Homemade Steambox Type Gaming Rig

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silvershadow113

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Apr 30, 2013
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Alright, listen up people. I want to build a pc style console. Sort of like a Steam Box. It's case would be either the Coolermaster 120 Elite or the Silverstone SUGO. I would want to stuff a really nice graphics card inside... Maybe a GTX 770? And an Intel i5 3rd/4th gen. Here is what I have come up with so far:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock B85M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($86.97 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($66.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($419.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($39.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 550W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($80.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Other: Xbox 360 Controller ($49.99)
Total: $1211.84
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-09 11:49 EDT-0400)

The console would run on windows 7 OS but, on startup it would skip past the login screen and go right into steam big picture mode using a bat. file in the startup folder. How does that sound to everyone? Any changes, add-ins, or comments are greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advanced,
Colin
 
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lhaygood1983

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Jul 25, 2010
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The cooler won't fit, you will definitely want more storage than that, the processor and video card are overkill, the memory is pointlessly large.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master GeminII M4 58.4 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1155 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($75.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($94.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($209.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($39.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair CX 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Other: Xbox 360 Controller ($49.99)
Total: $992.85
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-09 12:13 EDT-0400)
 
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silvershadow113

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Apr 30, 2013
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I don't think I would want that graphics card because:
A: The whole point of a pc console is to have better performance than a standard console
B: All the reviews say it gets very hot and being in such a small case I think it would get way to hot

Also, should I put more fans inside the case for extra cooling considering it is so small?

Btw, the games I would be playing are FPS/Minecraft
 
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lhaygood1983

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Jul 25, 2010
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The Cooler Master case has good enough airflow that you probably wouldn't run into thermal issues with that GPU. If you wanted, you could bump up to the Sapphire 7870 XT (which is +$50 and what I use). It is well beyond the capabilities of any console in terms of graphics power. Almost any discrete GPU from the last few generations will be, and the 7870 LE/XT (Tahiti LE) models have been getting the best bang-for-buck reviews from Tom's and other places. I've been able to max out Bioshock Infinite and Tomb Raider on my Sapphire card (at 1920x1080). If you think you'll buy a TV in the next few years that outstrips that resolution, then you might want to go up to a 670/770/7970, but otherwise, save your money and get a 660ti or 7870XT.

The single fan that is in the case should be sufficient as you're not overclocking (you could even drop down to another i5 for that reason, like a 3470, save a few more bucks) and the GPU will vent its own heat. The only things that are generating heat that aren't actively cooled are your RAM and hard drives, and the 120mm fan in the case should be able to vent that amount of heat easily. You won't have the thermal performance of, say, a Corsair or Cooler Master midtower, but you can't put one of those in an entertainment center.
 
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