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Contents:
  1. Sample Pre-Built / DiY Builds
    1. HTPC Pre-builts/Mini-PCs
      1. 1080p PLAYERS
      2. 4K HDR PLAYERS
      3. Specialized: Emulation/Light Gaming/Game Streaming
      4. Specialized: 4K Netflix
      5. Specialized: 4K@120Hz
      6. Specialized: Dolby Vision / HDR10+
      7. Specialized: 3D MVC/Frame-Packed
      8. Specialized: Fanless
      9. Specialized: Optical/Toslink output
      10. Specialized: HDMI-CEC
      11. Specialized: Media Server w/Transcoding
      12. Specialized: Media client, server, storage system combos
    2. HTPC DIY builds
      1. 4K HDR PLAYER (2L)
      2. 4K HDR ALL-IN-ONE PLAYER (9L)
      3. FANLESS 4K HDR PLAYER (4.6L)
      4. Super low power all-in-one fanless player (3.3L)
      5. MadVR upscaling all-in-one player (14L)
      6. UHD MakeMKV Ripping/Handbrake Transcoding Machine (16-32L)
      7. CHEAPEST 4K HDR/ALL-IN-ONE PLAYER - NEW (12L)
      8. CHEAPEST 4K HTPC PLAYER - USED
    3. NAS/Media Server builds
      1. $100 Small Media Server (1.2L) - Used
      2. $135 Medium NAS / Media Server (9-26L) - Used
      3. $650 Medium NAS / Media Server (19.5L) - New
      4. $1300 Almost Ultimate NAS / Media Server (59L)
      5. $150 Large NAS / Utility Server (36L) - Used
    4. Gaming Emulation builds
      1. $100 720p/1080p Gaming Emulation Box (1.2L)
      2. $300 720p/1080p Gaming Emulation Box (12L)
      3. $500 720p/1080p Gaming Emulation Box (3.3L)
      4. $650 1080p Gaming Emulation Box (12L)
      5. $800 4k Gaming Emulation Box (19.5L)
    5. Gaming builds
      1. 1080p Gaming Steam Box - USED
      2. 1080p Gaming Box (8.8L)
      3. 1440p Gaming Box (14L)
    6. VR builds
      1. $800 VR Box (11.5L)
      2. $850 VR Box - Sandwich Case Variation (9.7L)

Sample Pre-Built / DiY Builds

Here you’ll find some pre-builts/mini-pcs and some sample DiY builds for HT, Emulation, Media Server and NAS purposes in their relevant sections. Before going through this page, look at the common scenarios in the I want a HTPC/media device recommendation, but don’t want to get into the complicated details section of the FAQ. You may find your specific scenario there and a device to match before you go down this rabbit hole. If what you want is not there, then read on here.

There are a lot of options below. You should have a good idea what you’re looking for before-hand. Resolution you want to support, video codecs to be decoded, budget, size, used/new, and/or niche capabilities (gaming, 120Hz, output ports). All of these will help you narrow your choice down.

Keep in mind, the DiY builds are meant as examples for certain usage scenarios, even though they are real builds. You can add/subtract/change certain components to match your specific budget or requirements, but these should be a good starting point. If you’re un-sure, check our Hardware Components Guide, or post and ask us.

You can use PCPartPicker to help you select parts that will all fit and work together. For current deals/promotions on parts for your build, check /r/buildapcsales.

 

HTPC Pre-builts/Mini-PCs

Pre-builts come in all shapes and sizes. The smallest options are tempting, but usually this means less performance, higher price, and/or more noise. Things like the SBC options below will have the highest power efficiency, but also lowest performance, usualy just good enough to get the job done. Intel N/AMD U CPUs (e.g. N150/5560U) have high efficiency. Intel T/AMD GE CPUs (e.g. i3-8100T) medium efficiency. Non-T/non-GE desktop CPUs, low efficiency.

Choosing the least expensive option is attractive, but not always the best course of action. While we recommend some lower-cost chinese vendors below (like Beelink and Minisforum), these may not be for you. With low cost comes limitations like operating system/BIOS support, HDCP, warranty, quality control and reliability. If you’re not comfortable giving up on those things, spend more to purchase similar speced hardware from other, reputable vendors.

Some of these are: Intel (NUC), Lenovo (ThinkCentre/IdeaCentre), MSI (DP), Asus (PNxx/PBxx), ASRock (NUC Box, DeskMini/Meet), HP (Prodesk/Elitedesk), Dell (Optiplex), Zotac (ZBOX), Simply Nuc, Shuttle. We’re fond of the Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini and MSI DP series.

1080p PLAYERS

TL;DR If you need extreme power efficiency, then a small ARM-based SBC is ok; but a used Intel 7th gen USFF/SFF/NUC off ebay for $60-100 has better perf / $ and more hw flexibility. For new, an Intel N95 based mini pc <= $150 with mem/storage.

$35-$55: SMALLEST: SBC: (Linux/Coreelec/Libreelec only): ROCK64-2GB / Orange Pi 3 / Odroid C4. Just good enough, small and cheap.

$60-100: SMALL/MEDIUM: Used: HP/Dell/Lenovo - Intel - i3/i5-7100T/7400T/7500T, >= 8GB RAM, >= 120GB disk. [Ebay]

$80: SMALLER: Used: Intel NUC7i3/NUC7CJYH, >= 8GB, >= 128GB disk. Lower power than HP/Dell/Lenovo above. [Ebay]

$125-160: SMALLER: New: Intel N95/N5095 Mini PC (Minisforum/Beelink/etc..), 8GB RAM, 256GB disk

$130-150: SMALLEST: New: Intel N9x/N5105 Nano PC (GMKTec/Mele), 8GB RAM, 128GB-256GB disk

4K HDR PLAYERS

TL;DR If you’re on a budget, then an Intel N150 based mini pc for $150 with mem/storage is fine. If you can afford it, look at a Beelink EQR6 or better ($270+) for future-proofing
If you’re looking for 4K Netflix/HDCP support, look at name brand options

$70-$85: SMALLEST: SBC: w/CoreELEC OS, 32GB MicroSD, AC Adapter

  • Used for: H264/H265, VP9 local content, Kodi-based interface, ext. storage, lowest power

$150-$400: SMALLER: Intel/AMD Mini PC, 8GB+ RAM, 256GB+ SSD

$100-$500: SMALL/MEDIUM: Intel - i3/i5-7xxx+ 8GB (2x4GB) RAM, 256GB ssd/1TB hdd:

$150-$500: SMALL/MEDIUM: AMD - Ryzen 3x00G-5x00G, 8GB (2x4GB) RAM, 256GB ssd/1TB hdd

Specialized: Emulation/Light Gaming/Game Streaming

See ETA PRIME YT channel for Emulation device reviews

Specialized: 4K Netflix

Intel 7th gen+ or AMD 3200+ G/U/H/HX APUs + HDCP 2.2+ implemented on HDMI 2.0 port + Windows 10+

Specialized: 4K@120Hz

Specialized: Dolby Vision / HDR10+

  • Local: Ugoos AM6B Plus/Dune HD Box R Plus + CoreElec. Local+Streaming: Nvidia Shield Pro (DV), FireTV Cube (HDR10+/DV)

