1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Blogs Is the Age of Massive PCs at an End?

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by arcticstoat, 5 Nov 2011.

  1. arcticstoat

    arcticstoat Minimodder

    Joined:
    19 May 2004
    Posts:
    917
    Likes Received:
    21
  2. jezmck

    jezmck Minimodder

    Joined:
    25 Sep 2003
    Posts:
    4,456
    Likes Received:
    36
    Will we get to a point where we just don't need the extra power?
     
  3. Mentai

    Mentai What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    11 Nov 2007
    Posts:
    758
    Likes Received:
    1
    I think they're the present, not the future. Right now nothing is too demanding hardware wise, but once there are new consoles out in 2013/14 PC's will be playing catch up again and it might start becoming harder to play everything maxed out at 1080p.
     
  4. Parge

    Parge the worst Super Moderator

    Joined:
    16 Jul 2010
    Posts:
    13,029
    Likes Received:
    619
    I built a rig out of the wonderful Silverstone SG07-B with a OCd i5-750 and a GTX 570, but ultimately I found that while it worked well, it was impossible to make tidy, and didn't allow me to do the one thing I love doing with my PC. Tinkering.
     
  5. tad2008

    tad2008 What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    6 Nov 2008
    Posts:
    332
    Likes Received:
    3
    I have liked the principles of being able to use a mini-itx and to have enough processing power and features for most uses and loved the MSI Mega 180 which provided not only a small form factor with an overall, albeit not perfect design but also enabled you to use the optical drive as a cd player and also the option of a radio when the pc without having to power up the pc itself.

    With the multitide of options available for NAS in so many forms having a large beast of a case seems so archaic. Why have a monolith when you can have something far more sublime?

    If you really need something more for localised storage have you considered a more modular apparoach? How about putting that tiny Zotac in it's own tiny custom enclosure with just an OS drive and make a matching one for an external hard drive or even modded NAS box to plug in to it for all your extra storage.

    One thing I have been considering trying myself is to use the smaller form factor of something like the Zotac and going with a Network Boot option and completely forego localised storage altogether. With a 1Gb wired connection or Wireless N this should prove fast enough for most situations, though I don't know how this would affect more intensive tasks.
     
  6. Paradigm Shifter

    Paradigm Shifter de nihilo nihil fit

    Joined:
    10 May 2006
    Posts:
    2,306
    Likes Received:
    86
    Personally, I like big cases - the larger the better. I don't LAN party, so moving it around isn't an issue, and if the case weighs a couple of hundred pounds with everything inside it... any thief is going to give themselves a hernia trying to steal it. ;)
     
  7. Sutura

    Sutura What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    23 May 2011
    Posts:
    65
    Likes Received:
    1
    I was having the same thoughts as the author recently. I mean, in this web-page and its adjacent forum, there is mainly a community of people that love hardware/software. But the needs of the other users can be basically covered by a laptop or mini-ITX or MATX at most. I mean my parents would never make a difference if there is a big box or small box next to the display or if its just a laptop. They use only skype, browsing, movies and you don't need a water cooled beast for that. Its a topic that deserves more investigating though. I wonder if the time of the "heavy hardware" is really at its end.
     
  8. DarthDVD_AU

    DarthDVD_AU Whats a dremel compaired to a lazer

    Joined:
    13 Dec 2007
    Posts:
    29
    Likes Received:
    0
    I've built a very good system into a silverstone SG07.
    i7-2660k, 8Gb DDR3, Zotac Z68 Mini-ITX WiFi Mainboard,
    Zotac N480, 2Tb Hdd (will be donating that to family when the 4Tb's come out), Crucial 512Gb SSD, XP-140 Thermalright heatsink (god it only just fits), Slot loading Bluray Drive, AND I still managed to fit a coolermaster GX750 Psu.... without cutting wires. Now I can go lanning without a forklift. until i move the 27" monitor.
     
  9. javaman

    javaman May irritate Eyes

    Joined:
    10 May 2009
    Posts:
    4,000
    Likes Received:
    193
    I've been thinking the same but for different reasons. Hardware is at a point where you can cram a lot of power in a small portable case which not only saves room but opens up the possibility of making a semi-portable system. Yet a large case still has the advantage of being able to cram everything under one roof.
    TBH I'm looking at embracing the cloud computing model with 1 large box at home that does the heavy lifting so to speak. That would allow a smaller desktop PC that is focused on the GPU rather than everything having to be brilliant and crammed full of all my disks, tv tuners etc.
    I think both are suited to different needs and having the ability to make a small neat PC is a huge advantage and preferable option, its like choosing a people carrier over a citron C1. The citron is preferable since its more efficient, yet I still have the need to carry things on occasions ie. My large box.
     
