Steam Box (Couch Build) suggestions please

maclem8223

maclem8223

[H]ard|Gawd
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Oct 28, 2013
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Hello all,

I'm looking to build a steam box budget is roughly $600 +- 50 (Minus would be nice:D) but not a big deal if it's worth the difference. Here's the list of what I would be needing.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Secondary gaming box and HTPC will be on a Panasonic TC-55AS680U. Example games would be AC IV Black Flag, Tomb Raider, Random Indy games me and my wife find enjoyable. Dying light maybe. Not worried about rediculous settings I have the rig in my sig for that.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included? $600 give or take 50. I'm local to BBuy, Fry's, and Microcenter. So if it's a $20 difference from B&M and shipping sorry but I'm kind of an instant gratification guy and I'll go get it:) (Don't judge me).
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
California, San Juan Cap
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Everything + cpu , RAM, gpu, psu, case (small form factor, sexy black case options), gaming conrtoller(steam controller(is it out yet?), or other options I'm all ears), keyboard and mouse are covered, will need an SSD for OS 256GB preferred. Cooling options I would like this to be dependable enough to run basically 24/7 if possible. If I'm not runnig a game it will be running plex home theatre more than likely.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Just keyboard, mouse, WD Red 4TB I have.
6) Will you be overclocking? No need
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?1080p hdtv stated above
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC? This weekends' project if all goes well:D:D:D
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
USB 3.0 would be greatly appreciated, WiFi as well on the mobo or card if possible.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit? Have a legit 8.1 key

My main goal for this is to eventually have it sitting on a shelf next to the TV in a big open room, I don't want to be watchiing TV and have this ugly box staring at me in the corner. Plain, simple, and small is the key here for me plus the internal of course.

Thanks in advance for any and all input.
 
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What games are you planning on playing?
Is this your primary gaming PC or it's going to be your secondary gaming PC?
Do you really need controllers or not?
 
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Dangman said:
What games are you planning on playing?
Is this your primary gaming PC or it's going to be your secondary gaming PC?
Click to expand...

This will be a secondary gaming PC, I've updaed the original post accordingly. AC IV Black Flag, Dying Light, FF series, Fallout 4 here soon...Some games I just find better playing from a distance on a couch.

Dangman said:
Do you really need controllers or not?
Click to expand...
No
 
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Would this case be small enough for you? It's roughly 4 to 5" shorter in height than your previous NZXT Source 210 Elite.:
$45 - Coolermaster N200 NSE-200-KKN1 mATX Case

Or is this case a lot closer to what you want?
$40 - Silverstone SG05BB-LITE mITX Case

If the latter, I think you're going to have increase your budget a bit or drop the controllers requirement. I say that because smaller than the above case mean you would have to go with mITX motherboards and cases. In general, mITX parts tend to cost more than mATX.

If you still want the controllers, wireless or wired?
 
Dangman said:
Would this case be small enough for you?:
$45 - Coolermaster N200 NSE-200-KKN1 mATX Case

Or is this case a lot closer to what you want?
$40 - Silverstone SG05BB-LITE mITX Case

If the latter, I think you're going to have increase your budget a bit or drop the controllers requirement. I say that because smaller than the above case mean you would have to go with mITX motherboards and cases. In general, mITX parts tend to cost more than mATX.

If you still want the controllers, wireless or wired?
Click to expand...

Yes unfortunately for my budget I like the Silverstone a lot more. Let's drop the controllers, kinda dumb sorry I'm blaming it on the Coronas from earlier. I'll find some on Craigslist easily.
Would the EVGA Hadron Air mITX be a possibility with the combined psu? It's pretty nice looking as well.
 
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Took me a bit longer than expected but I recommend two different builds:

Build #1
$160 - Intel Core i5 4590 CPU
$95 - ASRock H97M-ITX Intel H97 mITX Motherboard
$39 - Crucial Ballistix BLS8G3D1609DS1S00 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$150 - MSI Radeon R7 370 2GB PCI-E Video Card
$85 - Crucial BX100 250GB SSD
$40 - Silverstone SG05BB-LITE mITX Case
$90 - Silverstone ST45SF-G 450W Modular SFX PSU
----
Total: $659 shipped plus tax

Build #2
$160 - Intel Core i5 4590 CPU
$95 - ASRock H97M-ITX Intel H97 mITX Motherboard
$39 - Crucial Ballistix BLS8G3D1609DS1S00 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$150 - MSI Radeon R7 370 2GB PCI-E Video Card
$85 - Crucial BX100 250GB SSD
$50 - Coolermaster Elite 130 mITX Case
$69 - Antec High Current Gamer HCG-520M Modular PSU
----
Total: $648 shipped plus tax

Common between both systems:
1) Judging from what you told me in PMs, I would highly recommend a quad-core CPU for your planned usage. If this was strictly an indy gaming PC or you weren't doing so much with the PC, you would have been fine with the $100 Core i3 4170 from Microcenter. Still though, $160 for the Core i5 4590 from Microcenter is a solid deal even with CA sales tax considering that you're looking at $200 + tax online for that same CPU.