Specialized: 3D MVC/Frame-Packed

Specialized: Fanless

Specialized: HDMI-CEC

Specialized: Media Server w/Transcoding

Specialized: Media client, server, storage system combos

  • $350 - 1080p, low-medium 4k content, Light Transcoding: Fire TV 4k (client) + GMKtec G3 Plus (server) + Terramaster F2-212 (storage)

    • 4k HDR10/DV-5/8, Dolby TrueHD Atmos, DTS, 3x4k,10x1080p transcodes, 2xHDDs (WD Ultrastar/Seagate Exos), Ubuntu/Windows, Plex Pass/Jellyfin

  • $600 - 4k, high-bitrate, Light Transcoding: Nvidia Shield Pro (client) + GMKtec G3 Plus (server) + Terramaster F4-212 (storage)

    • 4k HDR10/DV-5/7/8, Dolby TrueHD Atmos, DTS:X, 3x4k,10x1080p transcodes, 4xHDDs (WD Ultrastar/Seagate Exos), Ubuntu/Windows, Plex Pass/Jellyfin

  • $750 - 4k, high-bitrate, Medium Transcoding: Nvidia Shield Pro (client) + Beelink SEI 12 i5-12450H (server) + Terramaster F4-212 (storage)

    • 4k HDR10/DV-5/7/8, Dolby TrueHD Atmos, DTS:X, 6x4k,20x1080p transcodes, 4xHDDs (WD Ultrastar/Seagate Exos), Ubuntu, Plex Pass/Jellyfin
    • For more transcodes, switch server to Minisforum NAB6 Lite

HTPC DIY builds

4K HDR PLAYER (2L)

TL;DR: You want a small 4K@60 HDR player and don’t need any, or need only minimal 2.5” local storage.

Tiny, simple player. Good for 4K playback; local content, netflix, youtube, HDR, browsing, and game streaming; light 1080p gaming.

If you want AV1 decoding to future-proof, go with the alternative Ryzen 8500G with respective changes (DeskMini X600, DDR5) parts or an Intel i3-12100 with respective HW changes (DeskMini B760/B660, etc..). You will give up gaming performance with the Intel version.

If you can’t find the DeskMini case and still want to build, look at the Inwin Chopin alternate build. There’s also a stack of good Tiny cases in the Cases section of the Wiki FAQ. You should use Pico PSU 150W+-style kits for these.

If you can’t afford the optional CPU cooler, pop the top off the stock AMD one to make it fit.

You could add some media storage with a 2.5” HDD, but these cases are NOT for internal 3.5” HDD media storage - they’re too small for that. If you want to stay within this size case, either use external USB HDDs or buy/build a NAS for backend storage. Otherwise, look at the all-in-one builds below.

Deskmini - MOBO built-in, PSU external, 1.9L

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE/PSU Asrock Deskmini X300W $170 Amazon MOBO/PSU inc - 6.1”x6.1”x3.1” ALT: X600 ($180)
CPU AMD Ryzen 4600G APU (65W) $100 pcpartpicker ALT: Ryzen 8500G ($150)
MEM Crucial 2x8GB DDR4-3200 SODIMM - CT2K8G4SFRA32A $40 amazon ALT: Crucial 2x8GB DDR5-5600 SODIMM ($50)
STORAGE Kingston NV2 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD (OS) $38 pcpartpicker ALT: WD Black SN770 500 GB M.2 ($60)
COOL Noctua NH-L9a-AM4 CPU Cooler, 37mm $45 pcpartpicker OPTIONAL. Quieter than stock cooler
TOTAL   $393    

Inwin Chopin - MOBO separate, PSU internal, 3.3L

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE/PSU Inwin Chopin/BQ656 $100 google PSU included - 8.6” x 9.6” x 3.3”
MOBO Gigabyte A520I AC ITX $110 pcpartpicker ALT: ASRock A620I Lightning ($120)
CPU AMD Ryzen 4600G APU (65W) $100 pcpartpicker ALT: Ryzen 8500G ($150)
MEM TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 2x8GB DDR4-3200 $35 pcpartpicker ALT: Crucial 2x8GB DDR5-5600 ($45)
STORAGE Kingston NV2 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD (OS) $38 pcpartpicker ALT: WD Black SN770 500 GB M.2 ($60)
COOL Thermalright AXP90-X47 CPU Cooler, 47mm $30 pcpartpicker OPTIONAL: Quieter than stock cooler
TOTAL   $413    

4K HDR ALL-IN-ONE PLAYER (9L)

TL;DR: You want a 4K@60 HDR player, may want 3.5” HDD media storage and want a value build that doesn’t break the bank.

This build is good for 4K playback; local content, netflix, youtube, HDR, and game streaming. Light 720p/1080p gaming can also be had on it.

If you want AV1 decoding to future-proof, go with the alternative Ryzen 8500G with respective changes (DeskMeet X600, DDR5) parts or an Intel i3-12100 with respective HW changes (DeskMeet B760/B660, etc..). You will give up gaming performance with the Intel version.

Expect HDR processing and upscaling with madVR to operate at a basic level - don’t expect to be doing heavy upscaling here without a dGPU.

You can add 2x3.5” HDD content storage for an all-in-one. Since optional, it’s not included in the price.

Choose the DeskMeet option if you don’t have a height restriction (like a small media cabinet) or want a full-height ITX dGPU, otherwise choose the Apex build or the slimmer variation with or without LP dGPU. If height restriction and full-height dGPU needed, look at the ML07.

Larger Slimmer variation: 12-16L, 4” (H): Change CASE to InWin BL040 (PSU still included) ($100) or a Silverstone ML03/ML04 (add an ATX PSU). You can change to a uATX mobo with these cases, which is cheaper than ITX. LP dGPU and 3xHDDs possible

Larger Cube variation: 12-16L: $50 more. Change CASE to Silverstone SG13B (1xHDD) or Jonsbo C6 mATX (1-2xHDD), add an ATX PSU. ITX+ dGPU possible

DeskMeet - Cube, 8.8L

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE/MOBO/PSU Asrock DeskMeet X300W w/500W PSU $190 newegg 6.6” (W) x 9.3” (D) x 8.7” (H). ALT: X600 ($200)
CPU Ryzen 4600G (65W) $100 pcpartpicker ALT: Ryzen 8500G ($150)
MEM TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 2x8GB DDR4-3200 $35 pcpartpicker ALT: Crucial 2x8GB DDR5-5600 ($45)
STORAGE WD SN580 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD TLC $40 pcpartpicker  
STORAGE 4TB 7200rpm 3.5” HDD $40 disctech OPTIONAL. ALT: 6TB ($70), 8TB ($90)
COOL Thermalright AXP90-X47 CPU Cooler, 47mm $30 pcpartpicker OPTIONAL: Quieter than stock cooler
TOTAL   $365    

Apex - Slim, 9.6L

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE/PSU Apex MI-008 Mini ITX w/250W PSU $70 pcpartpicker 8.7” (W) x 13.5” (D) x 5.1” (H).
CPU Ryzen 4600G (65W) $100 pcpartpicker ALT: Intel i3-12100
MOBO ASRock B550M-ITX/ac $130 pcpartpicker ALT: INTEL: ASRock B760M-ITX/D4
MEM TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 2x8GB DDR4-3200 $35 pcpartpicker  
STORAGE WD SN580 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD TLC $40 pcpartpicker  
STORAGE 4TB 7200rpm 3.5” HDD $40 disctech OPTIONAL. ALT: 6TB ($70), 8TB ($90)
COOL Thermalright AXP90-X36 CPU Cooler, 36mm $25 pcpartpicker  
TOTAL   $400    

FANLESS 4K HDR PLAYER (4.6L)

Completely fanless solution for 4k HDR media playback and/or 720p/1080p gaming emulation.

