Tech Direction / Advice on a games PC I'm spitballing, please...

[CurrentlySober]

I enjoy my emulators on the Raspberry Pie and my PS Classic etc, but these small form, single board computers kinda stop compatibility at N64 / Dreamcast level, without a lot of tweaks and overclocking etc...

So I'm thinking of getting a Gaming PC, which would have the power to easily handle those emulators and more, and also some more modern stuff, if I want it to in the future. I'm not talking bleeding edge capabilities. I'm just thinking i5 (min) or prob i7, Some kinda half decent Nvidia Graphics and about 8K ram...

But heres where I wanted the advice. When I look at 'Gaming PCs' they are mostly HUGE great big things with glass side covers and RGB lighting and all the bells and whistles, but I really don't want that...

Ideally, Im looking at a small form factor PC, that takes up minimal space and makes minimal noise. Any idea of a make / company / style that fits what I am on about? Like I say, I don't need or want bleeding edge. Just powerful enough to run most emulators like dolphin and PS2 etc, with the ability to play the games from a couple of years ago in HD ? I don't really need 4K - I wont even be using a 4K monitor. Thats overkill for what I want to do...

What Id like is at least 4 Easily accessible USB ports for controllers and for it to be something I can 'Hide away' under or in the corner of the desk, as opposed to it being a 'Statement piece' that will barely fit under the desk, and thinks its job is to illuminate the entire room in different colours?

Anyhoo. Thats what Im after. Can you point me towards something like that, that I can use at least as a start point in my search? I dont wanna pay extra for packages containing keyboards and mice etc, as I wont be using them much and have some already, and likewise I don't need a monitor either. However, at the same time, I don't really want to build one from parts if there's something ready to go, out the box.. If not, I will go down parts route with PCPartsPicker or similar, but I wanted to see what options are available first.

Being a mac guy, I'm not familiar with the current PC situation, and what names to look out for / avoid. Thanks

EDIT: Budget is not an issue for the right thing that fits my needs, but I am not gonna pay silly money for features I don't want or need

[SBJ]

I cunt a4d to give advice but good luck

[ianmoone332000]

I have a gaming PC in the bedroom that plays all the emulators. Even plays CEMU ( Wii U) emulator. The specs on it are I7 4790, 8gb ram and the graphics card is a GTX 750 TI 2gb. Surprised how good this graphics card is considering its dirt cheap. Can play every emulator iv threw at it. Dont know if your a mouse and keyboard player?. If not pick up a cheap Xbox 360 controller as they are easily configured for emulators. Xbox one controller is obviously better but you will pay a bit more. I dont know if you use it but i literally buy everything from the avforums classifieds these days:

https://www.avforums.com/categories/...d-adverts.242/

Go to computer classifieds and you will find all kind of stuff that folk sell cheaper than Ebay etc

[CurrentlySober]

Originally Posted by ianmoone332000

I have a gaming PC in the bedroom that plays all the emulators. Even plays CEMU ( Wii U) emulator. The specs on it are I7 4790, 8gb ram and the graphics card is a GTX 750 TI 2gb. Surprised how good this graphics card is considering its dirt cheap. Can play every emulator iv threw at it. Dont know if your a mouse and keyboard player?. If not pick up a cheap Xbox 360 controller as they are easily configured for emulators. Xbox one controller is obviously better but you will pay a bit more. I dont know if you use it but i literally buy everything from the avforums classifieds these days:

https://www.avforums.com/categories/...d-adverts.242/

Go to computer classifieds and you will find all kind of stuff that folk sell cheaper than Ebay etc

Thankyou. This is good info. Now I have a starting point for the graphics card. The one you suggested, I googled and it said it was basically like whats in a PS4 which would be fine - I looked n Amazon (out of curiosity) and its no longer there, but they suggested THIS ONE INSTEAD (Newer Model) so again, a good starting point.

Also cheers for the AVForums suggestion. May come in handy.

