A little different then everyone else- New gaming rig/media PC. SMALL Footprint

[IamDavid]

I'm wanting to build a new PC for gaming and media playback. Need it to be small/portable. looked at laptops but they're way overpriced for what I want.

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Gaming/Media/Office/Adode CS (No encoding)

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
~$2K

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
US

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
Intel ( Because of Widi, I want to be completely wireless except for the powercord.)


5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
No

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
Yes, nothing matches SFF or wirelss disply needs.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
OC for fun, nothing too extreme

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
Wireless to my home HDTV's.. 60, 65"


9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Very soon.

10. Don't ask for a build configuration critique or rating if you are thin skinned.

 

[mfenn]

Forget about gaming with WiDi, it ain't gonna happen (unless you have really low standards). Also, I don't think that anybody makes a WiDi adapter for desktops.

 

[Zap]

I'm not sure about performance (or lack thereof) of WiDi, but I don't remember seeing anything in the market beyond a few notebook product announcements. Are you going to put the computer by your HDTVs? Here's what I would do.

Core i5-2500K CPU $220
ASRock Z68-M Pro motherboard $120
8GB DDR3 $60 (or less depending on hot deal of the day)
Silverstone Grandia GD04/GD05/GD06 case (all the same, just different color/front) $100 +/-
Scythe Mini Ninja heatsink $40
GTX 580 $500 (minus sales/rebates)
decent 500W+ PSU $70 +/-
Samsung F3 1TB HDD $60
256GB SSD $400
= ~$1600

 

[TheAdvocate]

My sig rig may be a good start for you, and customize as you prefer. I have an IPS monitor as primary and a 42" 1080p 120Hz LCD TV as my "couch gaming" monitor.

I have the Silverstone Grandia GD05 case. It's about the same size as my Denon Receiver.

PS - if you get this case or the GD04, and an SSD, then please save yourself some headaches and buy a mounting bracket - $6, free shipping @ newegg

That was my biggest gripe about the build.

 

[piasabird]

A gaming video card is what makes all the heat. It is also what takes up all the space. Often smaller = More$ or Less Performance.

 

[frostedflakes]

It's very expensive for the performance you get, but this is the only wireless gaming card that I know of.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814162071

And based on the reviews I've seen, it seems to perform very well.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/wireless-graphics-card-kfa2-gtx-460-wdhi-review/

Really cool technology, but you have to ask yourself, is wireless video really that important? I don't see how it could be worth it, but it's your build, not mine. 😛

 

[lehtv]

Just buy a longer-than-normal DVI-cable for the videocard...

 

[TheAdvocate]

That'd be my advice. I have a 12" HDMI/DVI cable to hook up my TV. Works fine. I have it buried in the crease between the carpet and the molding/trim on the wall. it's pretty much invisible.

 

[IamDavid]

Thanks guys, no Widi for me.

 

[mfenn]

Thanks guys, no Widi for me.

Good choice. Now, the next question is how much noise are you willing to tolerate in your living room?

Zap's build (minus the GPU) is a good base. However, the GTX 580 will wail like a banshee in that case. Something like a 6950 2GB TFIII will be much quieter.

 

[lehtv]

What I'd do: CPU cooler = passive (e.g. Prolimatech Megahalems, Thermalright Hr-02), GPU cooler = Thermalright Shaman which should cool even GTX570 adequately and silently. Use one or two low-rpm intake fans, and make sure the case has holes on the top for hot air to escape naturally (well, facilitated a bit by the intake fans).

 

[IamDavid]

What I'd do: CPU cooler = passive (e.g. Prolimatech Megahalems, Thermalright Hr-02), GPU cooler = Thermalright Shaman which should cool even GTX570 adequately and silently. Use one or two low-rpm intake fans, and make sure the case has holes on the top for hot air to escape naturally (well, facilitated a bit by the intake fans).

That sounds very interesting, I like it.

Why no love for I7 cpu's?

 

[lehtv]

They're expensive and don't benefit gaming/media over 2500k. They're meant for content creation e.g. photoshop, 3dsmax, video editing and encoding, etc.