You could add some media storage with 2.5” HDDs, but this is not for internal 3.5” HDD media storage - it’s too small for that. Look at the HD Plex H3 (11L) or FC8 Alpha chassis or the next super low power build instead.
These cases are popular and low production, so don’t be surprised if they’re out of stock.
A comparable, similarly priced alternative is the Streacom FC8 Alpha. The DB1 is also an option and much cheaper than the others, though will limit you to 45W ECO mode on the CPU.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE HD Plex H1 v3 $215 HD Plex no psu/backplate, 10.6” x 10.4” x 2.5”
CPU Ryzen 4600G APU (65W) $100 pcpartpicker ALT: Intel i3-12100
MOBO ASRock B550M-ITX/ac $130 pcpartpicker ALT: ASRock B760M-ITX/D4
MEM Teamgroup Vulcan Z DDR4-3200 2x8GB $35 pcpartpicker ALT: pcpartpicker
STORAGE WD Black SN770 500 GB NVMe M.2 SSD $45 pcpartpicker ALT: WD SN580 1TB
PSU 192W AC-DC adapter $65 Mini Box ALT: 150W AC-DC Adapter
PSU picoPSU-160-XT 160W DC-ATX PSU $45 Mini Box NA
TOTAL   $655    

Super low power all-in-one fanless player (3.3L)

Low power, fanless CPU (6W), 4k@60Hz playback, 4k netflix/YT, HDR. Case specced can fit 1x3.5” HDD. This is for someone who wants a low power build with the flexibility to choose ram/ssd/HDD/PCIe vs a pre-built mini PC which does not afford that flexibility or expansion.
For 2x3.5” HDDs, use a Apex MI-008 case (you will not use the PSU) and a SATA power splitter.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE Goodisory A01/MX01 ITX $45 amazon 7.9” x 7.9” x 3.3” ALT: Apex MI-008/ML03
CPU/MOBO ASRock N100DC-ITX, 6W $130 newegg specs.
MEM G.Skill Ripjaws V 1x16GB DDR4-3200 DIMM $35 pcpartpicker ALT: 1x8GB ($20)
STORAGE Kingston NV2 256GB NVMe M.2 SSD TLC $30 pcpartpicker  
STORAGE 4TB 7200rpm 3.5” HDD $40 disctech OPTIONAL. ALT: 6TB ($70), 8TB ($90)
POWER 19V 65W AC-DC Adapter $25 amazon  
TOTAL   $265    

MadVR upscaling all-in-one player (14L)

This is a build with a dGPU for MadVR upscaling/tonemapping that’s going to provide better visual quality than the iGPU on a CPU. Other features include 4k@60 playback, 4k netflix/YT, HDR, and medium 1080p gaming.

The Nvidia GTX 1660 chosen is the most powerful, reasonably-priced, GPU you will find. If you need something new, then the RTX 3050 6GB.

We don’t go beyond a mid-level GPU here for MadVR because we feel you start to get into diminishing returns on visual quality, while incurring more power usage and heat.

You can alternately change the CASE to a Silverstone GD09 (26.8L) w/a ATX PSU, to get more room for storage, better cpu and/or a bigger, quieter cooler. For a low profile dGPU, look at the ML09 (7L)/ML03 (15.7L)

If you can’t afford to do a new build or only need reasonable upscaling, you can buy a 2nd-hand SFF pre-built off ebay and pop a GTX 1050 Ti low profile in it.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE Silverstone ML07 $105 amazon specs. ALT: Silverstone GD09
CPU Intel i5-12400F, 65W $115 pcpartpicker ALT: Intel i5-12100F
MOBO ASRock B760M-ITX/D4 $150 pcpartpicker ALT: GD09: MSI PRO B660M-A DDR4 MicroATX ($120)
MEM Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 2x8GB DDR4-3200 $40 pcpartpicker  
GPU Nvidia GTX 1660 6GB $100 ebay <= 330 mm. ALT: Nvidia RTX 3050 6GB ($170)
STORAGE WD SN580 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD TLC $40 pcpartpicker OS/App Drive
STORAGE 4TB 7200rpm 3.5” HDD $40 disctech OPTIONAL. ALT: 6TB ($70), 8TB ($90)
COOL Thermalright AXP120-X67 CPU Cooler $35 pcpartpicker OPTIONAL. ALT: GD09: Thermalright Silver Soul 135 ($40)
PSU Silverstone SX500-G 500W SFX $110 pcpartpicker ALT: GD09: 500W+ ATX
TOTAL   $660    

UHD MakeMKV Ripping/Handbrake Transcoding Machine (16-32L)

A build for ripping DVD/FHD Blu Ray and UHD Blu Ray discs. As such, it has space for 5.25 drives and 5-6 HDDs to make this into a NAS/media server as well.
If you don’t need the drive space and want something smaller, consider the Silverstone ML03/ML04 (16L) or In Win CE685 (12L).
Alternatively, if you want a different form factor or more HDD space look at Silverstone’s GD06 (4)/TJ08B-E (6)/GD07 (8)/GD08 (9).

This uses a modern 10-core CPU w/IGPU for very fast Handbrake transcoding performance. This is a high watt part and necessitates a good tower CPU cooler. If you go with one of the smaller/shorter cases, you can either lower the TDP on the CPU or switch to a i5-12400 w/stock cooler.

Standard software for ripping is: MakeMKV to rip a disc to a full quality file, and then Handbrake to optionally transcode it down for size and client compatibility. Check the ripping section of our FAQ page for detailed instructions. Check the flashing guide on the makemkv forum for drive firmware, if you intend to do UHD ripping.
For automated ripping on disc insert, look at Automatic Ripping Machine (ARM), which is a front-end to makemkv/handbrake. Its setup on Linux is not for the faint of heart. Alternatively, on Windows look at Staxrip or the old Autorip.

