I'm looking to upgrade from my ASUS M16 gaming laptop to a more powerful Mini ITX setup that I can transport easily, as I move it about 15 minutes every week. I plan to use a Pelican case for transport and will 3D print some mounts to secure everything inside. My main focus is playing FPS and sim racing games at either 4K with 60-120 fps or 1440p with over 120 fps. I also like modding my games, which can make them quite CPU-intensive. Additionally, I do some video/photo editing, so I hope the 12 cores will be sufficient for that. The case has slots for 6 fans, but I've only budgeted for 4. Any advice on fan placement would be greatly appreciated! Here's my build:
- CPU: Ryzen 9 9900X3D 4.4 GHz 12-Core Processor - $549.00
- CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM - $34.90
- Motherboard: ASRock B850I Lightning WiFi Mini ITX AM5 - $169.99
- RAM: G.Skill Flare X5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL32 - $349.00
- Storage: Samsung 990 Pro 4 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME - $319.99
- GPU: Asus PRIME GeForce RTX 5070 Ti 16 GB - $749.99
- Case: Cooler Master MasterBox NR200 Mini ITX - $54.99
- PSU: Cooler Master V850 SFX GOLD 850 W 80+ Gold - $139.99
- OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Home Retail - USB 64-bit - $124.99
- Fans: 1x Noctua A9 PWM 92mm + 3x Noctua A12x15 PWM 120mm - $90.80
You can check my parts list [here](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KddHkf).
2 Answers
I've heard some pretty concerning reports about ASRock motherboards damaging AM5 CPUs, especially with the Ryzen 9000 series. You might want to consider switching out the motherboard for something more reliable to avoid that risk.
I'd suggest using a slightly larger mATX case instead of the MasterBox; it will give you better cooling without being much bigger. Cases like the Lian Li A3 or AP 201 might be worth looking into. Also, if you're considering the 9950X3D, it’s only about $100 more and provides better gaming performance along with extra cores for your editing work.

Thanks for the heads-up! I'll definitely look for a different motherboard and consider the larger case options. The 9950X3D does sound tempting, especially if it can help with both gaming and editing!