The All AliExpress PC

One of our favorite pastimes here at Linus Tech Tips is buying weird technology off AliExpress. We wait the requisite 4 to 12 weeks for it to arrive and then open it up for all of you because, let's be honest, it's an adventure every time. Which raises the question, Linus, how is it even possible that you guys haven't thought to build an entire computer with nothing but parts off AliExpress? Well, we did, and we're doing it.

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Ground Rules

The ground rules for our little experiment today were pretty simple: build a pretty powerful gaming rig without spending so much money that you could have bought it somewhere other than AliExpress. We aimed for the best bang for the buck components, and in cases where there was a tie, we went with the more AliExpress option.

We don't actually have all the parts that we ordered back on June the 3rd because shipping time was anywhere from around a week to four months, to after five months just cancelling our order out of nowhere. But you don't wait to build your PC because your fans didn't arrive, so we just grabbed a handful of fans we had kicking around that looked kind of AliExpress-y, and we're gonna get this going.

Building the Case

We actually have to build our own case, which means we get some very AliExpress instructions. They must have printed this with their definitely legit version of Autodesk Education. This is a virtual water cooling computer case with good cooling function and good DIY transform space. For five dollars, they offered the option to customize it. However, they didn't customize it and just gave us our money back. But Sarah had already created the design, and we have a laser cutter, so...

They even included gloves, which are very important for an acrylic case because otherwise, it will look disgusting by the time you're done.

The Motherboard

Over here, I'll begin with the motherboard. This is the Battle Axe B450M HD from Colorful. This puppy was $ 87.54 with shipping, which is not actually a great deal since mATX B450 boards can be had for like $ 80 on Newegg. But it was the best we could do for a motherboard from AliExpress.

The CPU

Our CPU is a funny one. Obviously, it's a B450 board, so we're going to be putting a regular old AMD CPU in it. It doesn't sound particularly AliExpress until you consider that this Ryzen 7 2700 is $ 10 cheaper than it has ever been sold for according to PC Part Picker. The seller offers a lifetime warranty, and from the listing, it seems like it might be refurbished or not. We don't know. You know what? This looks brand new. It doesn't come with a cooler, which is probably that 10-dollar price delta.

RAM

RAM is where I was expecting to find some very, very Chinese products. This comes with a little tiny broom that is probably the most Chinese thing about this memory because it's clearly using Micron chips. Only the module assembly is probably done there. Superior quality, lifetime warranty, and professional service are touted by the manufacturer. At 60 dollars and change for 16 gigs of RAM rated at 3200MHz CL 16, it's about par for the course off sites like Newegg. So the lesson here is don't buy RAM off AliExpress.

Finishing the Case

So far, the instructions are actually not too bad, so I feel like this is going to go relatively smoothly. The biggest thing is to be careful not to over-tighten one of these screws since it's an acrylic case; that can be a problem.

SSD

Now let's talk about the SSD. At 60 bucks, it can be anywhere from a great deal to a total ripoff. We have no way of knowing because the website for Golden Fur's 512 gig NVMe SSD says the PCB color, flash chips type, flash chip number may differ depending on each batch. I peeled the sticker off, and it is a DRAM-less design, so it's not great.

Cooler

Our cooler, labeled as the Snowman, was just under $ 40 with shipping. It's curious that each of its fans has five conductors, with two terminated with heat shrink and hanging off. The other four are hardwired into a single four-pin power connector, which is cool. This says right on the package AMD and Intel, but this is clearly an AMD-only mount, and there are no other accessories in the package. It's a good thing we went AMD for our system.

Power Supply

The power supply is either 800 watts or 1000 watts, non-modular, and comes with all the cables and connectors we need. At first glance, it is heavier than expected. It's non-branded and far lighter compared to reputable brands, raising reliability concerns.

Graphics Card

We are expecting this to be fine since it's once again from Colorful, which is a decent brand. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 2060, which is relevant from when we ordered it, should suffice for our purposes.

Assembly and Final Touches

The rest of the assembly went smoothly, save for small hiccups, such as the confidence-killing clickiness of the peripherals. The peripherals, including the mouse, keyboard, and mouse pad, were all from AliExpress too and were as expected.

Results

Upon powering it on, multiple reboots and the lack of RGB on the fans indicated potential issues, likely due to the power supply's stability. Plugging in the front panel audio caused system resets, and without robust software such as GlassWire, diagnosing would be a further challenge.

Conclusion

The strongest endorsement for AliExpress is that it’s a thing. There is no good reason to buy hardware components from it, as reputable sites offer better deals, quicker shipping, and a lower risk of absolute failure. However, the adventure and uniqueness of doing so is unparalleled.

Keywords

AliExpress
PC Build
Motherboard
SSD
CPU
RAM
Gaming Rig
Power Supply
Colorful
GPU
AMD
Snowman Cooler
GlassWire

FAQ

Q: Why did you choose AliExpress for this PC build? A: We chose AliExpress for its unique and often bizarre products. It’s always an adventure, and we wanted to see if we could build a powerful gaming PC with parts found exclusively on AliExpress.

Q: How long did shipping take for the parts? A: Shipping times varied between a week to four months, with some orders being cancelled after five months.

Q: Was it cheaper to source parts from AliExpress? A: No, often the prices were comparable to those on sites like Newegg or Amazon. Furthermore, the savings didn’t justify the delays and potential issues.

Q: Were there any reliability issues? A: Yes, the power supply, in particular, caused instability. Some parts were also questionable regarding their longevity and build quality.

Q: Would you recommend building a PC using parts from AliExpress? A: No, there are better and more reliable sources for building a PC. While AliExpress provides a unique experience, the potential issues and lack of savings make it impractical.