If you can’t afford to spend this much, buy a 2nd-hand pre-built and make some upgrades. Look at the “Medium NAS / Media Server (9-26L)” build below; they come with DVD drives standard. You can then upgrade to FHD/UHD ripping with a LG BU40N FHD/UHD blu-ray drive, a Slimline SATA Adapter, and be out for $250.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE Silverstone PS07 $110 pcpartpicker specs. ALT: Silverstone ML03
CPU Intel i5-12600K CPU, 125W $175 pcpartpicker ALT: i5-12400 ($135)
MOBO ASRock B760M Pro RS $125 pcpartpicker ALT: Other uATX mobos
MEM Teamgroup T-Create Expert 32GB 2x16GB DDR5-6000 $85 pcpartpicker ALT: Teamgroup Elite 16GB 2x8GB DDR5-5200 ($45)
STORAGE LG WH16NS40 UHD Blu-Ray Drive $70 pcpartpicker ALT: ASUS BW-16D1HT ($100)
STORAGE WD SN770 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD $70 pcpartpicker ALT: Teamgroup Cardea Zero Z440 1TB
COOL Thermalright Peerless Assassin CPU Cooler $40 pcpartpicker ALT: Thermalright AXP120-X67 ($40)
PSU Corsair RM650 Full Modular ATX PSU $80 pcpartpicker ALT: Silverstone Essential 750W ($75)
SOFTWARE MakeMKV Beta/Full FREE/$60 makemkv Free with beta license key posted each month
TOTAL   $755    

CHEAPEST 4K HDR/ALL-IN-ONE PLAYER - NEW (12L)

TL;DR: You want 4K@60 local/youtube/netflix HDR on a real PC, may want HDD media storage and want the cheapest build with new hardware that we’re comfortable recommending.

Not the prettiest case, but slim and gets the job done at 12 liters.

Light 720p gaming can be had here, if you need.

You can add one or more 3.5” HDD content storage for an all-in-one.

Tiny variation: 1.9L: $25 more. Change CASE & MOBO to a ASRock Deskmini X300W ($180) (mobo included), change MEM to SO-DIMMs. No 3.5” HDD content storage possible because of size, only 2.5” HDD.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE InWin Slim MicroATX BL040 Case w/300W PSU $100 amazon 13” x 14.4” x 3.8”
MOBO ASRock B450M-HDV R4.0 MicroATX $60 pcpartpicker  
CPU AMD Ryzen 3200G (65W) $80 pcpartpicker ALT: Ryzen 4600G ($100)
MEM G.Skill Value DDR4-2400 2x4GB $25 pcpartpicker  
STORAGE Patriot P300 256GB M.2 SSD (OS/APPS) $20 pcpartpicker  
STORAGE 4TB 7200rpm 3.5” HDD $40 disctech OPTIONAL. ALT: 6TB ($70), 8TB ($90)
TOTAL   $285    

CHEAPEST 4K HTPC PLAYER - USED

TL;DR: Cheapest hardware for 4k@60Hz, HDR and/or 4k netflix player, or a dead simple media server.

For the insanely frugal, the absolute cheapest way to buy/build a PC for use as a 4k@60Hz player - using used hardware off eBay.

We will use a i5-4570 CPU and Nvidia GT 1030 GDDR5 GPU (not DDR4).

If you have more specific GPU usage needs, then..
4K local+youtube: The quoted config
4K local+netflix: AMD RX 550 4GB ($50)
4K local+netflix+youtube: Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti 4GB ($70) + Mini Tower case or low-profile card for $20 more.
1080p: no dGPU

The quoted config here is with a SFF form factor case, for use with a low-profile GPU, but if you want one of the Mini Tower form factor versions shown as ALT: below , that’s fine as well.

If you don’t even need 4k or are using it as a dead simple media server, drop the GPU and you have yourself a very capable all in one 1080p box for $50. Getting one with an included SSD for your OS drive will be very helpful for responsiveness on these low-end machines.

Sample i3/i5 Ebay Search

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE HP Prodesk 400/600/800 G1, Dell Optiplex 3020/9020/XE2, Lenovo M73/M83/M93p, HP Z230 $50 Ebay ALT: Mini Tower: Dell 3020/7020/9020/3647 MT, HP 600/800 G1 MT, Lenovo M73, HP PRO Z230
CPU/MEM Intel i5-4570 w/4-8GB DDR3 RAM - Included in above NA Ebay CPU Passmark: 5000-7000
STORAGE 250GB-500GB HDD/SSD - Included in above NA Ebay ALT: 128GB 2.5” SSD ($15)
GPU Nvidia GT 1030 GDDR5 $50 Ebay ALT: RX 550 4GB Low Profile ($50)
TOTAL   $100    

NAS/Media Server builds

There are many tiers of builds depending on what tasks you want to accomplish, how much internal capacity you need and your budget level. We’ll provide a couple common builds here in increasing complexity. There is no one-size-fits-all and the options can be wide and varied.

$100 Small Media Server (1.2L) - Used

This is a good setup to get your feet wet in media serving in a very small package. A used pre-built is cheaper and easier to get going if you’re new to this. If you’re not comfortable buying used, this is comparable.

Most people will use it with Plex Media Server to serve media up to clients, but you can serve media up to Kodi clients over a network/samba share just as well.

If you’re using it with Plex, it will Direct Play content to multiple clients just fine (even 4k). If you need to transcode content either internally or remotely, it will transcode 2x 1080p streams or 4x 720p streams using software/cpu transcoding in the free version of Plex Media Server.

If you need to transcode more streams than this (either because your internal clients don’t support your media’s codecs and/or because you have a lot of remote users), pay for a Plex Pass (or use Jellyfin) and it will then hw transcode more 1080p and 4k HEVC/H264 streams.

It’s preferred to use an SSD for your OS drive and for storing Plex Metadata. Purchase one separately as per the parts list below or get one included.

With a form factor this small, you should use USB external drives, in the short-term, like a WD Elements/Easystore, for media storage. It is possible to use an internal 2.5” HDD up to 5TB if you use an M.2 SSD for your OS. If you want more reliable, long-term storage, look at the next build w/internal 3.5” HDD(s) instead or a NAS from our Storage Setup Guide.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE HP/Dell/Lenovo Micro PC $80 Ebay Prodesk G4, Optiplex 3060/5060/7060, Thinkcentre M720q/M920q
CPU/GPU Intel i5-8500T Included NA 35W, 6C/6T. ALT: i5-7500T ($-15)
MEM 8 GB+ DDR4 Included NA NA
STORAGE 256GB M.2 SSD (OS/APPS) $25 pcpartpicker OPTIONAL, If not included in ebay build.
STORAGE WD 8-20TB USB HDD (MEDIA) $160-350 Best Buy OPTIONAL, if not included in ebay build or don’t have. ALT: 2.5” SATA HDD
OS Ubuntu 24/Windows 1x Pro $0 Ubuntu  
SOFTWARE Plex Media Server $0 Plex Free
LICENSE Plex Pass $120 Plex OPTIONAL. Lifetime cost or $40/year, $5/month.
TOTAL   $105    

$135 Medium NAS / Media Server (9-26L) - Used

This is also a good setup to get your feet wet. A used pre-built is cheaper and easier to get going if you’re new to this. A NAS/media server with these specs has the potential to handle anything you can throw at it with the ability to have some internal media storage. If you’re not comfortable buying used, these are comparable.

Most people will use it with Plex Media Server to serve media up to clients, but you can serve media up to Kodi clients over a network/samba share just as well.

If you’re using it with Plex, it will Direct Play content to multiple clients just fine. If you need to transcode content either internally or remotely, it will transcode 2x 1080p streams or 5x 720p streams using software/cpu transcoding in the free version of Plex Media Server.