2) That AsRock mobo includes wifi and has a fairly solid track record.

3) Single stick of 8GB of RAM means you have room to upgrade to 16GB of RAM in the future without having to replace any RAM. The RAM is available for $9 more + tax from Microcenter actually if you really want to be able to test the mobo and CPU right when you get home. Assuming that you have a spare PSU of course:
http://www.microcenter.com/product/...R3-1600_(PC3-12800)_CL9_Desktop_Memory_Module

4) Cheapest bang for the buck card that would fit within your budget and provide decent 1080P gaming performance.

5) Technically that same SSD is $5 more from Microcenter if you really want to install an OS to test the mobo and CPU right when you get home. Assuming that you have a spare PSU of course.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/...III_6Gb-s_25_Solid_State_Drive_CT250BX100SSD1

Build #1:
The case is the smallest of the two builds but it means more money. That PSU is the cheapest quality PSU that I would recommend for this system. Unfortunately it costs a bit more.

Build #2:
The case is the largest of the two builds but it means less money. That PSU was the cheapest quality modular PSU I could find. Considering the small size of that case, you really do need a modular PSU.

As an upgrade to build #2 (Build #1 won't fit it) I would highly recommend getting this GPU for $30 more if you can afford it:
$180 - MSI GeForce 2GD5T OC GTX 960 2GB PCI-E Video Card

That $30 gets you MGSV: Phantom Pain, which judging from your list of planned games, should be the kind of game you'll enjoy playing. Since the MSRP of that game is like $50 to $60, getting it for $30 is a steal. Plus that extra $30 also gets you significantly more performance and lower power usage/noise.

EDIT: Didn't see that bit about the eVGA Hadron Air case. It does cost $20 more than build #1 but that's not my main issue with it. My main issue with that case is that the included PSU, AFAIK, as never been properly tested. Yes eVGA has released good PSUs but they've also released subpar PSUs. Another case you might want to check out:
$80 - Silverstone RVZ01B Raven Z mITX Case

Just start with build #1 and swap out the case for the RVZ01B. Also, with the case switch, it means that you can physically fit in that GTX 960 card.
 
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Thank you very much for the build options. I will be doing a littler further research in the mornign, bedtime for now. I wil keep you updated. Thanks again for the options and fast response!
 
When the Fractal Design Node 202 is actually available, it will be my first choice for a living room PC. That thing is dead sexy!

I've got a half built rig in a Silverstone Raven rvz01, and I've stuck it in a closet until I can get my hands on the Node 202.
 
Dangman said:
Took me a bit longer than expected but I recommend two different builds:

Build #1
$160 - Intel Core i5 4590 CPU
$95 - ASRock H97M-ITX Intel H97 mITX Motherboard
$39 - Crucial Ballistix BLS8G3D1609DS1S00 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$150 - MSI Radeon R7 370 2GB PCI-E Video Card
$85 - Crucial BX100 250GB SSD
$40 - Silverstone SG05BB-LITE mITX Case
$90 - Silverstone ST45SF-G 450W Modular SFX PSU
----
Total: $659 shipped plus tax

Build #2
$160 - Intel Core i5 4590 CPU
$95 - ASRock H97M-ITX Intel H97 mITX Motherboard
$39 - Crucial Ballistix BLS8G3D1609DS1S00 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$150 - MSI Radeon R7 370 2GB PCI-E Video Card
$85 - Crucial BX100 250GB SSD
$50 - Coolermaster Elite 130 mITX Case
$69 - Antec High Current Gamer HCG-520M Modular PSU
----
Total: $648 shipped plus tax

Common between both systems:
1) Judging from what you told me in PMs, I would highly recommend a quad-core CPU for your planned usage. If this was strictly an indy gaming PC or you weren't doing so much with the PC, you would have been fine with the $100 Core i3 4170 from Microcenter. Still though, $160 for the Core i5 4590 from Microcenter is a solid deal even with CA sales tax considering that you're looking at $200 + tax online for that same CPU.

2) That AsRock mobo includes wifi and has a fairly solid track record.

