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[Canis lupus]

Something sized as an actual console, like the steam machine protytype which can house even enthusiast cards.

And not ugly/non console sized cases/towers like this

or HTPC cases that look like huge VCRs.

I've been waiting for years for something small, minimalistic like the Steambox prototype, is there something comparable, any clones? Not looking for overpriced ugly steam machines or Alienware. If a software company like Valve can do it at their first try, there's no reason established hardware companies can't. Hopefully we see some at CES but not holding my breath.

 

[TC McQueen]

The problem is that it's such a niche target demo and adds tons of restrictions and price increases that it's not worth it for most people.

 

[KC Denton]

There's some in this thread. My recommendation is the NCase M1.

 

[Terbinator]

Streacom cases are expensive.

 

[Grief.exe]

Canis Lupis thread, I doubt he's looking for an actual answer.

My personal favorite is the ncase

Excellent HTPC cases that would look perfect in a home theater set up.

I would watercool all of these due to the cramped space and noise requirements, but that's far from necessary.

 

[Sky Saw]

The problem is that it's such a niche target demo and adds tons of restrictions and price increases that it's not worth it for most people.

One and done!

I'm guessing customisation is much more limited in these tiny cases too.

 

[Durante]

There are plenty of beautiful and practical cases in a huge number of form factors available, I think most people aren't as insistent on fitting the console mold perfectly as you are.

 

[BrikHog]

Silverstone RVZ01 is ugly? This is news to me..

 

[Woo-Fu]

I've seen plenty of console-sized cases.

The problem isn't that they can't make them it is that almost nobody who actually builds PCs wants them. The smaller the case the more a pain in the ass it is to build and manage proper airflow.

The only real market was HTPC and I think streaming boxes have killed that off for the most part. You can buy a small, cheap, and unobtrusive box like a Roku while having your media storage anywhere on your network.

When I worked nights I built an SFF rig that fit in my backpack with plenty of room to spare so I could have my own PC at work and not be limited to laptop horsepower.

 

[Chittagong]

Are they though? One and a half years ahead of PS4 and Xbone, we got a console size box twice as powerful as the bone:

Alienware X51 thread of 2.56TFLOPS comfy couch gaming at 180W in a console sized box

I know the pic is in the OP of an example of not console sized, but it is. Garish design, sure. But console size:

 

[orochi91]

You should check out Glass cases, OP; they're super stylish and small as well.

I've had my sights on cases like this for a while now:

But I don't wanna have to buy another MB (mATX)....

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

I like my RVZ02... It's a bit bigger than an Xbox One but much smaller than a traditional tower

 

[kodecraft]

Well, years back these monstrous cases/towers where in style. Even today for some of y'all the bigger the case the better.

I've seen within the last two years an interest in small form factor cases, which I've always been a fan of the idea and hated huge towers.

But its also interesting seeing so many 'PC master' users wanting more and more of a CONSOLE experience. Oh the irony!

Big Picture Mode is essentially a console-like experience on the PC, and thank God for it.

I would love a small form factor case using Mobile parts. But only if the mobile parts were as powerful as desktop parts and were affordable.

 

[Sky Saw]

Silverstone RVZ01 is ugly? This is news to me..

I don't think it looks enough like the PS4 for the OP.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Excellent HTPC cases that would look perfect in a home theater set up.

I would watercool all of these due to the cramped space and noise requirements, but that's far from necessary.

I love this.

 

[Raist]

Because they have ginormous graphics cards and suck up 5 times more W than consoles.

 

[bede-x]

There are many pre-built/barebone units the size of a console. It's just price and performance rarely match up at that size. The Zotac Zbox Magnus EN970 is quite small and console like:

http://youtu.be/ssD1ALBZEZk

Shame about the weak CPU and high price.

 

[Durante]

I would love a small form factor case using Mobile parts. But only if the mobile parts were as powerful as desktop parts and were affordable.

That's kind of a tall order.

Unless the fundamentals of physics change, desktop parts will always be more powerful than mobile parts.

 

[Oxn]

Silverstone RVZ01 is ugly? This is news to me..

