Building a (mostly) wireless SFF system

[Connoisseur]

I live in NYC so space is at a premium. I have a 48" desk and am currently running a 5 year old system in an Antec 300 case hooked up to a 23" dell monitor with a couple of klipsch speakers. I'm really getting annoyed at the general bulkiness of it, the prevalence of wiring and the heat it puts out. I'm looking to replace it with another system that would be used for gaming. My two options are to:
1) Buy a laptop (was thinking Razer Blade)
2) Build a much smaller form factor system but with the bare minimum of wiring.

Obviously, I know about the first option, but I also wanted to see if the second option was feasible. I've routed the wires by attaching the cables to the desk and zip tie'ing all the cables together but it's still to much wiring. Budget isn't really an issue especially since I'm looking for mainstream gaming and not putting together an SLI system. Can someone discuss the feasibility and/or give me some component recommendations? Needs to fill the following criteria:
1) SFF - I don't want another mid-tower (like the Antec 300) taking up valuable space. The smaller the better. Also, I am a fan of aesthetics so any cleaner setups would be great.
2) MINIMAL Wiring - I understand both the monitor and desktop will need to be plugged into a power outlet but any other wires that can be eliminated should be eliminated. Looking for good wireless keyboard/mouse components and even WiDi if the option is available on desktops and is feasible for gaming. Also will take suggestions on wireless speaker or headphone options.
3) Fairly Cool - I'm not expecting ice cold since it's a SFF system but definitely do not want it to be a space heater.
4) Mainstream/semi-high performance - Should run most/all games at 1080p at 60fps with max settings but should also have the legroom to game if I wanted to upgrade to a 1440p monitor. Sooo I'm guessing l somewhere in the GTX760 or R9 270X performance range?

Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated. I'm sure there are some tech articles somewhere about this but I don't even know how to search for it.

 

[DSF]

I'm not sure how much cooler than your current system you're expecting to get when you want to run 1080P or 1440P at high settings. The system is going to produce a certain amount of heat.

Honestly though, is the heat itself really that noticeable to you? I mean the heat a computer puts out isn't like running the oven to bake a cake, or even putting a pot of water on to boil.

Also, I recommend that you give some kind of budget number to work with. The system you're trying to build is by its nature (SFF, cool, quiet, largely wireless) going to be more expensive than a run of the mill computer, even the average gaming computer. There's no use in people providing suggestions that you actually can't afford, or guessing too low and suggesting budget-level options when you can actually afford better.

 

[Torn Mind]

How many expansion slots do you plan or potentially will use. Mini-ITX has only one PCI-E x16 slot and nothing else. Micro ATX is a bit more flexible, although case dimensions can vary widely.

 

[Gunbuster]

How about something like the Gigabyte BRIX?

http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4930#ov

 

[el-Capitan]

I'd start by picking a case that suits you in space and aesthetics, then choose the platform (Intel/AMD) and chipset, and work around that from there.

The Antec 300 is not a huge case, so I think you should start at looking at cases there. If you do have a generous budget, there is good chance to splurge here. How about the M1? (http://www.ncases.com/v2/m1.php)

With a case + MB, you'll now have to work around space and feature limitations anyway and there will only be a few options left in regards to GPU, no of SSD, HDD, Wifi, CD-ROM...

Otherwise, come and move out to BK!

 

[Connoisseur]

I'm not sure how much cooler than your current system you're expecting to get when you want to run 1080P or 1440P at high settings. The system is going to produce a certain amount of heat.

Honestly though, is the heat itself really that noticeable to you? I mean the heat a computer puts out isn't like running the oven to bake a cake, or even putting a pot of water on to boil.

Also, I recommend that you give some kind of budget number to work with. The system you're trying to build is by its nature (SFF, cool, quiet, largely wireless) going to be more expensive than a run of the mill computer, even the average gaming computer. There's no use in people providing suggestions that you actually can't afford, or guessing too low and suggesting budget-level options when you can actually afford better.

I think the heat is more of a function of the architecture of my components rather than an inherent problem with the setup. To put it into perspective, I'm running a Radeon HD 4890 and a Core 2 Quad Q9550. I think just upgrading to more modern components will give me a fairly noticeable difference in thermals. And yeah, in a relatively small bedroom the heat output of the computer is noticeable.

I mean budget-wise I suppose I can go up to around $1,500. If I decide not to go the Razer route, I'd ideally like to have this system and maybe a very portable casual gaming laptop for travel.

 

[el-Capitan]

Oh, and are you super fixed on the wireless?

I have recently moved from wired Gb to 887Mb Wifi.

It.
Sucks.
Balls.

