2014-09-01, 21:04
Which one is better for gaming and xbmc, nuc i3 or build your own custom PC and if PC is it possible for $500. This PC will be running 16 hour a day most for xbmc but at time playing games.
(2014-09-03, 03:03)Topken Wrote: Here is a video with a list of parts that may work well for you
http://youtu.be/46XRjQFHjr4
(2014-09-04, 03:48)Ned Scott Wrote: Yeah, $100 on a case is nuts. Unless it's some special application, like you're going for a fanless system and it's basically turning the whole case into a heat sink, then there's almost no justification for that kind of wasteful spending. Certainly not on a budget build. Spending more money on the case also doesn't magically cool the components any better. It's a box. A metal box.1.A good htpc case for gaming would be SilverStone GD07 or Fractal design node 605, booth cost about 150$; 50$ above what I estimated and you call insane.
(2014-09-04, 04:16)DJ_Izumi Wrote: You can actually cheap out on the CPU a bit. A lot of recent testing articles put a LOT of the onus on the GPU. Even with my A8-3870K, which is using a discrete HD 6850, it's a pretty unremarkable CPU, but it's only about 20% slower than the 3770K + HD 6850 system I had before some machines got rebuilt and parts moved around. Considering the disparity between a A8-3870K (STARS, so basically a glorified Phenom II 4x 3.0ghz, vs a 3770K, you could get away with any lower end Intel Quad or even higher end Dual if you wanted to save some bucks.Like i said, you could probably get away with a high end pentium or a i3 but the moment you start playing something cpu intensive like arma 3 your new gaming rig won't be so impressive.
Alternatively, if you go for a higher end, it'll last you YEARS with JUST upgrading the CPU. I'm building up a 3770K HTPC and while it's getting an HD 6950, that 3770K could easily be trucking on games for 3-4 years if it just gets some GPU upgrades along the way.