If you need to transcode more streams than this (either because your internal clients don’t support your media’s codecs and/or because you have a lot of remote users), pay for a Plex Pass (or use Jellyfin) and it will then hw transcode 4x 4k streams or 15x 1080p HEVC/H264 streams using the iGPU.

Internally this server will support 1x M.2 NVME SSD drive, 1x 2.5” SSD/HDD and 1x 3.5” HDD.
If you want to fit more than 1x 3.5” HDDs internally, look at these versions:
2x HDDs: Lenovo M710T (15.5L), HP 800 G4 SFF (10.4L), Lenovo P320 SFF (12.9L)
3x HDDs: HP 800 G3/G4 TWR (20.8L), Lenovo P330 MT (20.3L)
4x HDDs: Dell Precision 3620 (27.4L), HP Z2 G4 Tower (26.1L), Lenovo P320 Tower (25L)

It’s preferred to use an SSD for your OS drive and for storing Plex Metadata. You can either buy the system with an SSD included, or buy it bare, purchasing one separately as per the parts list below. The latter is preferrable as you have more control over size/brand/form factor.

For media content storage, either use the HDD (if provided in the one you buy), or replace it with a bigger one. You can get an 8TB drive for about $100. Check our Storage Setup Guide drive list for more options. If you want to throw a bunch of drives at it, either go with one of the bigger cases above or add a Terramaster F4-212 NAS. If you want to go beyond this you’ll want to build everything internally with the next NAS/Media Server build below as a starting point.

A good serving solution with the below system would be a M.2 SSD for OS/apps, a large 3.5” internal HDD, Ubuntu 24, docker and the plex docker container.

Windows would be fine for ease of administration, but you should go with Ubuntu, OpenMediaVault or Unraid on the Linux-side for more advanced usage, like Docker, and/or have better multi-disk volume management.

See our Storage Setup Guide for more information on software, drives, and pre-built NASes.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
PC Lenovo M720s SFF PC $100 Ebay 8.4L, specs. ALT: HP/Dell
CPU/GPU Intel i5-8400 Included NA 65 W, 6C/6T. ALT: i5-7400 (-$10)
MEM/STORAGE 8GB RAM, HDD/SSD/Bare Included NA  
STORAGE 500GB M.2 NVMe SSD (OS/APPS) $35 pcpartpicker OPTIONAL, if not included in ebay build.
STORAGE WD 8-20 TB 3.5” SATA HDD (MEDIA) $100-350 Serverpartdeals OPTIONAL, if not included in ebay build or don’t have.
OS Ubuntu 24/Windows 1x Pro $0 Ubuntu  
SOFTWARE Plex Media Server $0 Plex Free
LICENSE Plex Pass $120 Plex OPTIONAL. Lifetime cost or $40/year, $5/month.
TOTAL   $135 NA  

$650 Medium NAS / Media Server (19.5L) - New

This build can be seen as a culmination of the previous two builds, a media server and a NAS combined, while using new hardware.

The Node 304 is tailor made for this kind of NAS and the Intel CPU will give you hardware media transcoding and video out for administration and even all-in-one use, if you really wanted.

Nothing else here is too surprising. High value ram and ssd perform well and don’t break the bank.

This is configured below with 24TB of usable space with protection (12TBx3 = 36TB - 12TB parity drive = 24TB), but you can pack it all the way up to 110TB usable with protection (6x22TB-22TB parity). We use highly reliable, well-priced Exos/Ultrastar HDDs here.

If you want to bulk up past 6 drives, look at the Coolermaster N400 or Node 804 case for up to 10 drives, with the uATX motherboard and the optional 9207-8i HBA in the parts list.

If used as a Plex server, you can Direct Play a couple dozen stream and transcode 6 concurrent 1080p streams with software transcoding. If you need more transcodes than that, do hardware igpu transcoding with a purchased Plex Pass and a linux docker/VM in Unraid. That’ll get you 6x4k/20x1080p AV1/HEVC/H264 transcodes. Alternatively, if you didn’t want to buy a Plex Pass, use JellyFin; or use an i5-12400 to get software transcoding for 9x1080p/1x4k 50Mbps streams and upgrade to a Plex Pass later.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE Fractal Design Node 304 $100 newegg ITX, 14.7”x9.8”x8.3” ALT: Node 804 ($120), CM N400 ($80), DIY NAS Case List
CPU Intel i3-12100 CPU, 60W $115 pcpartpicker Passmark CPU Mark: 13000+. ALT: i5-12400 ($135)
MOBO ASRock B760M-ITX/D4 $150 pcpartpicker ALT: B660M/B760M uATX mobo
MEM Team T-Force Vulcan Z 32GB 2x16GB DDR4-3200 $50 pcpartpicker ALT: Team T-Force Vulcan Z 16GB 2x8GB DDR4-3200 ($35)
STORAGE PNY Attache 4 32GB USB Flash Drive (BOOT) $12 amazon  
STORAGE WD SN770 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD (APP/CACHE) $70 pcpartpicker ALT: SK Hynix P31 1TB
STORAGE 3 x Seagate Exos X14 12TB HDD (DATA) $540 disctech SEPARATE. ALT: Ultrastar HC530 14TB (better $/GB)
STORAGE LSI 9207-8i, in IT/HBA mode $40 ebay OPTIONAL. For more than 4xSATA ports/better controller support. ALT: SATA card
COOL Noctua NH-U12S Redux CPU Cooler $50 pcpartpicker ALT: be quiet Pure Rock 2 ($40)
PSU Corsair RM/CX 650-750W $75 pcpartpicker ALT: EVGA/Seasonic
SOFTWARE Unraid Starter - 6 device license $50 limetech  
TOTAL   $672    

$1300 Almost Ultimate NAS / Media Server (59L)

If you have massive storage requirements now, or plan on in the future, and don’t want to go hot-swap or rackmount, this build will fit the bill. The Meshify 2 case is quality and well-priced for 13xHDDs and has fan slots up front to cool your data HDDs sufficiently, as when maxed out they will collectively produce a lot of heat. See our Storage Setup Guide for additional case options.

The CPU may seem meager, not being a K sku, but we don’t need much power, we mostly want the iGPU for hardware media transcoding and the specced cooler is more than enough for this 65W CPU. If you opt for the 12600K, move up to the Peerless Assassin cooler.

We use highly reliable, well-priced Seagate Exos HDDs here for our data. Alternatively, WD Ultrastar drives are just as good. Since this is the bulk of our cost, find the best price you can and, if you can, order from multiple vendors to get different batches of drives.

We configure this build for 126TB of usable space with dual-parity protection (14TBx11 = 154TB total - 28TB parity = 126TB usable) to show the potential of what’s possible. If you want to start with smaller-sized or a smaller number of drives and mix-and-match sizes later, you can do that, but your parity drive(s) should be as big as the largest usable data drive you plan on having. It is also not recommended to go over 6 usable data drives per parity drive.

