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My portable PC build

Published May 22, 2025 by Zhymabek Roman

My Build

  • OS: EndeavourOS (GNU Arch Linux) with KDE 6 - free. Why Linux: 1) I use Linux because I love Linux, 2) I'm a developer, so using Linux is more preferable.
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700 - $200 (AliExpress). I had different options like first 7500, then "I need a CPU with GPU just in case", so I considered 7600, then I thought "let's get maximum power", so I looked at 7800x3d, but after reading that the x3d built-in cache is very overpriced and you would get the full benefit mostly from games, I changed my mind to 7700x, because I don't play games much. One day, I randomly found a deal in a Telegram channel dedicated to cheap AliExpress items, and I thought, "Okay, it's not the 7700x version, but overall fine". After watching a video from LTT that essentially explained x-versions are expensive for their performance boost compared to non-x versions, I got this deal.
  • GPU: Asus RTX 3060 Phoenix - $220 (bought second-hand, totally brand new, with sealed package). I'm not a gamer, although I play CS2, Undertale, and Call of Duty WW2. This GPU from Asus is perfect for SFF cases like DeepCool. It has only one fan and a short width compared to standard GPU form factors.
  • Storage #1 (system drive) - Intel Optane SSD DC P5801X 400G - $340 (153,660.64 KZT). I know, this price is crazy. But you don't know the beauty of this enterprise server SSD.
  • Storage #2 (games, etc) - Kingston KC3000 1TB - ~$112 (56,000 KZT)
  • Storage #3,4,5 - Enterprise grade SSD drives
  • PSU - ATX 850 W Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 from local store - ~$160 (80,000 KZT). Why this one particularly? Because it has 100% Japanese capacitors. Now I can't find this PSU in stock, I guess because it's replaced by a cheaper version of this model (GF A3), which only has one Japanese capacitor and has a bad reputation (based on LTT lab PSU tests). As alternatives, I thought about Corsair SF850L and Corsair SF750, but the price difference is really significant.
  • Motherboard: ASRock B650E PG-ITX WiFi, AM5 - ~$240 (local store - 120,000 KZT). By the way, it supports bifurcation (which I don't use in practice, but just in case someone wants to buy this motherboard for this particular feature). Overall, nothing special. Compared to ASUS ROG Strix B850-I, it's much cheaper, but without a BIOS flush button, only 2 SATA and some minor features.
  • M.2 NVMe to U.2/U.3/E1.S/E3.S SSD Extension Cable - 28$ (~12 300 KZT) - to connect Intel Optane with E1.S enterprise connector to PCIe.
  • Display - 13.3 inches 1080P 2.5K - $62 (AliExpress)
  • Trackball - Kensington Orbit, Wireless - $62 (AliExpress)
  • Keyboard - Rapoo V500 Alloy - ~$20 (10,000 KZT). I got the cheapest mechanical keyboard available in my local stores.

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