Never mind that throughput tops out at some 20MB/sec. The worst is
: even within the apt i can have a jitter of 25ms (50ft, one wall, host was wired to router). It is very iffy and if you are serious on gaming, I'd reconsider.

For peripherals : you can hide cables in a sleeve. I ha a silver/ white one that carries all up from the desktop to behind the monitor. It looks nice.

 

[Connoisseur]

I'd start by picking a case that suits you in space and aesthetics, then choose the platform (Intel/AMD) and chipset, and work around that from there.

The Antec 300 is not a huge case, so I think you should start at looking at cases there. If you do have a generous budget, there is good chance to splurge here. How about the M1? (http://www.ncases.com/v2/m1.php)

With a case + MB, you'll now have to work around space and feature limitations anyway and there will only be a few options left in regards to GPU, no of SSD, HDD, Wifi, CD-ROM...

Otherwise, come and move out to BK!

The M1 looks like a great case. Yeah I've been building systems since I was 13. But in NY, I've moved every two years and now with my wife who's a clean freak, I think I've just gotten over the "big" (i.e. pretty much any normal computer) cases and tangle of wiring which I ALWAYS have to clean out and sort. Not to mention all the dust that gets built up there. My wife has a very clean setup with a MBP connected to an apple cinema display where everything is just connected via one cable to the display. I'm kind of envious except I'm just not invested in the Mac ecosystem. I want that extremely clean look with basically just 1 or 2 cables, a near silent system, and the rest wireless.

I'll consider Brooklyn at some point I suppose

 

[Connoisseur]

Oh, and are you super fixed on the wireless?

I have recently moved from wired Gb to 887Mb Wifi.

It.
Sucks.
Balls.

Never mind that throughput tops out at some 20MB/sec. The worst is
: even within the apt i can have a jitter of 25ms (50ft, one wall, host was wired to router). It is very iffy and if you are serious on gaming, I'd reconsider.

For peripherals : you can hide cables in a sleeve. I ha a silver/ white one that carries all up from the desktop to behind the monitor. It looks nice.

Yeah I'm into the very minimalist look. Also, I've been lugging around this desktop every time I move and it has to take a box all on its own to protect the components so definitely looking to lighten up as well in terms of both size and weight. So a couple of items:
1) I probably cant get away with ALL wireless. What sleeve do you recommend?
2) I have the FIOS Wireless N at home and it's not so bad. But then again my apartment is only 800 sq ft and the PC is less than 10 ft away from the router through a wall.

I'm not a competitive gamer or anything. I just want to be able to play my D3 or Battlefield or any other multiplayer game at acceptable rates.

 

[Connoisseur]

How many expansion slots do you plan or potentially will use. Mini-ITX has only one PCI-E x16 slot and nothing else. Micro ATX is a bit more flexible, although case dimensions can vary widely.

I'd just need one video card. I'm happy using the on-board audio. I may have 1 SSD and 1 HD in the box. Or I'm more than happy to settle with just the SSD and an external HD if it outputs through USB 3.0. I have no need for a CD/DVD drive.

 

[VirtualLarry]

This was the ad on top of this page. I thought that it was relevant.

http://promotions.newegg.com/Rosewill/R14-092/index.html

Contemplating something similar myself. ATX is kinda bulky.

 

[Connoisseur]

This was the ad on top of this page. I thought that it was relevant.

http://promotions.newegg.com/Rosewill/R14-092/index.html

Contemplating something similar myself. ATX is kinda bulky.

Yeah part is the bulk and part is just the nastiness of the wiring. Between my power cables, DVI cable, ethernet cord, speaker wiring, wired mouse, and any USB dongles, it just looks messy. Certainly you can wrap a few of these things up in sleeves but at some point they have to break out and connect to all the components. Also, the power cables are too bulky to properly wrap with the other pieces.

 

[mfenn]

The M1 looks like a great case. Yeah I've been building systems since I was 13. But in NY, I've moved every two years and now with my wife who's a clean freak, I think I've just gotten over the "big" (i.e. pretty much any normal computer) cases and tangle of wiring which I ALWAYS have to clean out and sort. Not to mention all the dust that gets built up there. My wife has a very clean setup with a MBP connected to an apple cinema display where everything is just connected via one cable to the display. I'm kind of envious except I'm just not invested in the Mac ecosystem. I want that extremely clean look with basically just 1 or 2 cables, a near silent system, and the rest wireless.

I'll consider Brooklyn at some point I suppose

And here I was getting ready to suggest that you buy a Mac. :awe:

Do you need speakers or can you use headphones? I ask because a reasonable quality wireless headset is easy to find. Non-junk wireless speakers are harder, especially ones that have a dongle for audio input.

