Small form factor gaming PC -- £600

zendog500 · Apr 2, 2013

I made a similar thread last week, but I think it ended up in the wrong subforum. Anyway...

I'm a console gamer looking to make his first ever gaming PC. I'd like to make something like a 'steambox' - i.e. an SFF gaming PC that will live comfortably next to a big HDTV and play AAA games as well - if not better than - next gen consoles. My budget is around £600.

No input devices nor monitor will be necessary (got an X360 controller).

A lot of these builds use an SSD, but I think I'd prefer to go with an HDD for more capacity unless the performance hit is really significant. If it's possible to replace the optical drive with more storage then maybe a combination of both would be best.

Approximate Purchase Date: soon...next couple of months

Budget Range:£500-600

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, movies

Are you buying a monitor: No

Do you need to buy OS: Yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: none

Location: London, UK

Parts Preferences: none

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Your Monitor Resolution: HDTV..1080p

lunyone · Apr 2, 2013

Well to be honest, in a "couple of months" the whole PC parts industry will have changed. I can recommend a build now, but in a couple of months my parts will be playing 2nd fiddle to the latest and greatest. If you want a build now, than I can do that, but realistically it will be for not, IMHO.

leandrodafontoura · Apr 2, 2013

The only case that would go well in mini-itx is the Bitfenix Prodigy. If you go Micro atx, there is a "DVD player style cases", the Moneual Moncaso, links below. Smaller then that, only choice would be a MacMini

http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/products/chassis/prodigy/
http://www.moneualusa.com/mrusa/?page_id=1282

Regadring graphics card, you dont need much power, as most games are ports of consoles wich are based on 2006 hardware. I even recomend you going with integrated gaphics for the 1st month of the build. And then add a videocard based on your experience with the game you wannna play.

Unfortunalty friend, you have to go with SSD, not only its insanelly faster, its quiet and makes no heat. Cooling is a problem in small cases, so you have to take care of whatever heat you can. You will be surprised SSDs are cheap enough nowadays.

To conclude, regarding optical drive, it would be possible to get a external one, but a internal would be better looking. You still need one, as most windows games need a optical drive.

zendog500 · Apr 2, 2013

lunyone :

That's fair enough. TBH I don't know if I want to do this now or a bit later. If you're saying that something big is just around the corner and that's why the industry will have changed then I'll hold off. But if the industry is always in flux like you describe then I might as well just do it now.

lunyone · Apr 2, 2013

zendog500 :

Intel's Haswell will be out in the next few months (I think summer time) and that will have some performance improvements (mainly iGPU, IMHO). If your buying soon than I wouldn't have any problem building up a build for you.

bucknutty · Apr 2, 2013

600 gbp is about 900US. I could build a sweet system here in the US for that.

i5 $200
H77 mother board 80
8gigs of ram 80
case 60
ssd 128gb 100
harddrive 1tb 80
PSU 60
HD7870 2gb 200

Total of around 860

Windows is another 100.

As for the case there are a million options that might work next to a TV. Check this one out.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119261

zendog500 · Apr 2, 2013

leandrodafontoura :

Is that really the case? What if I'm using steam?

zendog500 · Apr 2, 2013

lunyone :

zendog500 :

Intel's Haswell will be out in the next few months (I think summer time) and that will have some performance improvements (mainly iGPU, IMHO). If your buying soon than I wouldn't have any problem building up a build for you.

I'm pretty sure I'd like to buy before summer, June at the latest. If iGPU is the only big improvement then I don't see the point in holding off.

zendog500 · Apr 2, 2013

bucknutty :

It might sound like £600 is the same as $900 but when it comes to computer parts it isn't! Things are more expensive here. In fact, the UK prices are closer to being the same as the US prices, just in GBP. So really we're talking more like a $600 build.

CarolKarine · Apr 2, 2013

what about silverstone's fortress FTO3? it's micro ATX, but it's probably my favorite tiny case.

and yeah, there won't be any releases within your budget for a while.

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Small form factor gaming PC -- £600

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lunyone

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zendog500

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lunyone

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bucknutty

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zendog500

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CarolKarine

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