Keeping a backup of this much data would be a serious problem without building a second system to sync to, even if we do have a dual-parity protected array. If a backup is something you may want, consider splitting up the drives into 2 arrays. Such as 1 active array w/6 drives (5 usable+1 parity) and a backup array with 5 drives (5 usable+0 parity). Then sync the active array to the backup array nightly with something like rsync. With the configured drives, that’d give you 70TB usable and backed-up. If you wanted to make up for the lost usable space in such a configuration, you could go all the way up to 20TB drives and have 100TB usable.

For app/cache storage, such things as VMs, Docker data and media caching, we have 2 SSDs to create a 1TB parity-protected array (essentially a RAID1).

Unraid will boot off the USB flash drive, so we have a reliable USB 2.0 one here, with backups.

Lots of well-priced DDR5 RAM for VMs, Dockers and, if you so choose, Plex media transcoding in RAM.

If you want a system with ECC memory and a workstation mobo, see our pcpartpicker part list.

As a Plex server, with the purchased Plex Pass, you can transcode ~12x4k or 25x1080p transcodes concurrently on the CPU’s iGPU. Without a Plex Pass, expect 8x1080p streams with CPU software transcoding.

The LSI HBA adapter has 8 ports for SATA drives. You can use the SATA ports on the motherboard for your HDDs, then add on the HBA when you outgrow those, or vice-versa.

For the motherboard, in theory any Z690/Z790 ATX/uATX board will work with 2 x16 slots, if you want to have support for a potential dGPU upgrade. We need at least 1 slot for our LSI HBA Adapter to connect our data drives to and then 1 slot for a potential dGPU. On the chosen board we also have dual LAN.

The PSU wattage may seem overkill, but we again plan for any upgrades, CPU, GPU, etc.. and remember that each HDD can pull 10W on spin-up.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE Fractal Design Meshify 2 $130 pcpartpicker [specs]. ALT: Fractal Design Define 7 ($160)
CPU Intel i5-12500 6C/12T CPU (65W) $200 pcpartpicker ALT: Intel i5-12600k
MOBO ASRock Z690 Taichi DDR5 ATX $200 pcpartpicker ALT: Other DDR5 Motherboards
MEM G.Skill Ripjaws S5 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5-6000 $160 pcpartpicker ALT: 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5
STORAGE PNY Attache 4 32GB USB Flash Drive (BOOT) $12 amazon  
STORAGE 2x Solidigm P44 Pro 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD (APP/CACHE) $200 pcpartpicker ALT: SK Hynix P31/P41
STORAGE 11x Seagate Exos X16 14TB SATA HDD (DATA) $2300 disctech SEPARATE. ALT: WD Ultrastar DC HC530 14TB
STORAGE LSI 9207-8i Adapter (x8) + Cables, in IT/HBA mode $40 ebay ALT: Adaptec ASR 71605 (x16) ($50)
STORAGE SATA Power Splitter Cables $15 amazon  
COOL Arctic P14 PWM 140 mm Fan (FRONT) $15 amazon  
COOL Thermalright Silver Soul 135 CPU Cooler $35 pcpartpicker ALT: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ($40)
PSU SeaSonic FOCUS Plus 750 Gold ATX PSU $100 pcpartpicker ALT: Other PSUs
SOFTWARE Unraid Unleashed - Unlimited device license $110 limetech  
SOFTWARE Plex Media Server $0 Plex Free
LICENSE Plex Pass $120 Plex Lifetime cost or $40/year, $5/month.
TOTAL   $1337    

$150 Large NAS / Utility Server (36L) - Used

A step up from the previous Medium build in internal capacity, but still used hardware, so similar in cost. It’s large and an old arch, but good for mass storage and other lightweight duties.

This is a setup with hardware off ebay using the old Ivy Bridge architecture. Plenty of power for NAS and utility task duties. Yes, it can be used as a Plex media server as well for its Direct Play and H264 transcode ability (look at the Dell 3620 option in the previous used build for 4k/HEVC transcoding), but that’s not our primary focus here. Our focus is internal storage capacity.

This can fit 6x3.5 HDDs (using 3x3.5” and 3x5.25” mounts) officially. Since it has 6x SATA ports, you’ll ideally use 1x for a SATA SSD for your OS and the other 5x for any data/cache HDDs. For raw storage this has you hovering in the realm of 40TB-100TB of storage potential depending on whether you go with well-priced 8/10TB drives all the way up to new, still-pricey 20TB drives. If you get creative with space, you can fit 8x 3.5” drives using a 9210-8i SAS->SATA HBA or SATA card, and SATA Power Splitters.

If you go with an i5/i7 version, you’ll get non-ECC memory. With a Xeon version you can use ECC memory, which is better for data integrity. You should also have a battery-backup UPS as well if you really care about data integrity.

If you want ease-of-use management, spend the extra $$ on Unraid as your OS and its web-based system for VMs and Docker containers. Otherwise, look at TrueNAS or just use Linux/OpenMediaVault and either set up drives as individual volumes or use mergerFS.

If you can’t find a HP Z220 CMT setup, you can alternatively go with a HP Z210 CMT.

See our Storage Setup Guide for more information on software and drives.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
PC HP Z220 CMT Workstation $125 Ebay ALT: HP Z210 CMT
CPU Intel i5/i7-3xxx, Xeon E3-1xxx Included NA 65-77 W, 4C/4T, PASSMARK: 4500
MEM/STORAGE 8GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB (varies) HDD Included NA Xeon: ECC, i3/i5: non-ECC
STORAGE 512GB 2.5” SATA SSD (OS/APP/CACHE) $30 pcpartpicker  
STORAGE WD Elements 4-20TB HDD - Shucked (DATA) Varies NA NAS Drive List
OS Unraid/Ubuntu 22/OMV/Windows $0 Ubuntu Windows 10 usually included
SOFTWARE Unraid Starter - 6 device license $50 limetech OPTIONAL
TOTAL   $155 NA  

Gaming Emulation builds

$100 720p/1080p Gaming Emulation Box (1.2L)

This is a good, small (Micro/USFF) emulation box for NES/SNES, Game Gear, Sega Master/Saturn/Dreamcast, PSP/PS1, N64/Gamecube, AtomisWave.
3DS, PS2 and anything greater will struggle a bit, depending on the game. Check ETA Prime’s reviews. If you want to run those, move up to a i5-8500 SFF and low profile Nvidia GT 1030 GDDR5 used off ebay for $70 more; if you need to stay in the Micro/USFF form-factor, look at AMD-based pre-builts ($175).
This is not for anything like PS3, CEMU, or anything >= Xbox

Make sure to get one with 2x4GB sticks of RAM, not a single stick.

For your frontend, Batocera (linux) and LaunchBox/BigBox (windows) are good choices. Solus is good if you want a fully fledged linux interface.

Will handle 1080p video duties fine

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE HP/Dell/Lenovo $90 Ebay Prodesk G4, Optiplex 3060/5060/7060, Thinkcentre M720q/M920q
CPU/GPU Intel i5-8500T Included NA ALT: i5-7500T
MEM 2x4GB (8GB) DDR4 Included NA NA
STORAGE 120-500GB HDD/SSD Included NA ALT: 2.5”/M.2 SSD ($30)
ACCESSORY DP to HDMI Cable $10 Amazon 1080p/60, 4k/30
TOTAL   $100    

$300 720p/1080p Gaming Emulation Box (12L)

Good for 720p internal resolution on emulators, 1080p up to Wii/Gamecube/PS2. Less demanding PS3 games are possible, but you might have to take down to 720p.

