ATX and RAM recommendations for Ryzen 5 5600G?

I’ve got a pretty decent old mATX case lying around, a Fractal Design Node 804.
It comes with a 300W 80+ power supply. Since my old rig had a dedicated GPU and this one won't, it should be plenty.
I’ve already settled on a Ryzen 5 5600G, two sticks of RAM, an SSD, and MAYBE an extra HDD.
I have zero intention of overclocking the CPU.

Any recommendations for a motherboard and RAM?

I need a board where the 5600G works right out of the box without needing a BIOS update. From what I can tell, that would be B550 or A520. I also definitely need WiFi.
I’m looking at something like MSI B550M PRO-VDH WiFi. Two RAM slots are enough for me. Is there anything better out there?

For RAM, I'm eyeing the Corsair Vengeance RGB.

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From what I can see on various online retailers, PC components aren't really going on sale lately. Maybe it's due to shortages, maybe not—I honestly have no clue.

I'm buying a 5600G, an mATX motherboard, and some RAM. Should I pull the trigger now or wait for a deal? Not that I expect to save a massive amount of money...

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EDIT
If it turns out 300W is actually too low, or if I decide I want to leave some headroom for a GPU later on, I might just jump over to mini-ITX.
In that case, it's the same question: any recommendations for a mini-ITX motherboard with WiFi? And I'd need a new case too...

Since you're pairing this with a 65W CPU, honestly, the specific motherboard shouldn't matter all that much. Just make sure you have enough fan headers available, because I actually ran into a bit of a headache with my ASRock B450m. I'm currently running a Ryzen 5 1600X alongside an NVIDIA Quadro T600, plus an SSD and an HDD, all powered by a 250W power supply. I haven't run into any stability issues even when everything is under a full load.
But wait, isn't that case a mini-ITX build?

Yeah, that was a typo. I meant mini-ITX.
Honestly, why on earth one format is called ITX and the other is ATX? I haven't the slightest clue. 🙂

melloweagle28 said:Yeah, that was definitely a typo on my part—I meant mini-ITX.
Ever wondered why we have different standards like ITX and ATX, or why they even bother naming them differently? It honestly feels like a bit of a mystery when you're first diving into PC building, doesn't it? 🙂

That’s because the motherboard dimensions just don't match up. Looking at it from that perspective, the board you linked isn't actually going to fit inside the case, so you really need to be hunting for a mini-ITX motherboard instead. Those aren't exactly known for being budget-friendly, though; the one you found looks like it might be the cheapest option out there.

Is there anything more satisfying than finding that perfect balance between performance and footprint when you're building a compact system? I’ve been looking closely at the ASRock B550m PRO-VDH WiFi lately, and it really makes you wonder if we’ve finally hit that sweet spot for mid-range builds. It isn't just about having the right specs on paper, is it? It’s about how those components actually work together in a real-world setup. When you consider the versatility of the B550 chipset, especially paired with something like a Ryzen 5 5600G, you start to see the potential for some seriously capable machines that don't need to take up an entire desk. I often find myself debating whether to go with a full ATX layout or stick to something more constrained like mATX, but this specific board seems to bridge that gap quite elegantly. With built-in WiFi and enough expansion slots to keep things interesting, wouldn't you agree that it offers a level of flexibility that most budget-conscious builders are craving right now? It feels like one of those reliable pieces of hardware that just makes the whole assembly process feel a bit more intuitive.

melloweagle28 said:Yeah, just a typo. It's mini-ITX.
No clue why one format is called ITX and the other is ATX, honestly. 🙂

That’s actually the most important part of this whole thing: you've got a specific case designed almost exclusively for a Home Theater PC vibe, meant to look right sitting in a living room next to HiFi gear or consoles...
It only takes mini-DTX/mini-ITX motherboards (honestly, I’ve never even seen a mini-DTX in the wild; it’s basically just a mini-ITX with an extra slot).
So, it’s perfect for those "all-in-one" boards where everything you need—WiFi, maybe even decent audio—is already built-in. They're ideal for APUs, too; just pop in the APU, some RAM, an SSD, and you're good to go.
The GPU slot usually comes with some catches, though. The biggest one? Card length. Often, a card longer than the motherboard itself won't even fit (you should definitely check the specs for your specific case).
Another limit is the max CPU cooler height (82mm). If you're thinking about grabbing an aftermarket cooler, keep in mind these setups usually use low-profile designs with horizontal fans to help cool the board's power delivery, kind of like a stock setup...
The third big hurdle is the power supply. An SFX unit isn't interchangeable with standard ATX ones, and they generally don't pack as much punch as the average market option. But hey, they're totally fine if you're sticking to the idea of a quiet, highly integrated system with minimal parts...

