Hardware Yep, getting a custom-built desktop

[the_randomizer]

I don't remember what your original specs are, but this machine will generally play very nicely for emulation. As for justifications, if you can properly explain how dangerous the temps can be (especially to non-computer people), you can try and show that it's safer to be a desktop than a laptop in terms of heat management; trying to show that in a laptop, the incredibly close proximity of everything paired with the high temps generated from games and the like can be a bit dangerous. Next to that, a desktop is, like the above user said, a more solid investment than a laptop, which is not only prone to more mechanical failures (do to context of usage and build), but also fairly easy to upgrade, and upgrades withstanding, can hold their ground better than laptops, which tend to become "obsolete" quicker (the word is fairly harsh, but does describe the problem fairly).

If you want to push the 3DS Max aspect, rendering should be much more fluid and less-taxing than on laptop counterparts.


My brother used whichever list was fairly large. But still, he had better performance with his 3.5 release than virtually any other build of Dolphin (withstanding the Fire Emblem 9, which seem to have worked better with older versions around the 1.6 mark).

Current laptop specs

Lenovo Ideapad Y570
CPU - Sandy Bridge Core i7 2670QM 2.2 to 3.1 GHz
GPU - nVidia GeForce GT555M 1 GB GDDR5
RAM - 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333
HDD - 500 GB Toshiba

I got a laptop a year ago for portability since it's not practical to bring a desktop to my parent's house on the weekends or at school, but, I seemed to have made an asinine decision, something that I can't undo at this point in time. Not to mention this particular Lenovo series is infamous for mediocre heat dissipation (the bad job they did applying thermal paste didn't help, but has since been rectified). Laptops are convenient for on the go, schoolwork and so on, but desktops irrefutably last longer on average, are easily replaceable/upgraded and are less prone to heating issues, provided the chassis you get is well-ventilated and free of dust. After having created this thread, there is a fair amount of things I learned or had reinforced as to what I need to decide when buying the parts to a custom machine. Heat alone is a major determining factor in wanting to build one; sure, I can't avoid heat completely, but I can make sure it doesn't become an issue. The CPU being a Core i7 doesn't help the heat, neither does having a mid-range mobile GPU.

 

[Celice]

(I will trade you my AMD Phenom II X3 N830 2.1 GHz triple-core laptop that has no overheating issues)

 

[the_randomizer]

(I will trade you my AMD Phenom II X3 N830 2.1 GHz triple-core laptop that has no overheating issues)

Nah, it's fine, I'll keep the laptop, I mean, I already spent the money, and I might as well live with my asinine decision. Thanks though. Based off the specs I listed (the laptop vs future desktop), I'd say I'll have no issue running most PS2/Gamecube games (among other programs) yes?

I'm more of an Intel kinda guy to be honest.

 

[Celice]

Like I said earlier, you should be much better off emulating things than you are now, as most of the emulators I've tried put far more emphasis on the CPU than GPU. However, you will inevitably run into game-specific problems that you may be able to manually fix through tweaks/separate builds of the emulator, or will have to put up with.

For what it's worth, youmight be able to run BSNES comfortably now XD

 

[the_randomizer]

Like I said earlier, you should be much better off emulating things than you are now, as most of the emulators I've tried put far more emphasis on the CPU than GPU. However, you will inevitably run into game-specific problems that you may be able to manually fix through tweaks/separate builds of the emulator, or will have to put up with.

For what it's worth, you might be able to run BSNES comfortably now XD

Most excellent indeed. Glad to hear it! I'll also be able to run Skyrim, Splinter Cell Conviction, etc at more acceptable framerates too.

 

[trumpet-205]

You definitely can run bsnes/higan smoothly. I ran a couple GBA games (which are even more demanding than SNES in LLE) at full speed just fine.

 

[the_randomizer]

You definitely can run bsnes/higan smoothly. I ran a couple GBA games (which are even more demanding than SNES in LLE) at full speed just fine.

Good, now I'll no longer complain about the system requirements The last piece that concerns me is the mid ATX case for a no. of reasons. One, cable management, two plastic clips instead of screws (which is bad for my GPU and holding it in place), and three, a nice interior. Oops, and airflow. Any recommendations?

 

[Originality]

...what's wrong with the Antec 900 you originally picked?

 

[the_randomizer]

...what's wrong with the Antec 900 you originally picked?

Aesthetically, the internals don't match the case color, as the inside painted at all, it looks mismatched. It's not the worst thing, but it would be nice if it matched the black casing. Light grey coloring to the black case looks weird to me. That and I'm not sure if there are screws to hold the GPU but might be plastic clips instead, which I heard isn't the best for bulky GPUs like the GTX 660.

The lack of internal paint looks way too off to me

It doesn't match the chassis at all

If you see the internal paint here http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119194 It's black and not grey/bland.

 

[Originality]

Weird. The first 2 versions kept the internal paint. I wonder when/why they took it out.

If you could stretch your budget, I would go for the SilverStone Raven RV03

 

[the_randomizer]

Weird. The first 2 versions kept the internal paint. I wonder when/why they took it out.

