Background information
We'll set up a streaming PC for you
by Kevin Hofer
How to build a compact streaming PC or a gamer's box for your living room
9.11.2018
Translation: machine translated
Do you want as much power as possible in a small space? Or are you looking for a compact second system to take over the streaming work from your gaming PC? And you don't want it to cost too much? We have built just such a PC.
Colleague Philipp Rüegg is jealous. In front of him is a 10,000-franc streaming PC that he can't have - because we gave it away. He would also like to have a second system for his "digitec plays". He's in luck. We still have a AM4-Mainbaord and Ryzen 7 2700X, which we couldn't install due to a planning error. That's why I'm building him a dedicated streaming PC from it.
Exterior features
Phil's requirements: The item should be as small as possible. This fits, as our remaining mainboard has a mini-ITX form factor. Now we need a suitable case. I would like to install an AiO water cooling system in it. Although the case should be small, there still needs to be enough space for a radiator. After a bit of searching, I find the case that will give Phil many great streaming moments.
Since I have already chosen a case from NZXT, I also decide in favour of an AiO from the same manufacturer.
When it comes to the power supply, I opt for one with 500 watts of power. As there are few peripherals connected to the PC and we are using a rather weak graphics card, that should be enough. If you are planning a similar system for gaming, I recommend installing a 600 W power supply unit. A more powerful graphics card and more connected peripherals need a little more juice.
Alternative exteriors for an affordable streaming PC [[productlist:5890792,7671488]]
Outside
Which brings us to the topic of graphics cards. For a dedicated streaming PC, you only need enough graphics power to run an operating system. An on-chip solution would therefore be more than sufficient. Unfortunately, the Ryzen 7 2700X doesn't have one. That's why I have to occupy the only PCI Express slot with a graphics card instead of an internal streaming card. But that's not so bad in our case, as Phil already has an external streaming card and wants to continue working with it.
I decide to install a Radeon RX 560. This provides more than enough performance. If your goal is a small living room PC with which you can also game on the TV, this card is sufficient. You can play newer AAA games smoothly at 1080p and medium settings. That should be enough for the living room. If you want even more performance, install a more powerful card. Graphics cards up to 28 cm in length (e.g. a GTX 1080 Ti) fit into the case without any problems, even with a radiator.
I'd like to say a few words about the processor. It takes over the computing tasks when streaming. The Ryzen 7 2700X is oversized purely for streaming. An Intel Core i3-8350K should also suffice. If you want to save money on a graphics card, it's best to plan with a different processor. Intel chips always have an on-chip graphics solution. The Ryzen 3 2200G is an inexpensive alternative to the Intel chips. If you also want to use the PC for gaming, the Ryzen 7 2700X currently (as of early November 2018) gives you the most performance for your money.
The situation is similar with RAM. Just 6 GB should theoretically be enough. However, as we are not only planning the PC as a dedicated streaming PC, but also want to use it for testing, I am installing 16 GB. If you really only want a streaming PC, you don't need to buy an expensive gaming mainboard. A simple motherboard is completely sufficient.
For a pure streaming system, you can rely on the good old hard drive for physical storage. The case I chose has a combo 2.5"/3.5"slot. I'm using an SSD from Kingston because we still have one lying around.
Alternative guts for a cheap streaming PC [[productlist:5340427,5895901,5715171,5343211,5961144]]
Genius case
With the components I installed, the installation was a breeze. I like the design of the case even better than the Corsair Obsidian 1000D. This is not just because I like small cases better than large ones. What NZXT offers here in a small space is simply outstanding.
There is the cable management. The holes for routing the cables to the rear are perfectly positioned. I don't have to pull cables across the mainboard. The multi-curved metal part is not only an eye-catcher, but also helps to hide the connections.
The AiO water cooling for the CPU is also very easy to install. It has to be, as it's from NZXT. I will probably always install an AiO in future. It's just fun and I really like the infinity mirror.
My enjoyment of the simple installation is only spoilt by the SSD. I'm not a fan of RGB. But as we still had the mass storage device lying around and Phil can't get enough of the colourful little lights, I decided to install the HyperX Fury.
Unfortunately, the SSD is quite a fail. On the one hand, it gets very hot due to the built-in LEDs and on the other hand, the lettering is illuminated. The problem: I can only install the SSD upside down so that I don't have to pull the cables through the front part of the housing. In other words: The lettering is upside down.
As I can't install 24 fans in the small case (fortunately), cable management at the back is also no problem. Even I, as a cable management incompetent, can manage it reasonably cleanly.
What are the disadvantages/advantages of a mini PC compared to a midi or big tower?
With a small case with an ITX mainboard, you naturally also have to make compromises compared to a midi or big tower. There are the few connections. ITX mainboards only have one PCI slot. We already had to learn this painfully when assembling the streaming PC.
You have to make further concessions when it comes to the connections. The built-in ITX mainboard only has one internal USB 2.0 port. I also had to install an internal USB HUB so that I could connect all the "RGB stuff".
In addition to the small dimensions, there are also positive things about ITX mainboards. Most of them have two M.2 interfaces. And even small cases such as the NZXT H200i have enough slots for SSDs and HDDs. Another advantage of IXT mainboards is that they usually have integrated Wi-Fi. So if you want a living room PC, you are equipped right from the start.
Of course, cooling is also a topic with small cases. You have fewer fans available to dissipate the heat. That's why I opted for the AiO. It doesn't generate a lot of heat. But of course, small cases tend to get hotter than large ones because the heat builds up more quickly.
Conclusion
A dedicated streaming PC doesn't have to be expensive. Of course, you need a monitor, mouse and keyboard in addition to the PC. But maybe you still have some old equipment lying around at home. You can safely save on peripherals.
But if you want a gaming PC for your living room, you'll have to fork out a little more. The finished PC is worth a little under 1300 francs. It's quite good for gaming in the living room. If you spend an extra 200 francs on a better graphics card, you can easily play the latest AAA titles from your sofa. Sure, you can get ready-made systems for less money, but they don't look as cool and you can't say you built it yourself. <p
Kevin Hofer
Senior Editor
kevin.hofer@digitecgalaxus.chFrom big data to big brother, Cyborgs to Sci-Fi. All aspects of technology and society fascinate me.
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