As for controls, Im all good for them. I have multiple Playstation, PS4, N64 replicas, Sega replicas etc, from what I've already been doing on lower powered setups

[CurrentlySober]

Might actually go the build my own route actually - this 'console style' case looks really nice

[ianmoone332000]

Although its not an Asus, i have that same graphics card in the laptop im using just now. I can play all current games perfectly with it. Def run any emulator smooth as butter. You can also get this graphics card in the non TI 2gb version that will be cheaper. Just depends on your budget:

https://amzn.to/35bxrGy

Yeah that AVforums is addictive lol iv bought an iphone 8 and a Nintendo switch lite off it over the past couple of weeks. People on it are very meticulous though so i rarely sell stuff on it.

[CurrentlySober]

What do you think of this one? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01E97IU1K

Or go for one like this with an i7 and 16GB ram, then put an 'aftermarket' nvidia card in there?

[fuzebox]

Probably does not help you at all but I download N64 games onto my Wii and they play well.

[ianmoone332000]

Originally Posted by CurrentlySober

What do you think of this one? https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01E97IU1K

Or go for one like this with an i7 and 16GB ram, then put an 'aftermarket' nvidia card in there?

Out of those 2 i would definitely go for the i7 if its mostly for emulators. Better processor will run games better. Do you have a overall budget?

[2MuchMark]

Building your own is fun and you can buy exactly what you need.

If I were you I would start with the cabinet. Get one that fits where you want to install it, and looks just the way you want.

After that, GPU performance is more important than CPU when it comes to gaming. So buy a moderately priced CPU and motherboard, and spend a little extra to get a higher-end graphics card.

Finally, make sure you get an Solid State Drive (SSD) instead of a Hard Disk. Yes the cost is significant but the payoff is very low wait-times for load times and boot-ups. Plus the machine will run cooler, quieter and use less energy.

Share pics!

[2MuchMark]

Oops forgot to tell you. I want to get another computer to run retro games on my TV. I was thinking about going with the Intel Nuc https://www.intel.ca/content/www/ca/...-kits/nuc.html as its super small. I don't think it would work well for modern games at all but it should be perfect for emulators and retro games.

[CurrentlySober]

Originally Posted by ianmoone332000

Out of those 2 i would definitely go for the i7 if its mostly for emulators. Better processor will run games better. Do you have a overall budget?

Im probably looking at around £750.00 Thats half of what I normally spend on a computer... I'm not rigid in that figure, but don't wanna go silly with it

Originally Posted by 2MuchMark

Building your own is fun and you can buy exactly what you need.

If I were you I would start with the cabinet. Get one that fits where you want to install it, and looks just the way you want.

After that, GPU performance is more important than CPU when it comes to gaming. So buy a moderately priced CPU and motherboard, and spend a little extra to get a higher-end graphics card.

Finally, make sure you get an Solid State Drive (SSD) instead of a Hard Disk. Yes the cost is significant but the payoff is very low wait-times for load times and boot-ups. Plus the machine will run cooler, quieter and use less energy.

Share pics!

Yeah, I'm with you, but don't really wanna get too deep into building my own, as I will only go to far and completely overspend - ATM I'm really considering the i7 Optiplex with 16GB Ram and an SSD, and then adding a graphics card. So given my budget (750) that's approx 300 on a RENEWED PC, (Saves some cash) leaving me 450 for a 1TB internal drive (Say £50) with £400 for a graphics card - Should be doable... But which one to get?

Originally Posted by 2MuchMark

Oops forgot to tell you. I want to get another computer to run retro games on my TV. I was thinking about going with the Intel Nuc https://www.intel.ca/content/www/ca/...-kits/nuc.html as its super small. I don't think it would work well for modern games at all but it should be perfect for emulators and retro games.

Yeah, that's fucking NICE ! However I wouldn't want to limit future upgrades this time, like I did with my iMac 10 years ago

[CurrentlySober]

https://www.dell.com/community/Optip...e/td-p/6112906

Well that's out the window - That case, the 7010 SFF does not support proper graphics cards ! Not only do they not fit in the case, but the board does not supply enough power ! Ogh well, back to the drawing board !