By picking this case, you're basically deciding the entire direction of your build. If you're 100% sure you won't be doing major upgrades and your chosen APU handles your needs for a long time, then go for it. Just know that ITX Motherboards are pricier and there aren't many options. Also, keep an eye on your RAM if you plan on using an aftermarket cooler, just so you don't run into clearance issues between the fan and the memory sticks...

If you actually want a "general purpose" PC—something where you can swap in standard components down the road without obsessing over dimensions and weird layouts—then just grab a standard ATX case... especially if you're leaning toward a gaming build. You'll need the cooling for that, and these ITX cases aren't really designed for massive airflow; they're built for tightly packed components that run just fine on stock settings.

Yeah, looking at the link now, I can see I totally botched it with the motherboard choice. Even though I know there were some mini-ITX options out there for around $267, like one from Gigabyte.

Alright, looks like I'm probably pivoting to mATX then.

By the way, does RAM actually need cooling? Since when was that a thing?

melloweagle28 said:Yeah, looking at the link now, I totally botched it with the motherboard choice. Though I know some mini-ITX boards go for about $267, I think there was a Gigabyte one available.

Alright, looks like I'm probably going the mATX route then.

By the way, does RAM actually need cooling? Since when?

Well, I think most RAM modules nowadays come with some kind of metal heat spreaders, especially in those gaming sub-brands... it's a huge trend now to have LEDs on them too, and they can get ridiculously tall. If you don't plan for that height, you're asking for trouble...

Does every single stick of RAM really need a heatsink?
Not necessarily, right? I mean, there are plenty of versions that run perfectly fine with stock settings without any extra cooling.
What you really need is a 2 x RAM kit (whatever capacity you want) running at 3000-3200 MHz—that's pretty much the sweet spot for price and performance. Go with 2 modules because an APU really benefits from dual-channel memory, and that speed is key since part of it gets allocated to the GPU... honestly, there's no point searching for anything faster than that...
And from what I can see, the options are usually either these flashy, tall kits with heatsinks, or the low-profile ones...

Thanks

I have some solid guidelines to work with.

Now I just need to hash things out on my own (well, with bzraz) before I come back with any more specific questions.

wanderingbison9 said:Since you're running a 65W CPU, honestly, the motherboard choice barely matters at all. Just make sure there are enough fan headers, because I made a bit of a mess of things myself with an ASRock B450m. I'm currently running a Ryzen 5 1600X paired with a NVIDIA Quadro T600, along with one SSD and one HDD, all on a 250W power supply. I haven't run into any issues even under full load.
But isn't that a mini-ITX case?

Sure, if you just look at the TDP numbers,😁 but in a real-world scenario, a Ryzen 5 5600G—or even just the CPU by itself—will likely pull a maximum of about 80W. We're talking about measuring the CPU power draw directly on the 12V rail, much like how Linus Tech Tips or Anandtech would demonstrate it.

If we were looking at the total system power consumption (see that first link below), an identical configuration using a Ryzen 5 5600G combo would land somewhere around 115W. You might expect slightly higher consumption, though, given that the Ryzen 5 5600G carries twice the L3 Cache compared to the Ryzen 5 4650G.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/16824...g-apu-review/2





Regarding that Anandtech table, those Ryzen 5 2400G figures are simply incorrect and don't reflect the actual maximum CPU power draw, which sits closer to 68-70W. It looks like they slipped up there, and clearly, the editorial team didn't bother correcting or updating the tables in that specific review. Everything else seems fine or accurate, as those CPU power numbers have been well-established and verified for quite some time now.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/12425...400g-review/13

In practice, we are talking about negligible power usage; overclocking a Desktop Ryzen 5 or a Ryzen 7G series APU at stock settings really doesn't make any sense at all. Having a power supply that provides 150W on the 12V rail is more than enough for an APU-based system without a dedicated graphics card.🍿

Fine. I guess that means my current case and PSU combo, which only puts out about 240W, won't cut it if I want to throw a GPU into the mix.
Or maybe?

Right now, I'm running an i5-4570T (35W TDP) paired with a 660 (140W TDP).
But if I actually try to install a decent graphics card, most of them pull anywhere from 130W to 200W—and honestly, the Ryzen is going to draw even more power than this setup.

melloweagle28 said:Well, I guess my current case and PSU setup, which delivers about 240W, just isn't going to cut it if I want to add a dedicated graphics card on top of everything else.
Or is it?

Right now, I'm running an i5-4570T (35W TDP) paired with a 660 (140W TDP).
If I were to swap in a new GPU, most of them sit in that 130-200W range, and since the Ryzen pulls more power, doesn't that make things even tighter?

Not really, unless you're looking at newer cards, which won't work here—unless you go the route I did and pick up something like a Quadro. It’s easily two and a half times more powerful than the 5600G integrated graphics, performs somewhere in the 1050Ti realm, but only draws about 40W with peaks hitting 48W. You might even have a few other choices like a GTX 1650 or maybe even pushing it a little with a 1660.