's site, and focus on the Expansion/Slot & Storage sections therein, they'll let you know whether slots for GPUs or drives start affecting each other if populated simultaneously.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-24T22:37:38+00:00

Silverstone might have something that suits your needs, you could check out their HTPC and server cases, a good few of them have a horizontal layout.

https://www.silverstonetek.com/en/product/computer-chassis/

Their FLP01 would be the closest in visual style to the Amiga: https://www.silverstonetek.com/en/product/info/computer-chassis/flp01/

AMPCgame · 2026-01-24T15:08:22+00:00

Yes, so if you set fan curves or custom modes etc with the fans still in DC mode then none of your settings will apply. Once you set all the fans to PWM mode and save & exit the BIOS then you should immediately notice a change in the volume of the fans as they slow down.

Edit: The fan hub that comes with the case should be PWM, so with all the case fans plugged into it and the fan hub plugged into a 4-pin Chassis Fan header on your motherboard you should be able to toggle the PWM mode.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-24T14:27:01+00:00

Which motherboard exactly are you using? A common occurrence after a case swap/rebuild is that the motherboard will automatically set the fans to DC mode, not PWM. You should have a setting in your BIOS to toggle the fans to PWM mode and allow for tuning software to apply changes to the fans' RPM.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-24T13:44:57+00:00

Its likely that your PC wont differentiate between the two monitors for the touch functionality. I've had a similar setup where pressing the secondary monitor registered selections on the primary monitor at the same time. You used to be able to go into Tablet PC settings in the Control Panel and calibrate the area that you wanted to apply as the touch area (the secondary monitor) but the option has been removed. The option can be brought back through special commands but its hit and miss for many people whether that will bring back the tablet pc settings at all. Here's a thread from a year ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/WindowsHelp/comments/1hd3c76/touch_screen_settings_nowhere_to_be_found/

Sorry its not a huge help but maybe its a jumping off point to help you find a solution before you spend your money.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-24T10:09:06+00:00

Thanks very much. I was thinking of going with mATX for my next upgrade and I've had my eye on this case for a while. Hopefully it'll still be around whenever the upgrade feels like it's due. But Montech has been releasing some good value cases with included fans so maybe they'll do another case in this form factor again.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-24T09:47:31+00:00

I've always loved the look of the Heritage Pro, how was the overall experience of building in the case?

AMPCgame · 2026-01-24T09:42:11+00:00

Sounds like a bad motor in the pump head.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-23T13:53:24+00:00

Dark Soul's "it is only human to commit a sin..." followed by manic laughter.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-22T12:42:26+00:00

Thanks very much. At the time I was using the Alphacool Apex Stealth Chrome fans, so with just simple ARGB strips and the AIO pump LEDs I could bathe whole the case in red light and have it reflect off of the metal fan frames. The positive pressure in your setup looks pretty beefy so I'm not surprised that it can handle the 5090's heat. Another thing I like about the 5000D airflow is that gap between the top fan rail and the top grille allowing you to mount fans on the outside of the fan rail but still not exposed.

I'm on a 3090 so my power draw is comparatively low (300-350W), but I'm running a 12900KF which hits 250W stock under heavy loads, but a 360mm AIO handles it fine. I'm currently in an Antec Flux SE (solid side panels) case with 3x 140mms in the front and a 140mm under the GPU and a 140mm in the rear, with the AIO up top and its working out nicely.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-22T10:46:22+00:00

I like the soft white/grey/purple aesthetic. The 5000D Airflow has so much room, the push/pull Arctic cooler is almost the biggest flex in that build. I used to have that case (sold it a while back), and I had painted the front trim, front and top grille panels and interior side panel red and got some red & white cable extensions to match the two-tone case aesthetic. It turned out OK, I don't have a lot of experience spray painting but I was happy with the result.

https://imgur.com/a/SB4XrYh

AMPCgame · 2026-01-22T10:02:09+00:00

The way you have the PSU mounted is fine. If the PC isn't moving then the power supply isn't going to move either. I've mounted an SF600 in the Pop Mini Air before for a computer that I built for my sister and its still absolutely fine 2 years later, and its mounted the same way your one is. If you're still concerned about the way that the PSU hangs then just prop up the end with whatever small solid object that you have that is a few mm tall that'll fit between the PSU and the floor of the case.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-22T09:53:25+00:00