I like my RVZ02... It's a bit bigger than an Xbox One but much smaller than a traditional tower

Why do people always talk about the RVZ when the Superior, newer, and better looking FTZ01 exist?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...m_re=silverstone_ftz01-_-11-163-278-_-Product

 

[The Baron Count]

I like my RVZ02... It's a bit bigger than an Xbox One but much smaller than a traditional tower

Wow, I've never seen the RVZ02. Love it.

I've thought about doing my next build with the RVZ01 many times, but I don't think I am willing to give up the flexibility of a tower.

 

[DownGrader]

I'm guessing customisation is much more limited in these tiny cases too.

It sure is. I'm using one of InWin cases for my MS Office machine, and no way I will be able to at least add a dedicated graphics card to it, with tiny inside space. no riser support and non-standard 120W power supply.

 

[tuxfool]

You should check out Glass cases, OP; they're super stylish and small as well.

I've had my sights on cases like this for a while now:

But I don't wanna have to buy another MB (mATX)....

Eh. I don't fancy glass when it comes to dampening vibration...

 

[Auto_aim1]

Personally for me bigger the better. I have a gigantic NZXT Phantom case with multiple 140mm fans and a Corsair 240mm radiator. I just don't know how you will be able to fit a 750W PSU and high end Nvidia/Amd cards in a console size case though.

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

Why do people always talk about the RVZ when the Superior, newer, and better looking FTZ01 exist?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...m_re=silverstone_ftz01-_-11-163-278-_-Product

because I like the angular look of the rvz02 more
ftz01 is a great HTPC case though

Personally for me bigger the better. I have a gigantic NZXT Phantom case with multiple 140mm fans and a Corsair 240mm radiator. I just don't know how you will be able to fit a 750W PSU and high end Nvidia/Amd cards in a console size case though.

SFX-L PSUs and 8 inch cards would work

 

[The Stealth Fox]

I'm surprised people don't suggest ITX builds more often in the PC thread. With all the All In One closed loop liquid cooling solutions you could build something 3x more powerful than a ps4 but a third the size of a tower.

The CM Elite 130 case is cheaper (40-50 dollars) and it fits standard atx case parts. Most nice ATX cases are 100 dollars and the same goes with mini ITX. If you're not interested in SLI these builds are very doable. You can even fit a titan X into a lot of the cases.

The only "extra cost" you may be paying for is for an ITX mobo, and that's like 30-40 dollars. And the cooling solution probably costs 30 dollars more than a standard hyper 212 EVO.

You just need to do some research on what you need in terms of storage.

 

[alexandros]

Well, the Fractal Design Node 202 is close enough:

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Personally for me bigger the better. I have a gigantic NZXT Phantom case with multiple 140mm fans and a Corsair 240mm radiator. I just don't know how you will be able to fit a 750W PSU and high end Nvidia/Amd cards in a console size case though.

Someday, I really hope I know what all of this means. I really, truly do.

 

[El_Calhau]

they are, but it needs architects, industrial designers and who knows what else instead of the lego-like simplicity of modern desktops nowadays. That would cost a lot more money than they are willing to spend, the market doesn't really exist. I mean, it does, but it just isn't worth the time and money when there are already enough players to fill the needs of the market

 

[Piers]

Nobody wants to compromise proper airflow and competent GPU/CPU for form-factor.
Edit: Competent was arrogant of me. I strictly mean high-end.

 

[The Stealth Fox]

I like my RVZ02... It's a bit bigger than an Xbox One but much smaller than a traditional tower

The RVZ02 is an amazing case. The only problem is that Silverstone is the company that makes small form factor 600 w PSUs, and the reviews on newegg aren't very enticing. What PSU are you using?

Nobody wants to compromise proper airflow and competent GPU/CPU for form-factor.

This really isn't as true as it used to be. Sure, I doublt you can do a titan build the size of a ps4, but you can do some pretty small builds with some pretty amazing parts and have the portability factor and be able to carry it with you.

 

[TaterTots]

Small cases exist. Personally, I stay away from them due to heat and cramped space to build.