[ianmoone332000]

Have a look at this site as well:

https://pcpartpicker.com/

I see a lot of folk using it. Basically you build out your pc and it tells you what is better/cheaper/compatible

[CjTheFish]

If your looking for a normal PC case that can house some hardware but does not take up too much space I'd recommend the Dell Optiplex 990 case.

I converted an old server into my daily driver/gaming machine. Comfortably fits an Nvidia 1050TI and several SSD's while not taking up too much desk space. It's just a normal looking PC case, no fancy rainbow lights or anything.

Pics are not mine but are the case I'm talking about..





Building your own is probably going to be your best bet. With your budget you should be able to build a pretty kick ass machine that will keep up for quite a few years.

[SBJ]

Originally Posted by CurrentlySober

Might actually go the build my own route actually - this 'console style' case looks really nice

That was a very cool build! Makes me want to buy one and the M.2 NVMe was very cool that it's faster than SSD SATA

I had to look up what it was

[CurrentlySober]

Originally Posted by CjTheFish

If your looking for a normal PC case that can house some hardware but does not take up too much space I'd recommend the Dell Optiplex 990 case.

I converted an old server into my daily driver/gaming machine. Comfortably fits an Nvidia 1050TI and several SSD's while not taking up too much desk space. It's just a normal looking PC case, no fancy rainbow lights or anything.

Pics are not mine but are the case I'm talking about..





Building your own is probably going to be your best bet. With your budget you should be able to build a pretty kick ass machine that will keep up for quite a few years.

OK, so what about this one?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dell-Optipl...dp/B07GVHKKZ6/

Its got the i7, the 16GB ram, an SSD, a 2TB 'D'D drive plus a dvd drive (incase I need it)

Then I can add a graphics card - But which graphics card to add? Doing this leaves me £250 / $275 to spend on a graphics card...

EDIT: ARRGGHH!!!! Again Im running into the same problem - You can only use low profile cards in it, and even then, you need to upgrade the power supply...

https://www.dell.com/community/Deskt...e/td-p/5140197

[CurrentlySober]

Originally Posted by CurrentlySober

EDIT: ARRGGHH!!!! Again Im running into the same problem - You can only use low profile cards in it, and even then, you need to upgrade the power supply...

OK, so my apologies - Im just getting confused by all the different variations. The Nvidia 1050TI DOES fit, like you said it does... But I'm still not 100% sure Im doing the right thing... and I'm still around £125 under budget...

Gonna have to sleep on it again - Thanks anyway

[CurrentlySober]

I've found a semi local independent store that offers professional advice on parts compatibility and a building service...

Gonna see what they say for my budget. Never know, might get a better deal, and if it does go wrong or doesn't work, I can go shout at them in person lol

https://www.electrowise.com/computer-systems/

[CjTheFish]

Originally Posted by CurrentlySober

OK, so my apologies - Im just getting confused by all the different variations. The Nvidia 1050TI DOES fit, like you said it does... But I'm still not 100% sure Im doing the right thing... and I'm still around £125 under budget...

Gonna have to sleep on it again - Thanks anyway

Hope it all works out The 1050ti has been a great card for me. Does not break the bank and it runs the majority of games on high settings.

[candyflip]

What do you want to play? If you just want to play basic games and nothing heavy, you can build a PC with a Ryzen based APU for under $250. I just built one for my 8 year old daughter just to see if they're worth it...for most people, this is all the PC you need. It plays HD games and video without issues. And will pretty much do everything you required above.

https://www.newegg.com/amd-ryzen-3-3...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

[candyflip]

[CjTheFish]

Originally Posted by candyflip

Wow this looks incredible.

[CurrentlySober]

Originally Posted by candyflip

That looks ideal ! Thanks!