If you can use wireless sound, I think it's pretty straightforward to get it down to 3 wires: PC power, monitor power, and HDMI/DisplayPort.


i5 4670K + MSI Z97I AC combo $360
Team DDR3 1600 16GB $134
EVGA GTX 770 $350
Crucial MX100 512GB $220
Silverstone ST45SF-G $85 AR
Silverstone SG08B $85
Logitech G602 mouse $70
Logitech K270 keyboard $35
Logitech G930 headset $105
Total: $1444 AR

 

[Connoisseur]

What's the noise level with the blower cards? Ideally a quiet setup would be great.

 

[piasabird]

Well one thing to consider is an AIO computer. dsuggestions.you already have a computer monitor you like. At my house I have a small computer hooked up to a HDTV. That uses fewer wires for sound, video and speakers.
I also use a tablet. You might also put a small matx computer under the desk.

Then I also use a wireless keyboard with a touch pad. Logitech kt400?
That makes for fewer wires.

Just some ideas and sugestions.

 

[Torn Mind]

How feasible it is for you to make a trip to one of the Micro Centers in the New York area?

 

[Connoisseur]

How feasible it is for you to make a trip to one of the Micro Centers in the New York area?

Pretty feasible. Why?

 

[Torn Mind]

Pretty feasible. Why?

They usually sell processors at lower prices compared to other retailers.
Their selection of mini-ITX boards are rather limited, but if one of them strikes your fancy, you can get a combo discount.

 

[Ken g6]

i5 4670K + MSI Z97I AC combo $360
Team DDR3 1600 16GB $134

The more I think about these parts, the more I think a few changes might make things cooler and faster. I assume that if you want things to stay cool you're not overclocking, right? If so:

CPU: Xeon E3-1231 V3: $265. Has hyper-threading, doesn't have onboard graphics, so its TDP is only 80W.
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI: $100AR
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Tactical 16GB: $152. Lower voltage, amazingly fast CAS latency (8!)

$23 more than Mfenn's parts.

 

[Essence_of_War]

If Microcenter is in the picture, with a couple of tweaks I think you can get even more perf.
i5-4670k for $190
AsRock mitx MoBo w/ AC wifi and bluetooth for $125 AR
= $315 (potentially $275-$285 depending on bundle) And you should be able to get the bundle pricing, which will save you another $30-40 since it's a 4670k w/ compatible motherboard. They don't explicitly advertise it, but I think the bundle deals work with ANY compatible CPU/MoBo.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Memory: A-Data XPG V2 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($136.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($108.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 250D Mini ITX Tower Case ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $400.96
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-19 18:18 EDT-0400

And add this GTX 780 from MSI for $450 AR (short term deal only!)

I really like the 250D for a compact mitx build. It has a nice set-up where dual-fan coolers actually draw air from the (dust-filtered!) side vents to help with cooling. Also, all of the intakes are filtered, and it has a little window to show off how skillfully you've cable managed . Even if you don't get the bundle pricing, that puts you at $1165 total, and enough left over to pick up the wireless devices mfenn suggested for +$210 = $1375.

At that point, If you want to spend a little more money, but still want to stay under budget, you could swap the front 140mm fan for a 200mm fan like the bitfenix specter pro for $15.20 or you could pick up an aftermarket HSF. The intel cooler is OK, but something like the Scythe Shuriken for $35 or the CM Gemini m4 for $34 would fit nicely in a compact case, and are both reasonably priced.

Edit:
Microcenter is preselling the i5-4690k for $200...if you do an OC'ing, I think these are supposed to have better TIM than the 4670k. For $10, it might be worth it.

 

[mfenn]

The more I think about these parts, the more I think a few changes might make things cooler and faster. I assume that if you want things to stay cool you're not overclocking, right? If so:

CPU: Xeon E3-1231 V3: $265. Has hyper-threading, doesn't have onboard graphics, so its TDP is only 80W.
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-H97N-WIFI: $100AR
RAM: Crucial Ballistix Tactical 16GB: $152. Lower voltage, amazingly fast CAS latency (8!)

$23 more than Mfenn's parts.

TDP really doesn't matter when it comes to average (read: mostly idle) power usage. The Xeon E3 and the 4670K have a very similar power profile. Since the OP has access to a MicroCenter, a K series part like what Essence pointed out definitely makes the most sense.

 

[mfenn]

What's the noise level with the blower cards? Ideally a quiet setup would be great.

On paper, the blower is somewhat (2-3 dB) louder at idle. In practice, when put in a small case with limited airflow (any mITX case), the blower will be quieter because it's not breathing its own exhaust.

 

[piasabird]

I have a cooler master 130 elite Mini-ITX case and when I put in the power supply I turned the power supply upside down so it blows out the hot air from around the CPU.