Mini-PC

[Shadow Reaper]

I’m thinking of settling up a mini-PC dedicated just for SC, centered around a narrow recliner chair with its cup-holders filled with sticks, PC hidden under the chair and no display—just a head mounted display. The main reason is to conserve space and avoid excess heat generation in a smallish space. Wide displays dump lots of heat. I presume too I’ll need a wireless keyboard and mouse but mostly just for setup. I can temporarily add a cheap monitor for setup as well, but would like to eventually game without. Just a nice, clean, small setup. Looking to base it around something like this;

GMKtec Gaming Mini PC, 32GB RAM 1TB SSD, AMD Ryzen 7-7840HS(MAX5.1GHz), Desktop Mini Computer, Dual 2.5G LAN, WiFi 6/BT 5.2, Type-C, NucBox K6

Some of these stats don’t mean anything to me—types of wireless and such. I presume I can connect a standard Meta Quest 3. I have no idea what “NucBox K6” is.

Advise? Anyone know if the quest has an installed mic?

 

[BUTUZ]

Interesting. I use a Minisforum PC which uses the same components as a lot of the mini Pcs but I have 64GB ram and a 5060Ti card to help and it is a flying machine with those in. You need a GPU to be honest the built in GPUs in these are ok for playing basic games or scrollers but star citizen needs some outright balls.

None of the small mini pcs have any balls in their onboard graphics. :(

 

[Lorddarthvik]

I’m thinking of settling up a mini-PC dedicated just for SC, centered around a narrow recliner chair with its cup-holders filled with sticks, PC hidden under the chair and no display—just a head mounted display. The main reason is to conserve space and avoid excess heat generation in a smallish space. Wide displays dump lots of heat. I presume too I’ll need a wireless keyboard and mouse but mostly just for setup. I can temporarily add a cheap monitor for setup as well, but would like to eventually game without. Just a nice, clean, small setup. Looking to base it around something like this;

GMKtec Gaming Mini PC, 32GB RAM 1TB SSD, AMD Ryzen 7-7840HS(MAX5.1GHz), Desktop Mini Computer, Dual 2.5G LAN, WiFi 6/BT 5.2, Type-C, NucBox K6

Some of these stats don’t mean anything to me—types of wireless and such. I presume I can connect a standard Meta Quest 3. I have no idea what “NucBox K6” is.

Advise? Anyone know if the quest has an installed mic?

An SC capable PC will needs a proper GPU, this has some very old onboard gfx chip that will NOT play SC. Even if it could, such a tiny device will thermal throttle in minutes of starting any demanding software, like SC.
You are worried about heat coming off of a display, well, I would be way more worried about all the heat your PC will make. I'd much rather go with as large a box as I can fit in the space so it can breath better. Then if you actually want to play SC in VR, you will be looking at something way more high end and pricey.
I believe the quest does have a built in mic, at least the quest2 did.

 

[Shadow Reaper]

Thanks. Sounds like you saved me both grief and pesos. Thanks again.

 

[Radegast74]

This might be a topic to revisit in the future. As SC gets more optimized, you won't need a super-computer to run it, like you used to in the old days. Those AMD chips are doing a better and better job at running games, and who knows? At some point, it will happen.

I'm looking at maybe something like this, in a generation or two (or 3):

Order a Framework Desktop with AMD Ryzen™ AI Max

Framework Desktop: A simple, quiet, mini PC with performance far beyond its size, powered by a highly-integrated processor from AMD.

frame.work

The current model will run Cyberpunk at around 40fps, on average, with some hiccups:

Review: Framework Desktop is a mash-up of a regular desktop PC and the Mac Studio

Size matters most for Framework’s first stab at a desktop workstation/gaming PC.

arstechnica.com

 

[Shadow Reaper]

400 watts. Yeah, I hope this is where we are headed and the days of huge boxes burning a kw, connected to huge screens burning more kw are numbered. I’m actually looking to put a setup in a travel trailer and they get very hot in summer. Running the AC constantly just to game seems self-indulgent.

Part of me says the real culprits here are the fake money people farming fake coins, driving up graphics card rates all to pretend they are handling real money. All those machines burning up all those GW of power are contributing zero to people’s lives. They’re a con, and the con is about to explode with AI. All over we’re planning to build data centers with installed AI, with their own GW power generation. On the personal front we need to start cutting back.

 

[BUTUZ]

My Minisforum BD790 and RTX 5060TI uses 120 to 200watts in games. Sips the power compared to my old rig and still plays 1440 fine.

Actual mini PCs are unfeasible for proper gaming but you can use a mobo like mine to build a powerful but still very compact ITX rig.

 

[Shadow Reaper]

The heat concerns me more than the size, but I think I need to pick the chair before I think about sitting the PC under it. Though I like that idea, it could cause it’s own heat problems.

An RV is a tiny space for something that burns a lot of watts. That’s some of the reason to go VR instead of a curved widescreen.

 

[BUTUZ]

Ah didn't realise you lived in an RV. I am in the process of selling everything and moving into a motorhome which is what we over here call a very very small RV. :D

There are some options on small ITX cases that still have 2 x 120mm fans to exhaust heat. The 5060ti is really frugal most of the time it uses under 100 watts unless its being pushed hard.

Good luck!

 

[Shadow Reaper]

It’s not in the trailer yet. Probably late Fall.

 

[Thugari]

dont use a mini pc, instead cut the side of the armrest on the chair and create a spot there for a mid size tower, with it open you will have an area for cooling it. think of it like a "shelf" in the side of the chair for the system to fit in. also try thinking of a way to mount pedals on the leg rest of the recliner. use a metal bar mounted on the chair to house a lcd monitor and then it can swing out of the way for a vr setup when flying.

 

[NaffNaffBobFace]

dont use a mini pc, instead cut the side of the armrest on the chair and create a spot there for a mid size tower, with it open you will have an area for cooling it. think of it like a "shelf" in the side of the chair for the system to fit in. also try thinking of a way to mount pedals on the leg rest of the recliner. use a metal bar mounted on the chair to house a lcd monitor and then it can swing out of the way for a vr setup when flying.

Now this sounds like a battle station worthy of TEST!

 

[Shadow Reaper]

Years ago I was the full time caregiver for my mother, who had strokes, was going blind, etc. I hooked up a monitor and a camera both on swing arms so she could read her newspaper. Mounted them to a bookcase into which they handily folded away to make getting in and out of the chair easy. I want to do something similar. Just not sure yet. I don’t even have the trailer yet.