Building/buying a low to mid-end gaming device - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 11, 2023, 01:39:29 am
content: This one is for the gamers out there. I'm seeking advice about which way to go.I rarely play games, but when I do, it's usually with a group of friends and they are games like Jackbox. I currently have Steam installed on my laptop which runs the games fine, but since it's my daily driver, I don't really want to be dragging that around to people's houses.Ideally I'd like to stick with Steam as that way, I don't have to purchase the games again if I moved over to something like a Nintendo Switch, but that would involve building a new PC to run SteamOS, which can get quite pricey.The other consideration I have is I want the machine to be small and light, so it can sit on my entertainment unit and easily thrown into a bag for transportation. I'd be hesitant to go anything bigger than a MiniITX form factor for a motherboard. The graphics capabilities doesn't need to be anything extremely high-end.What have others done? Does performance suck on these small low-power machines? Is it cheaper just to buy a Switch and re-buy the handful of games?

author: BrianHG
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 11, 2023, 01:50:37 am
content: If you already have a steam library, go with a Steam Deck and make your library portable.Steamdeck will play AAA high end titles acceptably at 720p. With an external monitor connected, it can do 1080p with lower horse power games. Also, the Steam Deck can emulate the Nintendo Switch.Youtube search for some of the Steam Deck;'s channels. They usually demonstrate what it is capable of,No, you will not get the same battery life as the Nintendo Switch.Though, it can be powered by any USBC PD supply/battery bank.Performance sits ~inbetween a Sony PS4 and PS5, just that your display is 720p.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 11, 2023, 03:43:15 am
content: The 720P built-in display is not really a concern, as long as I can output 4K externally, which the Steam Deck seems to do quite easily (it'll even do 8K at 60 Hz).Completely out of stock however.

author: Junaid_raza
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2023, 06:55:49 pm
content: There are a few possibilities to take into account. You can consider buying or creating a compact form factor Computer if you want to remain with Steam. There are many MiniITX cases on the market that can hold a good graphics card while being portable. Depending on the components you select, these computers may perform well.Purchasing a gaming laptop would be an additional choice. They can play most games and are still quite light, while not being as portable as a compact form factor Computer. A gaming tablet like the NVIDIA Shield, which can stream games from your PC to the tablet, is another option.The Nintendo Switch is a terrific alternative for multiplayer gaming with friends if you don't mind repurchasing some games. It can connect to a TV for bigger gatherings, is portable, and has a wide assortment of party games.In the end, it comes down to taste and price range. To decide what is best for you, think about your needs and balance the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

author: asmi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2023, 08:54:47 pm
content: SteamDeck is only good for light gaming on the go, you sacrifice a lot to fit into such form-factor, so going any higher that native 720p you have to settle for the low image quality for any half-decent game, which, depending on your taste might kill all enjoyment because it's going to look like crap. That said, nothing beats it when it comes to mobility. There are a number of mini-pc using higher-end laptop SoCs (like AMD 5900HX or 6900HX), but it's price can go quite high depending on how much RAM and SSD storage you want, approaching some "gaming" laptops.The problem with all those solutions for games is that GPU becomes obsolete much more quickly than other components, and you can't replace it while leaving everything else. With that you have to go for something which can fit a discrete GPU, but those devices - while relatively small compared to a "full" PC - are not something I'd personally lug around with me, so it would only work if you only occasionally need to move it, and it would be mostly stationary. Also those mini-ITX cases tends to be very finicky when it comes to putting together a computer, so I would only recommend self-assembly if you have some experience with PC building, because not all parts will fit all mITX cases (so just because a part fit into a particular mITX case, doesn't neccessary mean it will fit into another mITX case), and getting all cables where they should go sometimes can be a challenge too. At the very least I recommend buying all parts in place(s) which would allow you returning if something doesn't fit. Also mITX parts tend to be more expensive for some reason than their "full" counterparts despite them typically being smaller than the latter.I would personally perfer going a mini-ITX route because it gives you maximum flexibility when it comes to parts choice while still taking less space than a conventional PC would, but there are some serious gotchas if you don't think it through - like if you put a high-end CPU and a fast GPU, this thing will sound like a jet engine on a take off when loaded up, and yet still probably will thermally throttle - because physics. What is youre budget btw?

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2023, 10:19:40 pm
content: Quote from: asmi on April 03, 2023, 08:54:47 pmAgreed.You may somewhat limit noise under load using liquid cooling - there are some solutions for small cases - but it gets both the price and the case size up significantly, while always running the risk of a leak at some point.

author: aeberbach
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 04, 2023, 12:08:16 am
content: Have you considered MiSTer FPGA? You get all the classic arcade, 8- and 16-bit games, too many systems to mention. I have almost finished a mini-ITX package that you can take anywhere.