  10. jrs77

    jrs77 Modder

    Joined:
    17 Feb 2006
    Posts:
    3,483
    Likes Received:
    103
    I've started downsizing two or three years ago, when the first Atom-boarss with nVidia ION graphics showed up. These were the first mini ITX boards that packed enough power to build very small and efficient office- and multimedia-PCs. Sure, Shuttle was around well before that, but they were rather expensive.

    Witht the introduction of mini ITX boards capable of running "normal" CPUs and PCIe x16 GPUs the possibilities for building a very small gaming-rig not using Shuttle-barebones instantly catched my interest.

    I got to say, that I'm not interested in overclocking or Crossfire/SLI. There's no need for that actually, as usual hardware is capable enough of playing games or running graphics-software, etc. Crunching numbers isn't exactly that interesting for me, and for me a PC should be first and foremost as efficient as possible.

    What's efficient for me? Well... efficiency for me is based on three things: price vs performance, powerconsumption and size.
    This way the most efficient PC has to be cheap, but still capable of running all the tasks you throw at it, while drawing as little power as possible. And the size makes it more efficient, because you need less ressources for the parts (boards, case, etc).

    If you look at my sig, you'll notice, that I'm totally down that road allready :hehe:
     
  11. shuffle

    shuffle What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    31 Jan 2009
    Posts:
    12
    Likes Received:
    0
    No of course not. A case which you can fit your choice of components comfortably inside.. the more powerful the better. You can choose how environmentally friendly it is.
     
  12. Fingers66

    Fingers66 Kiwi in London

    Joined:
    30 Apr 2010
    Posts:
    8,898
    Likes Received:
    1,084
  13. bulldogjeff

    bulldogjeff The modding head is firmly back on.

    Joined:
    2 Mar 2010
    Posts:
    8,403
    Likes Received:
    634
    making a SFF with a bit of power is easy, but until some one can condense water cooling then big cases will always be around, personally I love them. There's something about a big case with all the hardware showing thats makes it look so dam cool.
     
  14. shaunster1011

    shaunster1011 What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    26 Sep 2011
    Posts:
    185
    Likes Received:
    5
    I love my big case and wouldnt be without it, I love big components as well. The ability to make it tidy but also make your PC a feature of your room using LED's and similar is much of the appeal for me.
     
  15. cjb119

    cjb119 What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    1 Sep 2009
    Posts:
    21
    Likes Received:
    0
    Its the constant Display Res v PC power battle, and the display side has stagnated.

    The problem at the moment is that 1080p doesn't require high-end, and hence the space or cooling. If more 2k (or better 4k) displays were available, then the PC would be behind the displays, and big cases to fit watercooling and dual/triple gpu's etc would be needed.
     
  16. morbias

    morbias What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    31 Jan 2008
    Posts:
    9
    Likes Received:
    0
    PC taking up half the room? Move into a bigger house!
     
  17. David164v8

    David164v8 Minimodder

    Joined:
    29 Aug 2011
    Posts:
    501
    Likes Received:
    9
    Yeah, if 4K resolutions could fit into a monitor we would actually need tri sli 580s :D
     
  18. kent thomsen

    kent thomsen What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    9 Jul 2011
    Posts:
    38
    Likes Received:
    0
    I think you might want to be a little less extreme. A shoebox is VERY smal, cabinets the size of the Antec Sonata (to which I moved from a Zalman GS 1000 with great result) or similar, can be modded to be really effective and fairly tidy as well. And compared to the rig you describe, it will defintely feel a lot smaller... If you want something smaller than that, get a powerful laptop.

    Eventually, though, shoebox size cabinets probably will become standard, as hardware develops.
     
  19. Omnituens

    Omnituens What's a Dremel?

    Joined:
    5 Apr 2006
    Posts:
    954
    Likes Received:
    11
    Small mobos are getting better, but if you need performance, you need a large gfx card and therefore a large PSU, with enough cooling.
     
  20. tonyd223

    tonyd223 king of nothing

    Joined:
    12 Nov 2009
    Posts:
    389
    Likes Received:
    2
    Yes. You wouldn't want a 1970's colour tv 2 foot deep...
     
Tags: Add Tags

Share This Page