Will handle 4k video duties just fine.

This is a bottom-barrel build, due to Micro-ATX motherboard being cheaper, CPU a tick slower, a larger case and a smaller SSD.

For better quality parts, see ALT: notes, for a better case, motherboard and separate PSU. @$60 more. For more oomph, see the $500 build below.

For an even smaller box, you could go with the Asrock Deskmini A300W/X300W case at 1.9L. Skip motherboard and change ram to DDR4-3200 2x8GB SO-DIMMS. $30 more.

If you don’t want to build, you can find SFF/USFF pre-builts on Ebay with the Ryzen 2400G/3400G for around $200, sometimes cheaper.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE InWin Slim BL040 MicroATX case w/300W PSU $100 amazon ALT: Silverstone ML03b (15.7L) ($95)/Jonsbo C6 (15.8L) ($60)
PSU Included $0   ALT: EVGA BQ 500W ($60)
CPU AMD Ryzen 4600G APU (65W) $100 pcpartpicker ALT: Ryzen 3400G - Ebay ($75)
MOBO MSI A520M-A PRO MicroATX $70 pcpartpicker ALT: 3400G: MSI A320M PRO ($80)
MEM Silicon Power Gaming 2x8GB DDR4-3200 $30 pcpartpicker ALT: Deskmini: 2x8GB DDR4-3200 SODIMMS
STORAGE Kingston NV2 256GB NVMe M.2 SSD $30 pcpartpicker ALT: WD Black SN580 500 GB M.2 ($40)
TOTAL   $330    

$500 720p/1080p Gaming Emulation Box (3.3L)

This just uses a Ryzen 8500G APU, no dedicated GPU which is fine for light gaming and 4k video. A 8600G would give even better gaming performance.

Emulation: You should be able to play at 45-60 fps for most everything at 720p internal resolution and <= 32-bit systems at 1080p. Demanding platforms (like Xbox 360) and 64-bit titles, like BoTW, expect <= 30 fps@1080p. You can push Wii/PS3 to 60 fps@1080p, w/BoTW up to 50 fps at the extreme limits of a 8600G. Check out ETA PRIME’s 8600G reviews for actual game data.

Gaming: Expect 50 fps@1080p Med for most games, with a 8600G pushing that up to 60 fps@1080p Med sans harder games like Doom Eternal/Cyberpunk/etc.. which you’ll have to run Low w/FSR upscaling.

For an even smaller box, you could go with the Asrock Deskmini X600 at 1.9L as shown in the Notes column. And it comes out to about $45 cheaper since you don’t need to buy a motherboard. Everything else stays the same.

For a fanless build, with same perf., for $250 more, see build in HTPC section above

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE Inwin Chopin/BQ656 $100 amazon 8.6”x9.6”x3.3” ALT: Deskmini X600 ($170) (1.9L)
MOBO ASRock A620I Lightning Wifi $130 pcpartpicker ALT: Deskmini: Not applicable
CPU AMD Ryzen 8500G APU $150 pcpartpicker ALT: Ryzen 8600G
MEM Crucial Classic 2x8GB DDR5-5600 $47 pcpartpicker ALT: Deskmini: 2x8GB DDR5-5600 SODIMMS
STORAGE WD Black SN770 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD TLC $45 pcpartpicker ALT: 1TB M.2 SSD ($75)
COOL Thermalright AXP90-X53 CPU Cooler $25 pcpartpicker  
TOTAL   $497    

$650 1080p Gaming Emulation Box (12L)

You should be able to play 60+ fps for most everything

Will handle 4k video duties just fine.

For a SFF case, see the VR builds

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE Silverstone ML08 $120 pcpartpicker 14.57” x 14.96” x 3.43” ALT: ML07
MOBO ASRock B760M-ITX/D4 $145 pcpartpicker  
CPU Intel i5-12400F, 65W $115 pcpartpicker ALT: Intel i5-12100F
GPU Nvidia GTX 1660 Super $110 ebay ALT: 1440p: GTX 1070
MEM Corsair Vengeance 16GB 2x8GB DDR4-3200 $40 pcpartpicker  
STORAGE WD Black SN580 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD TLC $45 pcpartpicker ALT: 1TB M.2 SSD ($70)
PSU EVGA Supernova GM 550W Full Modular SFX $90 pcpartpicker ALT: SFX PSUs
TOTAL   $665    

$800 4k Gaming Emulation Box (19.5L)

You should be able to play 60+ fps for most everything, sans some demanding titles, like BoTW (60fps), Skate 3 (60fps), etc..

Will handle 4k video duties just fine.

For a SFF case, see the VR Box builds

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE Fractal Design Node 304 $100 newegg ITX, 14.7”x9.8”x8.3” ALT: Thermaltake Core V1 ($51)
MOBO Asrock B760M-ITX/D4 $150 pcpartpicker ALT: ASRock B550M-ITX/ac ($135)
CPU Intel i5-12400F $120 pcpartpicker ALT: AMD Ryzen 5700x ($130)
GPU Nvidia RTX 2060 $160 ebay ALT: AMD RX 5700 XT
MEM G.Skill Ripjaws V 16GB 2x8GB DDR4-3600 CL18 $40 pcpartpicker ALT: Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8GB DDR4-3600
STORAGE WD SN770 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD TLC $70 pcpartpicker  
COOL Noctua NH-U12S Redux CPU Cooler $50 pcpartpicker ALT: Thermalright Silver Soul 135 ($40)
PSU EVGA G5 Full-Modular 650W ATX $80 pcpartpicker ALT: Corsair CX650M ($90)
TOTAL   $770    

Gaming builds

1080p Gaming Steam Box - USED

This budget gaming build runs on Manjaro Linux w/Steam.
It’s good for 1080p, High @ 60 fps+ on normal games, Medium @ 45-60 fps on AAA games.
It uses a Pre-built PC and GPU from Ebay. Prices are for buying via auction/Best Offer. Buy It Now will cost you more.
Make sure you pick a GPU with a 6-pin (not 8) power connector and a PC with 2 sata connectors free for GPU power.
Anything HP/Dell/Lenovo with an i7-6700 up to a i5-8500 is fine. You can usually find one with an M.2 SSD so you don’t have to purchase one separately.
Manjaro linux that we use here is fine for Steam and comes pre-installed with it. Simply download the Manjaro KDE Plasma iso, write it to the USB key with Etcher, boot from it and install to the SSD. You can then Enable Proton (experimental version) in Steam preferences.
Alternatively, you can run Windows if you want, and you have an activation key.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE/CPU/MEM Dell/HP/Lenovo Mini Tower pre-built w/8GB RAM $100 Ebay ALT: i5-8500 ($110)
GPU Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB w/6-pin $80 Ebay ALT: Nvidia GTX 1650 Super 6-pin ($100)
STORAGE 512GB Silicon Power M.2 SSD $25 Amazon ALT: 2.5” Version ($25)
STORAGE 16GB USB key $5 Amazon OPTIONAL: For Linux install
ADAPTER SATA dual to pcie 6-pin adapter $7 Amazon  
ACCESSORY HDMI to HDMI Cable $10 Amazon For mgmt. 6 Ft - Monoprice
OS Manjaro Linux w/KDE Plasma $0 Download  
SOFTWARE Steam + Proton Experimental $0 NA  
SOFTWARE Etcher ISO writer $0 Download  
TOTAL   $227    

1080p Gaming Box (8.8L)

This is a straight up gaming build for 1080p with High settings, averaging about 90-100 fps which is good for a 120 Hz TV.
If you want a low profile case, look at the ALT: config with a Silverstone Milo Z/ML-07 instead (you’ll have to add an ITX mobo and SFX PSU).

