Does anyone have a good HTPC gaming build?

Does anyone have a good, living room gaming HTPC? If so, what parts did you use? I want to build one, just waiting for the GPU and RAM prices to drop.

I upgraded to a 1080ti right before the prices went up again.

Only paid $725 for the EVGA GTX 1080 Ti SC Black Gaming Edition.

Currently have the 1080ti, I7 6700k connected to a KS8000 4k HDR TV.

Will probably never go back to gaming on a monitor

@navyguy21: Dang, now you can't even buy a 1070 for under $750 lol

I've only ever seen a HTPC once in my life, aside from it being a PC controlled by a remote I really wasn't impressed.

There are many cool mini-ITX cases out there you could make a gaming PC in, but honestly I'd recommend just going with a full sized desktop PC if you got the room. It'll save you money (and headaches)

Not anymore, my PC can’t do 4K.

No interest to upgrade my GPU

@R4gn4r0k:

What headaches? Why the need for a mini case?

I have a mid-tower build and it sits next to my entertainment center. I built it in a black case so it blends in but it has full led lights for when I want to show it off. Also, steam controller let's you control your whole computer without a mouse and keyboard, though I have wireless for games.

I have a 1080Ti, Ryzen 7 1700, 16GB of RAM, m.2 and SATA SSDs, all in a node 202. I will include a pic a little later.

I'm sorry, but I got to agree with R4gn4r0k. I'm also on the fence with HTPC, call me old school but I like to have my desktop PC with a monitor, KB/M and my trusty Xbox Elite Controller. Some of us just aren't into that kind of over the top stuff but I do understand it's a PC Enthusiast so it's really not targeted towards me anyway.

I also have 1080Ti but with a i7 8700K as well, but I'll stick to 1440p/60fps and move up to 144Hz later this year.

Kind of. I have a Node 202 case, it's about the size of an Xbox One original. Houses an i7 and 1080 GTX.

@goldenelementxl: That is a sexy little beast on the right. Puts those shit consoles to shame.

Why not just build a regular gaming PC and use Steamlink to play in your living room?

@UssjTrunks: I'm guessing he wants a small PC he can put in the living room or carry with him if he wants to. Steamlink isn't perfect so I'd rather skip out on the latency caused by streaming and get straight from the source if I could.

What exactly is over the top with a HTPC/mini itx PC? I noticed R4gn4r0k said that you'll save money, but these days you can find mini itx parts just as cheap as full size parts.

@goldenelementxl said:

what psu are you using?

@TheShadowLord07: Corsair SF600.

@BassMan: Thanks! It’s not too tough to beat the consoles. I just wish I could get my friends and family into PC gaming.

@goldenelementxl: What kind of build is it? It's been years since I last built my PC so I haven't kept up much with things going on in the hardware market other than the benchmarks for the latest CPUs and GPUs. This is for the first time I'm actually seeing RGB motherboards and RAM. I had no idea they exist now, I thought it was just some aftermarket lights but its all official same for the heatsink it appears to be an official stock cooler from AMD.

I'm saving up for a mini itx build and have decided on using the silverstone raven rvz03b as my case. I want to make a ryzen build since they offer good bang for the buck and Intel has screwed up security flaws on nearly all their CPUs.

@BassMan: One of my gripes with consoles is how dull and plain looking they can look.

@pandadropkicks: When you say HTPC, do you mean super small? Or just HTPC in the sense that it looks like it belongs in your A/V stand?

My living room PC is built into a Silverstone chassis, which takes regular size desktop parts, but has the appearance of an A/V receiver. The parts that are in it right now are crap, as I use it to browse the web, and stream games from my desktop downstairs, but I could put whatever I wanted in there. full size graphics cards and high wattage power supplies are no problem.

This is it here: https://www.quietpc.com/silverstone-ml03b

Because big desktops look ugly next to a TV Stand

@UssjTrunks: have you tired this? I got a steam link recently and there is not a single game I can play without serious lag. Even games like sonic the hedgehog. I have messed around with the settings but still don't know why it's so laggy.

I tried it with the Steam link and it worked great. Make sure you're using the 5 Ghz band and not the 2.4 one.

I run an HDMI cord from my gaming tower to my tv and have a dinovo mini for couching it up.

Yeah I love my little HTPC.

Main Components:

• i3-6100
• GTX 1060 6GB
• Some random SSD I had
• Other random M.2 ssd I accidentally bought
• Random motherboard, cheapest with wifi
• 8GB RAM whatever was cheapest at the time
• Fractal Node 202 w/ PSU

Works great. Plays any game I've thrown at it very well at 1080p no compromises. Can handle 4K HDR video no problem. Some games can even run at 4K (but I usually just stick with 1080p for very high settings and 60fps).

