Build It Yourself: A Mini-ITX Gaming System For Just Over $500

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Low-cost, low-power, small form factor PCs are popular right now. With Intel’s Ivy Bridge architecture available in the low-end Pentium family, you can now build a living room gaming PC with discrete graphics to beat any modern console for just over $500.

Flat Like A Pancake: The Slim Optical Drive

Installing the Slim Optical Drive

Let’s face it, no gaming PC is totally complete without an optical drive. Our mini-ITX-based build is no exception.

The installation is easy enough, but unless your drive is one of the few with a full-size SATA connector, you'll need to buy one additional part in order to get it working.

A Necessary Part: Slimline to SATA Adapter

If you want our advice, don’t buy an expensive slim optical drive with full-size SATA connectors. Instead, grab a cheap drive and a slimline-to-SATA adapter, which you should be able to find for less than $10 online.

You might run into a problem where the adapter sticks out too far and runs into the CPU cooler. Fortunately, the Praeton's fan can be moved enough to accommodate the adapter's extra length.

Brace yourselves, the motherboard installation is next. We recommend that you install the board first, then connect SATA cables to the hard drive and SSD, and finally, reinsert the drive cage. Assembling the case in any other order almost guarantees scraped fingers.

Igor Wallossek
Igor Wallossek
Contributor

Igor Wallossek wrote a wide variety of hardware articles for Tom's Hardware, with a strong focus on technical analysis and in-depth reviews. His contributions have spanned a broad spectrum of PC components, including GPUs, CPUs, workstations, and PC builds. His insightful articles provide readers with detailed knowledge to make informed decisions in the ever-evolving tech landscape