Even got the m.2 card - Sweet - Shame you cant just purchase it prebuilt - Bit of a pain in the ass to get some of the bits like the case etc need to be sent from the states...

[Grapesoda]

Originally Posted by CurrentlySober

I enjoy my emulators on the Raspberry Pie and my PS Classic etc, but these small form, single board computers kinda stop compatibility at N64 / Dreamcast level, without a lot of tweaks and overclocking etc...

So I'm thinking of getting a Gaming PC, which would have the power to easily handle those emulators and more, and also some more modern stuff, if I want it to in the future. I'm not talking bleeding edge capabilities. I'm just thinking i5 (min) or prob i7, Some kinda half decent Nvidia Graphics and about 8K ram...

But heres where I wanted the advice. When I look at 'Gaming PCs' they are mostly HUGE great big things with glass side covers and RGB lighting and all the bells and whistles, but I really don't want that...

Ideally, Im looking at a small form factor PC, that takes up minimal space and makes minimal noise. Any idea of a make / company / style that fits what I am on about? Like I say, I don't need or want bleeding edge. Just powerful enough to run most emulators like dolphin and PS2 etc, with the ability to play the games from a couple of years ago in HD ? I don't really need 4K - I wont even be using a 4K monitor. Thats overkill for what I want to do...

What Id like is at least 4 Easily accessible USB ports for controllers and for it to be something I can 'Hide away' under or in the corner of the desk, as opposed to it being a 'Statement piece' that will barely fit under the desk, and thinks its job is to illuminate the entire room in different colours?

Anyhoo. Thats what Im after. Can you point me towards something like that, that I can use at least as a start point in my search? I dont wanna pay extra for packages containing keyboards and mice etc, as I wont be using them much and have some already, and likewise I don't need a monitor either. However, at the same time, I don't really want to build one from parts if there's something ready to go, out the box.. If not, I will go down parts route with PCPartsPicker or similar, but I wanted to see what options are available first.

Being a mac guy, I'm not familiar with the current PC situation, and what names to look out for / avoid. Thanks

EDIT: Budget is not an issue for the right thing that fits my needs, but I am not gonna pay silly money for features I don't want or need

Check out velocity mico

[SBJ]

I just saw that i9's are out

Intel Core i9-9900KF Desktop Processor 8 Cores up to 5.0 GHz Turbo Unlocked

This has me wanting to build a fast PC. I'm not a gamer but I know gamer types of PCs can multitask much faster.

My first PC I built on a budget back in 98' and if I want to build a high-end gamer PC I'd prolly have to do the same thing and buy one piece at a time to get a $1,500 or so PC.

[AmateurFlix]

Check out this guy's youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktq01r0PCsI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoKufZPDiMU

[CurrentlySober]

Originally Posted by candyflip

What do you want to play? If you just want to play basic games and nothing heavy, you can build a PC with a Ryzen based APU for under $250. I just built one for my 8 year old daughter just to see if they're worth it...for most people, this is all the PC you need. It plays HD games and video without issues. And will pretty much do everything you required above.

https://www.newegg.com/amd-ryzen-3-3...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

Perhaps you can help me out a little further, as I have little current knowledge of the up-to-date PC situation...

In the build video, at around 2 mins in, he mentions that the motherboard wont actually work with the ryzen 3 3200G, but glosses over it saying that you can get a 'chip' ? (But does not expand on this, other than saying he will leave a link in the description, but he doesn't) or to wait for the b550 (Which I dont think is out yet) or 'overspend' on a X570, but doesnt say which one or give a link...

If Im going to purchase all the parts seperatly and build it myself, I wanna make sure its all compatible when it arrives...

Any ideas please?

[CurrentlySober]

FUCK IT! I've decided ! I'm having a new desk built in to my bay window, which will alleviate all the space problems with fitting it in at my existing workstation, then I'm gonna go all out and get a top end gaming machine with all the bells and whistles that should future proof me for whatever I want to do now, or in a few years time