It probably has way more storage than it needs. All it needs is enough for the OS and a few games. Everything else comes from the server - video streaming via PLEX, etc....

Cost me about $700 before I put it in this fancy small form factor case:

I later moved it into a custom case which looks awesome. It's really small; smaller than a PS4 even. It's able to be so small because it uses a beefy laptop power adapter outside the case and a special DC-DC PSU inside.

@DragonfireXZ95: I will check my settings again. Sounds like user error to me if you are not having issues. .

With X1X being as powerful as it is, and apps Like Plex, and Kodi being available. I don’t see a point anymore.

Maybe a GTX 3070 Ti in 2020 will change my mind, but by than next gen consoles will be out I’m guessing. So maybe not..

Maybe ill I’ll build one as a VR Machine..

@pyro1245: duuuuuuuuuuude watched a few videos about that case (including the very passionate detailed explanation from the designer). I want to build a PC in that one.

Can you really fit a 1080Ti in there!?

@goldenelementxl said:

ThOught you had a blower 1080 in there

Haha. You have to find one short enough. I think max length is like 180-200mm.

Also finding a DC-DC PSU with high enough capacity could be an issue.... Well actually it looks like there is a 400W available now... So it may be possible to run a 1080ti in there.....

https://www.hdplex.com/hdplex-400w-hi-fi-dc-atx-power-supply-16v-24v-wide-range-voltage-input.html

Wow. Talk about performance-per-liter king.

I did but I swapped it out with my office PC's Ti. At first it was a little too big, but I figured out a way to get it in the node 202 case.

If you guys had appropriate A/V Furniture you wouldn’t have to limit yourselves with tiny cases lacking in airflow. Or with loud reference design GPu’s

HTPC

Gaming

Choose one.

The most you can really get to a console-sized PC gaming case is the Mini-ITX Node 202, and even then, you'll at best fit EVGA's half-sized GTX 1060 GPU. If you absolutely need something smaller, the most i can suggest is the Alienware Alpha R2

There are people out there with 1080ti's in a Node 202. Blower style, due to the small form-factor.

Literally the reason I went and bout an hp omen over the weekend was to get the 1070 inside. Granted it came with a 7700k inside but I already have a ryzen build

You living in 2008? I have a 1080 STRIX in my Node 202 and that card has 3 fans. Plus theres room to two 120mm fans directly underneath to help bring in air from the vents under it. Has magnetic vent filters, the GPU is in it's own separate chamber for cooling and it's only $80 and cheaper when on sale.

Performance wise, I run VR, using VorpX with GTA 5 on it's highest 1080p settings which is very stressful on hardware. X1X's CPU could never have enough juice to run that game in VorpX.

ewww blower styles are loud as hell. Hard pass

@lundy86_4: @flashn00b: There are pictures in this thread of a GTX 1080Ti in a node 202 flashn00b. And blower GPUs in small form factors being a requirement is a myth. I ran both a blower and open air in the node 202, and the GPU temps are lower with open air, while CPU temps are within 2-4 degrees of each other. The noise of the blower style GPU is obnoxious. I believed the message board posts and YouTube speculation regarding blower GPUs. Those things are loud and hot and serve no real advantages. It also helps that the GPU in the node 202 has its own side of the case. In a tower setup the GPU heat has a greater effect.

Okay.

OT: Seems GoldenElement says you don't need a blower style, which just undermines everything flashnoob said.

i mean by his own admission in another thread GOlden started off with a reference blower 1080 in the Node 202 because his 1080Ti got too hot

Blowers suck, let the consoles keep those loud gazillion rpm mini spinners

Also he keeps the top off his case :)

@GioVela2010: No no no. I started with a blower 1080 because the Ti wouldn’t fit in the node 202. I figured out a way to get it in since. The Ti temps are fine with the top on as well. The main reason the top is off is because of the LED CPU cooler. If I put the low profile CPU fan back on, the top would be back on. I also like seeing the inside and the lights. #nerd

I can't stress enough about using dual 120mm Static pressure fans under the GPU, keeps it cool and quiet.

At first I was kinda worried that I already upgraded to a 1080ti but looking at the price hike, wow. I guess it was kind of a good call anyway.

@pimphand_gamer: What do you mean under the GPU? Do you mean the side of the case? I've never seen a case where you could mount fans under the GPU? Oh you mean like buying a GPU variant that comes with 120mm static pressure fans?

I am building my next PC out of cardboard. It will cost £10,000 due to this expensive element but it will be indestructible.