3) Single stick of 8GB of RAM means you have room to upgrade to 16GB of RAM in the future without having to replace any RAM. The RAM is available for $9 more + tax from Microcenter actually if you really want to be able to test the mobo and CPU right when you get home. Assuming that you have a spare PSU of course:
http://www.microcenter.com/product/...R3-1600_(PC3-12800)_CL9_Desktop_Memory_Module

4) Cheapest bang for the buck card that would fit within your budget and provide decent 1080P gaming performance.

5) Technically that same SSD is $5 more from Microcenter if you really want to install an OS to test the mobo and CPU right when you get home. Assuming that you have a spare PSU of course.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/...III_6Gb-s_25_Solid_State_Drive_CT250BX100SSD1

Build #1:
The case is the smallest of the two builds but it means more money. That PSU is the cheapest quality PSU that I would recommend for this system. Unfortunately it costs a bit more.

Build #2:
The case is the largest of the two builds but it means less money. That PSU was the cheapest quality modular PSU I could find. Considering the small size of that case, you really do need a modular PSU.

As an upgrade to build #2 (Build #1 won't fit it) I would highly recommend getting this GPU for $30 more if you can afford it:
$180 - MSI GeForce 2GD5T OC GTX 960 2GB PCI-E Video Card

That $30 gets you MGSV: Phantom Pain, which judging from your list of planned games, should be the kind of game you'll enjoy playing. Since the MSRP of that game is like $50 to $60, getting it for $30 is a steal. Plus that extra $30 also gets you significantly more performance and lower power usage/noise.

EDIT: Didn't see that bit about the eVGA Hadron Air case. It does cost $20 more than build #1 but that's not my main issue with it. My main issue with that case is that the included PSU, AFAIK, as never been properly tested. Yes eVGA has released good PSUs but they've also released subpar PSUs. Another case you might want to check out:
$80 - Silverstone RVZ01B Raven Z mITX Case

Just start with build #1 and swap out the case for the RVZ01B. Also, with the case switch, it means that you can physically fit in that GTX 960 card.
Click to expand...

You can easily save up to a $80 bucks on the cpu/mobo alone and put it towards a better GPU. A Core i3 and a sub $60 dlls B85 mobo or a H87 for even less would do. What you save you can put towards say a 960 or maybe even a deal on a 290.

I'm cheap regarding PSU (and cpu cases, but since its for the living room its ok I guess). So I can't justify $70 much less $90 dlls for one, no matter how good. I would get one for half the price, but that's just me.
 
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OldandCrusty said:
When the Fractal Design Node 202 is actually available, it will be my first choice for a living room PC. That thing is dead sexy!

I've got a half built rig in a Silverstone Raven rvz01, and I've stuck it in a closet until I can get my hands on the Node 202.
Click to expand...

And like everything that's pretty, it sacrifices performance. That case has a problem with GPU airflow in any orientation:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1464-page5.html

In it's vertical orientation, it cant handle gaming on a 150w GTX 980. It can handle gaming on a 50w GPU, and MIGHT handle gaming on a 90w GTX 950, but that's as far as it will go. Horizontally, I wouldn't take it any further than the GTX 750 they installed.


Your Raven may not be as sexy, but it's at least competent. Here it handles a 100w GPU fairly well horizontally:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1392-page6.html

Also, you do know they make a "sexier" version of the Raven right? And it can actually handle the same GTX 980 that the Node 202 failed on:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1469-page6.html

It can even handle the GTX 980 horizontally, although it's not very siilent when gaming.
 
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defaultluser said:
And like everything that's pretty, it sacrifices performance. That case has a problem with GPU airflow in any orientation:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1464-page5.html

In it's vertical orientation, it cant handle gaming on a 150w GTX 980. It can handle gaming on a 50w GPU, and MIGHT handle gaming on a 90w GTX 950, but that's as far as it will go. Horizontally, I wouldn't take it any further than the GTX 750 they installed.


Your Raven may not be as sexy, but it's at least competent. Here it handles a 100w GPU fairly well horizontally:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1392-page6.html

Also, you do know they make a "sexier" version of the Raven right? And it can actually handle the same GTX 980 that the Node 202 failed on:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1469-page6.html

It can even handle the GTX 980 horizontally, although it's not very siilent when gaming.
Click to expand...

While a GTX 980 would be great, it's huge overkill for a living room PC that's used as a gaming PC once in awhile.
 
I will probably be going along the route of Dangman's build #2 for the most part. Will probably upgrade to the GTX 960. Still weighing some other options though.
 
