NCIX pre-built "Console" PC

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evandyk

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Jun 10, 2011
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Does anyone have experience with these customizable small form factor builds? The small size makes it attractive to me to replace my current set-up.

http://pc.ncix.com/ncixpc_new/ncixpc.cfm?uuid=EEC0D769-9413-400C-928A7B9C7B52E16A-7288941

Approximate Purchase Date: Next few weeks

Budget Range: Flexible. The one I'm looking at is $1200 CDN

System Usage from Most to Least Important: I don't play the latest and greatest games. Civ VI, World of Tanks, things like Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed a little behind the newest releases. Other than that, browsing, Netflix, etc.

Are you buying a monitor: No

Your Monitor Resolution: Two 1920x1080 monitors

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My old one is 6 years old, and I want to upgrade into something that is smaller and faster. I have a 500GB SSD or a large HDD that I can add myself when I receive it.

The package comes in various tiers. The first upgrade moves you from a GTX-1050 to 1060 and doubles the SSD from 240 to 480 for $200. Would that be a worthwhile upgrade for my uses? I don't care that much about the SSD because I have one I can put in, but the graphics is obviously an upgrade.

Or if you think I can do something much better on my own in a similar form factor, let me know what case you recommend and we can go from there :)
 
Solution
why_wolf
That's the Fractal Node 202. You can buy it yourself and build with it.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-7500 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($264.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Motherboard: ASRock - H270M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($167.52 @ DirectCanada)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($134.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Western Digital - Blue 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Video Card: PNY - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB CG Video Card ($348.99 @ PC Canada)
Case: Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case w/450W Power Supply ($169.84 @ DirectCanada)...
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why_wolf

why_wolf

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Aug 28, 2015
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That's the Fractal Node 202. You can buy it yourself and build with it.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-7500 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($264.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Motherboard: ASRock - H270M-ITX/ac Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($167.52 @ DirectCanada)
Memory: Team - Vulcan 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($134.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Western Digital - Blue 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($199.99 @ Amazon Canada)
Video Card: PNY - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB CG Video Card ($348.99 @ PC Canada)
Case: Fractal Design - Node 202 HTPC Case w/450W Power Supply ($169.84 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $1286.32
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-06-19 15:22 EDT-0400
 
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Solution
photonboy

photonboy

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Jun 20, 2006
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You can build a much better computer for the same price. You would just have to do some research and what cases exist then just parts that fit.

I'll try to "BUILD" you one.

It's actually quite rewarding. I also dislike pre-builts because many force you return the entire unit if something fails. It's usually better to consult help and solve the issue yourself.
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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Jun 20, 2006
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Ah, CANADIAN prices. No wonder I was confused.

I was "building" one but the above link is a good indicator. I might go with a smaller SSD and separate HDD instead. Choose the parts carefully, and look up some help.

There are other cases that are slightly bigger but still small that you may prefer too as they can fit a better CPU cooler which will help reduce noise.

I'd add the Noctua NH-L9i likely to replace the stock cooler (and setup fan control using the fan software from the motherboard site).

RYZEN is worth considering too. I'll check that out and see if it's worth it.
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrngJGoZb-M&t=619s

Linus shows some cases (including the NODE 202). It's very important to make sure the COOLING is good. You probably want a Noctua or similar air cooler (or liquid cooler depending on case.. though avoid liquid cooling if possible) and make sure the parts FIT and can be cooled properly. Especially the graphics card.

If you can fit a dual-fan GPU that's best as it will cool better than the single fan solutions. Still looking at some stuff and will link more maybe.
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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Jun 20, 2006
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I think that "why_wolf" made was pretty good. You'd also want W10 Home 64-bit.

BTW, that motherboard supports Intel Optane so you could buy a 32GB version and drop it in later if you want. That would allow you to avoid an SSD completely. Just buy a 1TB or 2TB HDD.

Intel Optane works really well. The software monitors how you use your computer then moves the frequently used stuff into Optane. So you don't need larger than 32GB. Even 16GB should give noticeable improvement.

Intel OPTANE is too expensive right now though. But if you're trying to SAVE MONEY now this is a good plan. You can just buy it later then install it. You don't need to clone or move any data. It handles all that.
 
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evandyk

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Thanks for the tips. Will look at this. I think it would meet all my needs and be a definite improvement on the pre-built. I don't think I'll build it myself (have never done so) but can collect the parts and get a computer store to build it for me.
 
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