Building a high end living room gaming PC

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butteredtoast

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Oct 11, 2014
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Hi there
I am considering moving my gaming experience from a desk and chair to a comfier sofa in the lounge as I have noticed myself gaming more on a gamepad these days! Something like a DIY Steam box. Indeed I already own a PS3 but when I have a huge steam library (damn you steam sales) why buy all the games again!

Requirements are that it can play the latest games in high quality modes (games such as Battlefield 4, Bioshock Infinite, Crysis 3) at good frame rates and be reasonably quiet.

I can hook up to my existing 1080P 37inch TV but was considering a new 42 inch 4k as I can't find a TV higher than 1080p without it being 4k. I don't expect 4k output in games but would aim for better than 1080p (say...1440p? can 4k TV's go down to that?) And if I have this right size of screen doesn't make a difference to the hardware in PC so a 4k 28" monitor will run the same as a 42 inch 4k TV as both their resolutions are 3840 x 2160?

What specs are we looking at? I was thinking an mini ATX form factor
CPU: AMD A10 5800K @ 3.8GHz
GPU: GTX 970
RAM: 8GB (2x4GB) Crucial Ballistix DDR3 1600MHz
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI Socket FM2+ mini ATX
HDD: Seagate 4TB Barracuda
PSU: XFX XXX 850W
Case: Fractal Design Node 304 Mini ITX Case

So what I hope you can help me with is letting me know is the spec above for the requirements sufficient? over kill? or maybe not enough?

Thanks
 
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BustaRhymes

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Jun 16, 2014
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I def wouldn't get the A10. For around the same price you should be able to get at least fx 6300, pair that with a 970 chipset motherboard. I would prob stick to a 1080p TV if you only get one GTX 970.

Fractal Node 304 is a nice case but may want to look into HTPC case if your gonna integrate it into your living room. That's more of a personal choice though. Silverstone GD05B is a pretty decent HTPC case if you go that route.
 
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smackers_12

smackers_12

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Jul 4, 2013
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If your getting a 970 dont get an apu, In a small for factor chassis you might be better off with an i5 and a h97 board because the amd chips kick off alot of heat in a small space. An i5 and a 970 would run alot cooler. 850w is probably overkill for that system with the small power consumption of the 970, especially seeing as you cant sli later on an itx board.
 
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butteredtoast

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Oct 11, 2014
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Thanks for the reply. Why do you think I should stick with the 1080p TV? I've seen that the 970 can handle resolutions above that. surely it would manage 1440p on a 4k 42 inch TV?
Do all AMD chips run hot? what about the non APU ones?
 
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smackers_12

smackers_12

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Jul 4, 2013
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A 970 should handle 1440p in most games but will struggle in 4k. All AMD chips run hot and besides, you wont find an AM3+ mini itx board. Intel is the way to go in small form factor with a graphics card. APU's are great but they are not worth it if your getting a 970
 
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butteredtoast

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Oct 11, 2014
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I've got a few options:
Do I put a GTX 970 in my current PC for when I play games that I'm going online with or are better suited to the mouse and keyboard while putting a less powerful card in a mini itx build (GTX 760)

Do I put a GTX 970 in the mini ITX build and not upgrade my current main PC as I'm unsure whether I'll change my mind and want to go back to gaming at a desk with mouse and keyboard so I can just stick most of the parts in my main PC

Or do I even just build the mini ITX PC to as high a spec I'm willing to pay and if I need mouse and keyboard or to play online just unplug it and take it to my desk and hook it up to my monitor (mini ITX will be eaily portable right? not too heavy/bulky?)

Anyway if I do decide to build this the specs I was thinking are:
CPU: Core i5 3.1GHz or Core i7 3.1Ghz
GPU: GTX 760 or GTX 970
Mobo: any cheap mini ITX mobo for socket 1150
RAM: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz
PSU: XFX XXX 850W
Case: Antec ISK 600 Gaming Cube
HDD: 500GB non-SSD
 
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logainofhades

logainofhades

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Apr 27, 2009
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Here is something for you to consider.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($174.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS8900 Quiet CPU Cooler ($32.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($73.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($101.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card ($359.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($80.00 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $983.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-15 10:22 EDT-0400


or if you want i7 performance

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($248.98 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS8900 Quiet CPU Cooler ($32.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($73.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($101.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card ($359.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($80.00 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1057.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-15 10:26 EDT-0400
 
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butteredtoast

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Oct 11, 2014
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I am in the United Kingdom so it will be £ not $.
Maybe it is better I just build the mini ITX PC and if I need to use a mouse and KB I can disconnect it from my TV and take it over to my desk they aren't too heavy to keep moving about are they?

I was going to get a 4K TV and play games at 1440P can a TV downscale to this? or do I stick with my 1080p TV in which case is a GTX 970 over kill for 1080p? As I say I might change my mind about mini ITX gaming in a lounge and go back to the desk and chair gaming setup in which case I will have wasted money on a 4k TV so I don't know if I should get one. I guess could stick with current TV and if I decide I like it this way I can go and get new TV
 
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manofchalk

manofchalk

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May 11, 2012
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Weight is up to the parts you pick, but most of the weight of a system is typically the case, with an ITX build it wont be that bad.

If your GPU and Display Settings are all set to 4K, then if you were to render a game at 1440p the scaling would be done on the GPU's end, not the TV. Even so, the TV will have the scalar hardware installed to do it, as especially with a 4K TV, rarely do they actually receive a feed with the native res. After all, people have been playing their 720p consoles on 1080p TV's for a fair while now and TV's have been handling it.
 
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logainofhades

logainofhades

Titan
Moderator
Apr 27, 2009
37,609
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143,290


A GTX 970 is not overkill for 1080p.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Xeon E3-1231 V3 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£213.57 @ PC World Business)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS8900 Quiet CPU Cooler (£23.90 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (£83.94 @ Aria PC)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£65.88 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£69.98 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card (£298.76 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case (£35.58 @ CCL Computers)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£66.60 @ Aria PC)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer (£38.83 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £897.04
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-15 18:05 BST+0100


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor (£131.94 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS8900 Quiet CPU Cooler (£23.90 @ CCL Computers)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard (£83.94 @ Aria PC)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (£65.88 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£69.98 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card (£298.76 @ Scan.co.uk)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case (£35.58 @ CCL Computers)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply (£66.60 @ Aria PC)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer (£38.83 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £815.41
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-15 18:06 BST+0100
 
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