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE/MOBO/PSU Asrock DeskMeet X300W w/500W PSU $170 newegg 6.6” (W) x 9.3” (D) x 8.7” (H), specs. ALT: ML-07+ITX+SFX
CPU AMD Ryzen 5700X (65W) $150 pcpartpicker ALT: AMD Ryzen 5700X3D
GPU AMD RX 6600 8GB $200 pcpartpicker <= 200 mm (L). ALT: AMD RX 7600 8GB
MEM Teamforce Vulcan Z 16GB 2x8GB DDR4-3600 $35 pcpartpicker ALT: G.Skill Ripjaws V 16 GB 2x8GB DDR4-3600 ($40)
STORAGE WD SN580 1TB M.2 (OS/GAMES) $60 pcpartpicker  
COOL Thermalright AXP90-X47 CPU Cooler, 47mm $25 pcpartpicker Quieter than stock cooler
TOTAL   $640    

1440p Gaming Box (14L)

This is a straight up gaming build for 1440p with High settings, averaging about 90-100 fps which is good for a 120 Hz TV.
It’s low profile so is good for a media cabinet. If you can handle more height or want to beef up the perf, look at the ALT: notes.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE Silverstone Milo Z/ML-07 $105 pcpartpicker 15” (W)x4.1” (H)x13.8” (D). ALT: Silverstone GD-11 (6.9” (H), 30L)
CPU AMD Ryzen 5700X3D (105W) $200 pcpartpicker ALT: AMD Ryzen 7600X3D
GPU AMD RX 6750 XT 12GB $310 pcpartpicker ALT: AMD RX 7800 XT 16 GB
MOBO ASRock B550M-ITX/ac $135 pcpartpicker ALT: Gigabyte B650 GAMING X AX ATX
MEM Teamforce VulcanZ 32GB 2x16GB DDR4-3600 $55 pcpartpicker ALT: G.Skill Flare S5 2x16GB 32GB DDR5-6000
STORAGE WD SN770 500GB M.2 (OS) $50 pcpartpicker ALT: WD SN770 1TB M.2 (OS)
STORAGE Solidigm P44 Pro 2TB M.2 (GAMES) $140 pcpartpicker  
PSU Cooler Master V 850W SFX $105 pcpartpicker ALT: Corsair RM650x (2021) ATX
COOL Thermalright AXP120-X67 CPU Cooler $35 pcpartpicker ALT: Thermalright Silver Soul 135 (Air) / Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240 (AIO)
TOTAL   $1135    

VR builds

$800 VR Box (11.5L)

The Silverstone case is a very good value, and does its job. Yes, it’s no fancy Louqe Ghost, but neither is the price.

We do go with a small SFX PSU here for more room, and it’s not much more than a good full modular ATX PSU.

You can also add a 3.5” HDD for an HTPC variation of this build, as long as you stick with the SFX PSU and the 120mm AIO. Any bigger and you run out of room quickly, especially for cables.

You can however go with the thicker H80i AIO if you want to beef up your CPU cooling with an extra fan, though it isn’t required. If you’re not keen on AIO cooling, then a Noctua NH-L12S will fit fine with the SFX PSU.

For CPU/MOBO you can replace AMD Ryzen with Intel i5-12400F/B660, if availability is a problem

We chose a pretty small GPU here, but you can just as easily choose one all the way up to 270mm in length, but still dual-slot. The Radeon RX 6600/RTX 2060 is good for 1080p VR, but expect to jump to the RX 6650 XT/RTX 2060 Super or higher for 1440p.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE SilverStone SG13B $65 pcpartpicker 11.2” x 8.7” x 7.1”
MOBO ASRock B550M-ITX/ac $130 pcpartpicker ALT: ASrock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITX/ac ($150)
CPU AMD Ryzen 5600 $120 pcpartpicker ALT: Ryzen 5500
GPU AMD Radeon RX 6600 $180 pcpartpicker ALT: Nvidia RTX 2060 ($200)
COOL Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML120L 120mm AIO $80 pcpartpicker ALT: Corsair H60/H80i 120mm AIO ($80/$120), Noctua NH-L12S ($50)
MEM Corsair Vengeance 16GB 2x8GB DDR4-3200 $40 pcpartpicker  
STORAGE WD SN770 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD TLC $70 pcpartpicker ALT: WD SN850X 1TB M.2 ($75)
PSU Corsair CX650M (2021) 650W ATX $80 pcpartpicker ALT: EVGA SuperNOVA 550 GM SFX ($110)
TOTAL   $765    

$850 VR Box - Sandwich Case Variation (9.7L)

The $800 VR Box with a Geeek sandwich case. A little bit smaller than the SG13B.

This changes the CPU cooler, PSU and fan compatibility. We can also use a longer GPU.

For CPU/MOBO you can replace AMD with Intel i5-12400F/B660, if availability is a problem

The Radeon RX 6600/RTX 2060 is good for 1080p VR, but expect to jump to the RX 6650 XT/RTX 2060 Super or higher for 1440p.

PART BRAND/MODEL PRICE VENDOR NOTES
CASE Geeek A50 Plus + PCIe riser cable $89 Geeek 13” x 5.5” x 8.4” ALT: Geeek A60 Plus ($99)
MOBO ASRock B550M-ITX/ac $130 pcpartpicker ALT: ASrock Fatal1ty B450 Gaming-ITX/ac ($150)
CPU AMD Ryzen 5600 $120 pcpartpicker ALT: Ryzen 5500
GPU AMD Radeon RX 6600 $180 pcpartpicker ALT: Nvidia RTX 2060 ($200)
MEM Corsair Vengeance 16GB 2x8GB DDR4-3200 $40 pcpartpicker  
STORAGE WD SN770 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD TLC $70 pcpartpicker ALT: WD SN850X 1TB M.2 ($75)
COOL Thermalright AXP90-X47 CPU cooler $35 pcpartpicker ALT: ID Cooling IS-50X/55 ($30)
COOL Noctua NF-A9x14 92mm Case fans 3x $60 Quietpc 2x is ok too for less noise, +4-5C temp
PSU EVGA SuperNOVA 550 GM SFX $110 pcpartpicker ALT: Cooler Master V550 SFX Gold ($105)
TOTAL   $834    

 

This page was last updated on 2024-12-20