Check out the Thermaltake Core V1 also. It's a mini-ITX case, same price as the SG05, and although larger in liters than the SG05 it's still a relatively small footprint and fared very well in the [H] review. It's a more flexible case as far as what you can fit in it, e.g. you can basically go with any ATX PSU and it can also accommodate larger GPUs. Personally I like the looks of it a bit more than the shoebox style as well but that's in the eye of the beholder.
 
illram said:
Check out the Thermaltake Core V1 also. It's a mini-ITX case, same price as the SG05, and although larger in liters than the SG05 it's still a relatively small footprint and fared very well in the [H] review. It's a more flexible case as far as what you can fit in it, e.g. you can basically go with any ATX PSU. Personally I like the looks of it a bit more than the shoebox style.
Click to expand...
Thank you for the suggestion but I'm kind of the opposite of you. I'm looking for the shoebox style lol.
 
OldandCrusty said:
While a GTX 980 would be great, it's huge overkill for a living room PC that's used as a gaming PC once in awhile.
Click to expand...

I'm just saying. It's not a train wreck like the Node 605 was, but it has a very narrow use case. You'd be giving up a whole lot better flexibility for pretty :D
 
Stoly said:
You can easily save up to a $80 bucks on the cpu/mobo alone and put it towards a better GPU. A Core i3 and a sub $60 dlls B85 mobo or a H87 for even less would do. What you save you can put towards say a 960 or maybe even a deal on a 290.
Click to expand...
I generally plan for the long-term rather than the short-term: A CPU and mobo are generally the hardest and costliest to upgrade. By starting with a stronger CPU, he can hold off on upgrading the CPU and mobo far longer than he would with a Core i3. It's relatively easy to upgrade a GPU.

Stoly said:
I'm cheap regarding PSU (and cpu cases, but since its for the living room its ok I guess). So I can't justify $70 much less $90 dlls for one, no matter how good. I would get one for half the price, but that's just me.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I've had too many bad experiences with cheap PSUs and cases so I'd rather pay extra for quality.
 
Okay so here was the final build, I haven't addressed my wiring concerns yet and it is atrocious so please forgive me:/
Overall I'm extremely happy with the asthetics and since this will be sitting in my living room I like that from a distance it just looks like a subwoofer sitting next to the tv. My opinion but it's exactly what I was going for, unobtrusive and you forget it is even there. I was able to come within about $15 of what Dangman suggested taken into consideration I didn't not get either case that was suggested but once I saw the 250D I was ok with going a bit over budget. I picked everything up at a local MC and Fry's. Through a few price matches I got realy close and I had to return a few things at both stores anyways so I was ok with the price difference for the convenience factor.
Performance wise I couldn't be happier with this setup for what I needed. Full HTPC running plex, several programs I have for school, and the GTX 960 is having no issues what so ever with keeping up at high settings on my games of choice. I want to check the heat situation just in case, but I foresee no issues. The only issue I have right now is with the MOBO and the wifi card setup. Where the antenna wires attach to the I/O shield is extremely loose and I've got them as I tight as I can make it. Minor gripe I guess but it's kind of a pain in the ass to get the antennas to stay where you want (pictured below). Again overall, very happy with the setup, thanks for any and all suggestions that were made!

Corsair 250D mini ITX case
intel i5 4590
ASRock H97M-ITX Intel H97 mITX Motherboard
Crucial Ballistix BLS8G3D1609DS1S00 8GB DDR3 1600 RAM
Antec High Current Gamer HCG-520M Modular PSU
MSI GeForce 2GD5T OC GTX 960 2GB PCI-E Video Card





Here is where I was talking about the wifi antenna wires. Where those nuts are it's really loose but no more room to tighten them:/
 
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Are you talking about the golden nuts or the black nuts?

Anyway, glad to see you're enjoying the build. I don't normally recommend the 250D because it's often out of budget for a lot of people but man is it a beautiful case. How's the noise level so far?
 
Dangman said:
Are you talking about the golden nuts or the black nuts?

Anyway, glad to see you're enjoying the build. I don't normally recommend the 250D because it's often out of budget for a lot of people but man is it a beautiful case. How's the noise level so far?
Click to expand...
What noise?:D
And yes I'm talking about the golden nuts on the back, they are (seem) to be flush with the I/O shield but they are very lose and don't seem to be able to be tightened any more. Just really loose.
 
I will be adding a HSF as well, any recommendations out there specifically for this Corsair 250D or for mini ITX cases in general?
 
I recommend this HSF:
$40 - Silverstone AR06 HSF
 
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