A 4K Gaming PC in the FormD T1 – Possible for Just €1500?
- Nick
- 8 hours ago
- 7 min read
When you hear “4K Gaming PC,” you probably think of something like an RTX 5090 paired with a Ryzen 9950X3D. And sure, that combo will eat 4K for breakfast... but also your entire wallet. A 5090 alone sets you back around €2600, and the 9950X3D adds another €800 on top. Yikes.
So, I set out on a mission: Can I feed beautiful pixels to my LG OLED without breaking the bank, even when I cram all the components into a sub 10L case?
Did the “SFF tax” blow it all up in the end? Let’s find out.
Quick Note Before We Start
This article is primarily written with EU-based readers in mind. Since a certain orange president messed up US hardware tariffs, PC parts across the Atlantic can cost 30% more than they do here. Big Oof. Stay strong, US friends.
Key Performance Considerations
GPU – ASRock Radeon RX 9070 XT Steel Legend
If you’re gaming in 4K, you need a solid GPU. It's the MVP of high-res gaming. And unfortunately, Nvidia’s high-end options are... not budget-friendly. The RTX 5090 alone costs nearly double our entire build budget. The 5080? If you're lucky, you’ll snag it for €1100. That leaves you €400 for literally everything else – and trust me, that’s not happening in SFF land.
The RTX 5070 Ti could work. It comes with 16GB VRAM (unlike its little brother), but I went with a better deal: the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT. According to PCGH’s GPU Performance Index, it’s only about 1% slower in 4K, but saves you €100. Plus, AMD’s FSR 4 has come a long way – it’s now a worthy upscaling contender.
The 9070 XT Steel Legend from ASRock stood out to me – it’s only 298mm long (perfect for our cramped case) and comes in white. Why white? Because sometimes your PC deserves to wear something other than black. Also, it’s €20 cheaper than the black version. Every euro counts.
CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 7500F
Now that we’ve locked in our GPU, let’s talk CPU. Fun fact: CPU benchmarks are often done at 720p or 1080p. Why? Because at lower resolutions, your GPU doesn’t have to work as hard – which means your CPU’s performance becomes more noticeable.
At 720p, a Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with an RTX 4090 might give you 50% more FPS than a 7500F. But at 4K? That difference shrinks to about 5%. Yep, all those extra euros get you a tiny bump in performance.
So let’s be smart, the Ryzen 5 7500F at its 150€ price point is our price-to-performance king. A budget beast.
The Rest of the 4K SFF Build (Fingers Crossed for €1500)
Motherboard – ASRock B650I Lightning WiFi
Since we’re going AM5, we’ll need DDR5 RAM and a compatible board. There are two solid Mini-ITX options around €150: the GIGABYTE B650I AX and the ASRock B650I Lightning.
Now, the GIGABYTE is slightly cheaper, but... some red flags popped up on the Ncase T1 2.5 product page:
Gigabyte B760I and B650I chipset motherboards may not work with our PCIe 4.0 Riser in 4.0 mode.
Yikes. Redditors have also reported riser-related issues with Gigabyte boards in the FormD T1 2.1. So, ASRock it is.
RAM – Crucial Pro Overclocking DDR5-6000 32GB
Any 32GB DDR5 kit with a 6000MT/s EXPO profile will do the trick here. You don’t need anything crazy – especially while 4K gaming is GPU-limited anyway. I chose Crucial’s CL36 kit for a good balance of price and performance.
Storage – Lexar NQ790 1TB
Honestly? Any reliable 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD will do. The Lexar NQ790 was available for just €65. If you’ve got room in the budget, sure, go for 2TB or PCIe 5.0. But for this build? 1TB is plenty.
Case – FormD T1 2.1
As teased earlier, we’re going with the FormD T1. It’s compact, super high-quality, and surprisingly flexible. With a volume under 10L, it fits our SFF theme perfectly.
PSU – Corsair SF750 ATX 3.1
The GOAT. Do I need to say more?
Okay fine – this SFX PSU is quiet, efficient, and built like a tank. But it’s not cheap (€170!). If you’re hunting deals, make sure to check the PSU Tier List For your desired model. The Acer Predator GX850 (an FSP Dagger Pro 850W in disguise) is a great value at €100 – but it gets a bit noisy under load. More on that later.
CPU Cooler – Thermalright AXP90-X47
Another GOAT! This tiny 47mm cooler punches well above its weight, rivaling much more expensive options. It fits our case nicely, comes in multiple colors, and I went with white. Because style matters, okay?
Case Fans – 2x Arctic P12 PWM PST
Budget champs. Two of these cost about a third of one Phanteks T30 and deliver almost the same performance for our use case. Again – I went with white for that extra flair.