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

The RVZ02 is an amazing case. The only problem is that Silverstone is the company that makes small form factor 600 w PSUs, and the reviews on newegg aren't very enticing. What PSU are you using?

Silverstone 500w modular SFX-L. Was the most expensive part of my build sans GPU and CPU but it's quiet as hell and easy to work with.

 

[Durante]

Well, the Fractal Design Node 202 is close enough:

Wow, neat. That's the first case in that form factor which I think looks good.

 

[tuxfool]

Someday, I really hope I know what all of this means. I really, truly do.

Start today.

• 140mm Fans - Large fans. Used to blow air.
• 240mm Radiator - Expels heat out of the case using aforementioned fans, fed by liquid cooling.
• 750w Power Supply Unit - Converts AC to DC, provides at most 750W to components.
• NZXT Phantom case - A large and garish computer case, supports large everything inside.
• Nvidia/Amd cards - graphics cards.

 

[neptunes]

How much of a demand is there for such a market? seems niche as hell.

 

[Silent Chief]

I'm guessing customisation is much more limited in these tiny cases too.

Well you'd need the industry to create a standard form factor and nobody cares about that.
The market is just not big enough.

 

[Conkerkid11]

Personally for me bigger the better. I have a gigantic NZXT Phantom case with multiple 140mm fans and a Corsair 240mm radiator. I just don't know how you will be able to fit a 750W PSU and high end Nvidia/Amd cards in a console size case though.

Yeah, this. Even now I regret picking up a mid-sized tower rather than a full tower.

I don't know why you would want to hinder yourself by buying a small chassis.

 

[The Stealth Fox]

How much of a demand is there for such a market? seems niche as hell.

I think it's becoming more popular reading all these reviews of mini ITX website.

Granted, full ATX builds for enthusiasts still the norm because a lot of people care about things running cooler and being able to OC, but considering my CM Elite 130, GTX 970, and I5-4690K runs pretty cool (GPU is upper 60s under load, CPU goes to 60s under load). I'm not OCing a ton but I know I could get the i5 higher, but I just have turbo boost enabled and that's it (auto boosts to 3.8 ghz when stressed).

The lack of standard specifications for these builds makes them a pain in the ass, but if you do research on pc part picker you can easily select a capable build.

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

there's also the zaber sentry which comes out soon

Specs
-340 x 310 x 66mm main body - excluding stands, vertical stand and VGA bracket hold
-340 x 320 x 74mm total outline - including stands and VGA bracket hold
-mITX only motherboard, 7mm standoff's
-generic flex riser, can be replaced, for example with different pci-e lane width generic flex risers
-conditional 48mm or 38mm max coolers depending on cpu socket location and primary 2.5" hard drive mount use
-conditional SFX-L 130mm max or SFX 130mm PSU's depending on secondary 2.5" hard drive mount use, max 64mm height
-conditional use of up to 12 2.5" drives in VGA bay depending on the card size or no card installed
-dual slot full size 305mm VGA cards support
-vertical stand
-possible to carry in some 17" laptop bags and backpacks

Drive mounts:
-Primary Master 2.5" drive mount, partially above motherboard, collides(unusable) with coolers taller than 38mm when cpu socket is next to PCI-E
-Secondary Master 2.5" drive mount, next to PSU location, collides(unusable) with SFX-L
-Primary Backup 2.5" drive mount, in the VGA bay, near the back of the case, to be used with full length, blower type cooled cards
-Secondary Backup 2.5" drive mount, in the VGA bay, near the front of the case, to be used with short cards
-Tertiary Backup 3.5" drive mount, in the VGA bay, obstructs both primary and secondary backup 2.5" mounts, used with no dedicated card

CPU Coolers that should work:
- AMD APU(65W LP)
- Intel stock 1150
- Noctua NH-L9a/NH-L9i
- Scythe Kodati
- Silverstone AR04/AR05
- Thermolab ITX30

it's 6.97l! that's less than the ncase

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Start today.

