Question Looking for mini gaming PC

[zerrith]

I'm looking to get a small form factor gaming PC. I'm really just looking for something I can play Starfield on as well as some of the 4X games I like (Stellaris, Age of Wonders etc.) I want a small form factor because I want something that will fit on my entertainment center so I can play it on my TV in my living room. I found this on Amazon:

Amazon.com

My budget is up to $2k (maybe a little more if I'm really wowed.) Am I better of getting a gaming laptop instead?

 

[punkncat]

That is a tough call.

The specs for some of those games is pretty hefty. Small form PC are often basically just a laptop without a screen which is shown by the CPU model of the link provided. This basically means there is no upgrade path and very little recourse towards repair if or when it is needed.

My personal thoughts are to consider an M-ITX build with actual "standard" PC parts inside. This can still be quite challenging to source and build, but if you have room in your entertainment center there are quite a few "HTPC" cases that fit into them much like a receiver sized device would.

Take a look at some of the Silverstone cases. I personally use the Grandia 09. The big challenge when placing a system inside your ET is cooling. I personally run mine at 1080/60 to keep temps down, or if running higher I place a fan in front of the ET blowing into the shelf the PC is in to keep it tamed.

 

[NanoSuit3]

If your more of an on-the-go person I'd suggest a laptop; BUT; if your an on-the-go & don't wanna get a beefy desktop I'd also suggest a laptop. With that said if your not those 2 I'm partnered with ROG and I'd recommend the
ROG G22CH G22CH-DB776 SFF desktop. On the other side laptop wise I'd say ROG Flow Z13..............................food for thought

 

[Eximo]

Yeah, that first one is basically a laptop. Doesn't have any significant benefits over just getting a laptop.

ROG looks more like a small form factor PC, which should give you some limited ability to change components.

But building your own Home Theatre Gaming PC isn't as bad as it used to be. Give me about 15 minutes.

 

[Eximo]

And it still kind of looks like a game console:

Faster CPU, way larger GPU, more storage, and upgrade potential.

If you prefer Nvidia, this would be the only time I recommend the RTX4060Ti to get the most performance per watt.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-13500 2.5 GHz 14-Core Processor ($244.49 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i-17xx 33.84 CFM CPU Cooler ($44.95 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z690M-ITX/ax Mini ITX LGA1700 Motherboard ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Enhanced Redline Stiletto 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($97.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Speedster SWFT 309 Radeon RX 6700 XT 12 GB Video Card ($329.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone RVZ03 Mini ITX Desktop Case ($143.81 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA 850 GM 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1221.20
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-08-17 15:18 EDT-0400

Also some more cube like chassis out there if you want to look into those. NR200 and the like.