COMPONENT | NAME | PRICE EUR | LINKS |
CPU | RYZEN 5 7500F | 140 | |
GPU | AsRock 9070 XT Steel Legend | 750 | |
MOBO | AsRock B650I Lightning WiFi | 150 | |
RAM | Crucial 32GB 6000MT/s | 85 | |
STORAGE | Lexar NQ790 1TB | 65 | |
PSU | CORSAIR SF 750 ATX3.1 | 170 | |
CASE | FormD T1 2.1 | 230 | |
COOLER | Thermalright AXP90-X47 | 20 | |
FANS | 2 x ARCTIC P12 PWM PST | 10 | |
TOTAL | € 1620 |
Uh Oh – That’s Over Budget! Some Saving Tips 💸
Let’s trim the fat:
Used Ryzen 7500F: CPUs are usually reliable second-hand. I scored mine for €120 on eBay.
Used FormD T1: Occasionally pops up around €200.
PSU Alternatives: The Acer GX850 was just €100. Louder, yes – but way cheaper.
Avoid buying used RAM, GPUs, or motherboards – not worth the risk or hassle.
Pro Tip: Check retailers for “B-grade” (mostly returns). These often come with full warranties but might have scuffed packaging or cosmetic flaws.
COMPONENT | NAME | PRICE EUR | SAVED |
CPU | RYZEN 5 7500F (used) | 120 | 20 |
GPU | AsRock 9070 XT Steel Legend | 750 | - |
MOBO | AsRock B650I Lightning WiFi | 150 | - |
RAM | Crucial 32GB 6000MT/s | 85 | - |
STORAGE | Lexar NQ790 1TB | 65 | - |
PSU | ACER Predator GX850 | 100 | 70 |
CASE | FormD T1 2.1 (used) | 200 | 30 |
COOLER | Thermalright AXP90-X47 | 20 | - |
FANS | 2 x ARCTIC P12 PWM PST | 10 | - |
TOTAL | € 1500 | 🎯 |
Assembly & Fine-Tuning – The Road to the Perfect Budget Friendly 4K Gaming PC in the FormD T1
Building in the FormD T1 isn’t for the impatient – but if you’re into detail work, it’s a lot of fun. And yes, it took a few tries until everything really fit.
Motherboard Installation – Tiny Screws, Big Drama
The fun began with a classic WTF moment: the ASRock B650I Lightning has an unusually shaped backplate. The included standoffs? Don’t fit. After some swearing, googling, and two coffee breaks, it became clear: I needed M2.5 flange nuts to mount the board securely. Not included, but luckily I had some in my spare parts box – if you don’t, better order them with the case.
Quick lifehack: screw in the standoffs by hand first, then carefully tighten them with a screwdriver – otherwise you risk slipping and scratching the case.
GPU Slot Configuration: 3.25-Slot vs. 3-Slot
Originally, I had the GPU installed in 3.25-slot mode – sounds great at first, but the proximity between the CPU cooler and side panel created turbulence noise at higher fan speeds.
So: switched to 3-slot configuration. Fortunately, that’s an easy adjustment in the T1, and the difference was huge – much better airflow and significantly quieter under load on the CPU side. The RX 9070 XT also stays nice and quiet at around 1100 RPM.
Cable Management – A 3D Puzzle
Thanks to the relatively short GPU (298 mm) and the modular PSU, I had enough room for clean cable management. Still: in a sub-10-liter case, every millimeter counts. Here are the tricks I used:
Cables routed toward the front panel – especially CPU and PCIe cables
Lots of zip ties to keep everything in order
Custom-sleeved cables by Dreambigbyray – not cheap (~€40), but they make cable routing a lot easier and look fantastic
Tweaks on the 4K SFF Gaming PC – It’s All in the Details
I mounted a leftover piece of Noctua NA-FD1 onto the CPU cooler using 3D-printed pins. The goal: ensure the fan draws in 100% fresh air from outside the case and to create a clean visual line behind the black side panel when closed.
The CPU fan cable is triple-folded and tucked into the narrow gap between the case fans and the CPU cooler – no interference, no clutter.
The two Arctic P12 fans on top of the case are supported by custom air ducts: one underneath to prevent turbulence from the FormD T1 fan bracket, and one on top to seal flush with the case lid. I made sure to print the ducts in two colors, so the white plastic wouldn’t be visible through the mesh – keeping the exterior clean and uniform. But hey, see for yourself!
I think it looks super clean. The only thing left is finding a better solution for the white fan cable – maybe a small cover plate between the two fans. Still brainstorming.
Final Verdict – A 4K SFF Gaming PC for €1500?
Well, if I’m being honest: I cheated a little. The case I used is the FormD T1 with CNC-milled side panels, which set me back around €260 instead of the assumed €200. The custom cables added another €40, and let’s not even talk about the cost of the 3D printer.
But it is possible! Just one or two good deals on key components can get you to that magical €1500 mark. For a proper 4K gaming PC in the FormD T1. Unthinkable just five years ago.
Did you enjoy this post? Planning a similar build? Drop a comment!
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