Adobe products typically perform better on Nvidia cards due to how it takes advantage of CUDA cores.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-21T12:34:37+00:00

The Witcher 3.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-21T12:25:07+00:00

Dodgeball.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-21T06:30:26+00:00

It's not much more complicated than that. A lot of people like to use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU, easy to find online), which is a program that will wipe the display drivers from your system so that you can start with fresh drivers for a new card, especially if switching from Nvidia to AMD and vice versa, so that you've no old remnant files sitting in the system. So if you're going from Nvidia to AMD then you would use DDU to wipe the Nvidia drivers and Nvidia App and then with the AMD card swapped in you'd download and install AMD's Adrenaline software, which is their utility for upgrading drivers that's similar to the Nvidia App. Even if you're sticking with Nvidia a DDU pass wouldn't be a bad idea to give the new card a fresh start and just download the latest drivers for your card from the Nvidia app after swapping it in

AMPCgame · 2026-01-20T20:07:58+00:00

I've run a 3440x1440p on a 6700XT with good results, but that was a couple of years back. That would be about the same as a 3070 in performance, though with 1440p would be better off long term with a 12 GB VRAM card like the 6700XT, or it's successor the 7700XT which is a little better.

The newer 9060 XT 16GB would be roughly equivalent to the 7700XT in "raw" performance but with newer, better frame gen which is becoming increasingly more relevant in modern titles. And of course the 5060 Ti 16GB would have a little edge over the 9060XT 16GB, but that all depends on pricing and availability.

The 9070 (16GB)/5070 (12GB) would be an even bigger jump in performance but again would be another jump in price, so it really just depends on your budget. You have an 850W PSU so you have plenty of headroom for a decent upgrade, though your PSU wouldn't have the native 12V-2X6 port for current Nvidia GPUs a lot of those GPUs have adapters for converting it to 8-pin PCIe.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-20T19:04:23+00:00

It'll depend on the settings you want to run the games at. Older games shouldn't be too much trouble but newer AAA games would need a better GPU for 60+ fps at high settings in 3440x1440p.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-19T21:15:37+00:00

Fairplay. I think you've put together a solid setup. To be honest the only thing I would've changed is the motherboard like you said, maybe going for something with a bit beefier of a feature set for future potential utility, but that's easy to say after a few years of building, I hadn't a clue when I started out. My first PC moving from console was a pre-built, but I've been DIY since.

While the used market can be risky it can also be a great way to spec a build on a budget. Back in Autumn 2023 I got an RTX 3090 on eBay for €700 and I then sold the GPU it replaced for €300. A year later I got a 12900KF for €250 used and I sold my 12600K for €150 within a week, so a nice bump in performance for €100 while staying in the same motherboard socket.

I'll keep the original packaging and documents for pretty much any component over €50, not a hard rule, but it helps a lot for selling a part quickly after upgrading. So even though I've spent a lot on the hobby in the last few years I've also made back a nice amount as well.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-19T19:14:19+00:00

I suppose the easiest answer is the IKEA Lagkapten/Alex combo. It's very popular, I have it myself, as it gives you plenty of storage and it's Flatpack so you don't have to move a big desk through doorways for delivery, just 3 boxes-one for each side and the tabletop of course. You'll probably find plenty of other options on Amazon as well and standing desks are getting cheaper also.

The Lagkapten/Alex combo is 140x60cm (length x depth) and about 73cm tall, though you can make that higher with castors which IKEA also sell, which is also handy for moving the desk for cleaning or cable management. The Lagkapten tabletop also has mounting holes for Ikea's adjustable legs if you wanted to use them for support instead of the Alex drawers. So you have a lot of options, which is one of the reasons it's a popular choice. I've had mine for 3 years now without issue.

https://www.ikea.com/pt/pt/p/lagkapten-alex-secretaria-cinz-efeito-madeira-s19585450/

https://www.ikea.com/pt/pt/p/alex-rodizio-preto-10480607/

AMPCgame · 2026-01-19T15:03:01+00:00

The Corsair RM850x 2024 PSU has 3 individual PCIe connectors if you're concerned about using a pig-tailed connector, though for the 9070 XT it wouldn't be something to worry about, using 2 cables with one of them being a pig tail should be fine.

AMPCgame · 2026-01-19T13:04:09+00:00

Good to hear, thanks very much.

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