• 140mm Fans - Large fans
• 240mm Radiator - Expels heat out of the case using aforementioned fans, fed by liquid cooling.
• 750w Power Supply Unit - Converts AC to DC, provides at most 750W to components
• NZXT Phantom Case - A large and garish computer case, supports large everything inside.
• Nvidia/Amd cards - graphics cards.

This is actually very helpful.

One of the things that has put me off of building a gaming PC (what I want is essentially a dedicated console-like computer that I assemble myself) is how intimidating it seems to break into. I am moderately techy, and have a basic understanding of how various components work, but absolutely not enough to understand what I would need, how to make it work with other parts, and how to assemble them properly.

Basically, I lack the confidence.

PC Players really know their stuff. They are fluent in the language and are used to talking to other PC Players who also have a really strong grasp on components and construction. So when I, like a curious child, enter PC threads, it's a really esoteric environment.

Even a lot of beginner guides I've read seem to assume more knowledge of the reader than I apparently have.

I don't have the money to build a PC right now, and I am happy with my PS4. But I have had a working list of PC games I've wanted to play, and have been forward-thinking enough to build a Steam library, because eventually I'm going to make the leap to learn everything I need to know and get started on my own machine.

That's why I'm here looking at cases. Cases, in theory, are easy to understand. I know that things go in them. [*thumbs up*]

 

[Terbinator]

Yeah, this. Even now I regret picking up a mid-sized tower rather than a full tower.

I don't know why you would want to hinder yourself by buying a small chassis.

Unless you need/use all of the features on an ATX board, maybe even mATX, I get along just fine with an ITX chassis which houses a H60, 6700K and a 980Ti all which is quieter under load than my PS4.

There really isn't anything limiting about it and I've used HPTX cases previously.

 

[The Stealth Fox]

Silverstone 500w modular SFX-L. Was the most expensive part of my build sans GPU and CPU but it's quiet as hell and easy to work with.

What are the specs of your build? I heard you can fit a titan in there.

 

[Durante]

there's also the zaber sentry which comes out soon

it's 6.97l! that's less than the ncase

That's also really neat.

If I had any interest in going smaller than ATX I'd probably choose that one.
But I need my PCIe slots.

 

[Canis lupus]

You should check out Glass cases, OP; they're super stylish and small as well.

I've had my sights on cases like this for a while now:

But I don't wanna have to buy another MB (mATX)....

How big is it? I dunno if a tower will fit in my setup, love glass/side panel windows though, people always remark my Obsidian 800D.

Well, the Fractal Design Node 202 is close enough:

This looks good, will check out some videos and reviews later.

there's also the zaber sentry which comes out soon





it's 6.97l! that's less than the ncase

this is it. What gpu can fit in?

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

What are the specs of your build? I heard you can fit a titan in there.

the rvz02 supports full sized cards but i use an 8 inch zotac gtx 970. if you use an 8inch or smaller GPU, there's brackets to mount a 3.5" drive

my overall specs are
gtx 970
i5 4670k
8gb ddr3 @ 1600mhz
4tb of storage + 128gb ssd

 

[Denton]

Well, the Fractal Design Node 202 is close enough:

That looks amazing.
But damn why isn't the valve case on sale already ?

 

[Enter the Dragon Punch]

How big is it? I dunno if a tower will fit in my setup, love glass/side panel windows though, people always remark my Obsidian 800D.



This looks good, will check out some videos and reviews later.






this is it. What gpu can fit in?

full size GPUs according to zaber. they've done benchmarks and stuff already, getting great airflow.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1832126

 

[Oxn]

there's also the zaber sentry which comes out soon





it's 6.97l! that's less than the ncase

This looks amazing. Had no idea it existed.

 

[Steel]

Someday, I really hope I know what all of this means. I really, truly do.

He's basically saying that high end video cards run at high wattages and that the power supplies, radiators, etc. to run at those high wattages take up a lot of space.

With all that being said, there are relatively low wattage video cards that run laps around the PS4, so it's not like those can't be stuffed into a small box. You also save cash in the exchange, to boot.

 

[Terbinator]

thereitis.gif