How to Choose a Small Form Factor PC – DIY in 5 Ep 183

Опубликовано 23 октября 2022, 13:00

Did you know you can get the power of a full sized desktop PC & the portability of a laptop in the same package? Small form factor PCs don’t worry about battery life, shoddy cooling or fixed components. Is going tiny the right move for you?

Advantages of Different PCs
While full sized desktops offer premium performance, they’re large and heavy. Laptops offer utility as workstations on the go, but can be held back by battery and thermal issues. Small form factor PCs, aka mini PCs, can offer the best of both worlds. They are small enough to free up substantial desk space, while being fairly upgradeable with high-end components. You can get or build a mini PC fully capable of running the latest games. Upgrading is part of the small form factor culture, so you can definitely make efficient use of the volume you have available. The other bonus to small form factor PCs is the increased portability.

SFF PCs
Some think less space means more thermal issues, especially when dealing with higher end components. However, some of the biggest brands in PC gaming offer pre-built small form factor gaming PCs that are cool, quiet, tiny, and mighty. Intel’s NUC line, with its own proprietary motherboard configuration to get as tiny as possible, or Zotac’s mini PC line with options specifically designed for creators, are both striking examples. Whether you’re going pre-built or seeking pre-configured kits with options for your own storage and memory, there are great options to be found.

SFF DIY PCs
For those DIYers watching, itching to build a small form factor PC, some considerations. Firstly: the term “small form factor” has no agreed-upon definition. A small form factor PC is generally half the size of a standard-sized ATX desktop tower. This means you have a range of possibilities of size for your enclosure. Keep in mind when choosing components for this type of build: the tinier you go, the more judicious you’ll need to be about component size, installation, cooling, and cable management.

Pay the greatest attention to the CPU and GPU. CPUs tend to be small anyway, and when it comes to GPUs and other components, be sure to check length, width, and height. Look for low-profile or half-length configurations if need be. Anticipate that you may be working with a smaller motherboard, too. If you go with a Mini-ITX or microATX-sized motherboard, get creative. For a board with only two RAM slots, choose higher capacity RAM modules. Once you’ve got components and a motherboard that will fit your size needs, you’ll need to think about cooling. Low-profile fan CPU coolers are the simplest choice in a tiny build and liquid GPU cooling can give you some added flexibility when it comes to both size and noise level. Each choice you make may affect your other component choices. For example, a low profile cooler may require you to also get low-profile RAM, etc.

On the topic of RAM, if you’re going very small form factor, consider SO-DIMM RAM. Kingston’s Fury Impact DDR4 or DDR5 RAM is perfect for this, with Plug N Play automatic overclocking and capacities ranging from 8-32GB. And if you’re looking for tiny storage, Kingston makes the low-profile FURY Renegade M.2 SSD in capacities up to 4TB with speeds up to 7,300MB/s read and 7,000MB/s write.

Finally, cable management and power. Some mini PC enthusiasts prefer to build using a modular power supply so you can choose exactly which cables you want and leave out those you don’t for a cleaner build. Custom length cables can be a godsend. You’ll want to keep in mind airflow, steering clear of fans, and for those using a see-through enclosure, a clean look will also be important.

Small form factor doesn’t have to mean compromise. While this form factor won’t be right for everyone, it’s cool to see what these mini PCs are capable of, especially as the tech advances. Does anyone really miss the days of hauling full-sized machines to LAN parties, or bulky ‘gaming laptops’? Have you built or used a small form factor PC? What did you think? Weigh in with your thoughts.

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0:00 Intro
0:43 Advantages of Different PCs
1:40 SFF PCs
2:16 SFF DIY PCs
4:45 Outro