If you could stretch your budget, I would go for the SilverStone Raven RV03

I can do that. Newegg is out of stock, but Tigerdirect has it, so does Amazon, so I can get from either retailer. Not sure why the older cases had the paint, but not this one. Oh, well Only problem is they're full tower, but I'm trying to go for mid-ATX if possible.

 

[Originality]

Fun fact, the Raven series are rotated 90 degrees. What used to be the back panel is actually on the top of this case. Also the fans use linear airflow, from bottom to top. This make for more effective cooling than some other cases (my Antec 1200 still has superior cooling, but its a monster of a case).

 

[the_randomizer]

Fun fact, the Raven series are rotated 90 degrees. What used to be the back panel is actually on the top of this case. Also the fans use linear airflow, from bottom to top. This make for more effective cooling than some other cases (my Antec 1200 still has superior cooling, but its a monster of a case).

Right, but since I live in a complex, room isn't quite as ample as I'd like it to be, so getting a mid-ATX tower would be best for my situation...sorry for not specifying. Crap. I need to rephrase my question, are there any mid ATX towers that are painted inside, have good cooling and will allow me to securely install a GPU? I'm willing to go anywhere from $100 to $150 if need be. I just want a cool case, but from a reputable brand. I know I'm probably not being reasonable and overbearing.

 

[Originality]

Well the short answer is that there are many cases that meet your requirements. I only bring up suggestions from my short list because I've already used them and know just how effective they are. Otherwise, try doing a quick search for yourself, see if any meet your aesthetic tastes (with the specs to match) and post your findings here for comments.

And yes, I know this is a lazy cop-out, but I only do this with cases because they are so diverse that its often more rewarding for people to find their own case (or, in some extreme cases, build their own).

 

[Rydian]

Yeah, as long as the case you get is big enough, has good airflow, and won't fall apart, it'll work.

I got a cheap off-brand case, and the panels flex, one of the bay covers broke and such, but it still works. XD

 

[the_randomizer]

Well the short answer is that there are many cases that meet your requirements. I only bring up suggestions from my short list because I've already used them and know just how effective they are. Otherwise, try doing a quick search for yourself, see if any meet your aesthetic tastes (with the specs to match) and post your findings here for comments.

And yes, I know this is a lazy cop-out, but I only do this with cases because they are so diverse that its often more rewarding for people to find their own case (or, in some extreme cases, build their own).

Will do, and with so many brands/models there's bound to be several that match my needs; I'll post a few for you guys to look at

Yeah, as long as the case you get is big enough, has good airflow, and won't fall apart, it'll work.

I got a cheap off-brand case, and the panels flex, one of the bay covers broke and such, but it still works. XD

Gotcha, I'll post my findings momentarily

Spoiler

Perhaps it's me reading too far into it, but why do I get the impression that I'm not only wasting your guys' time, but that I come across as being a noob with seemingly trivial questions?

 

[Rydian]

Maybe because we answer so non-chalantly?

But that's because we're nerds and we're used to this sort of thing.

 

[the_randomizer]

Maybe because we answer so non-chalantly?

But that's because we're nerds and we're used to this sort of thing.

Well, that makes sense then. Just wondering

List so far (will update over time)

Cooler Master HAF 922 RC-922M - $99.99

+ Side window for viewing
+ Black casing and internals made of steel
+ Hot-swapping HDD bays
+ 2 200 mm fans and 1 120 mm fan
- Cable management might be an issue
http://tinyurl.com/puebtn

Cooler Master Storm Enforcer SGC-1000-KWN1 - $79.99

+ Side window
+ Black casing and internal compartments
+ 120 mm fans in top, rear and front
+ CPU cooler support up to 175 mm and GPU up to 320 mm in length
- CPU cooler may conflict with certain RAM types
http://tinyurl.com/664ja2c

Corsair Carbide Series 500R Black $129.99
+ Black exterior/interior
+ 2 front 120 mm fans, 1 200 mm side fan, 1 rear 120 mm fan
- Cable management reportedly tricky
- No fans on top
http://tinyurl.com/3fbszrd

Corsair Vengeance Series C70 - $109.99
+ Sleek black internal/externals
+ 4 120 mm fans placed all over tower
- HDD mounts somewhat flimsy
- Weird holes on side
http://tinyurl.com/c3z5chq

Corsair Graphite Series 600T Silver - $169.99
+ Sleek black interior/exterior
+ 2 200 mm fans
+ Plenty of space for hardware
- Case prone to damage during delivery (?)
http://tinyurl.com/bnnh7jv

Cooler Master Storm Sniper SGC-6000-KXN1-GP - $139.99
+ 3 200 mm fans, 1 120 mm fan
+ PCI slots easy to use
+ Very sturdy design
- Handle requires two hands
- Cheap-feeling HDD bays
http://tinyurl.com/m48vb6

Thermaltake Armor Reveo VO800M1W2N - $129.99
+ 2 120 mm fans, 1 140 mm fan
+ Fan speed controls
+ Very sturdy design
+ Has screws and not clips
Can't think of anything negative
http://tinyurl.com/aawsz9g

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

Maybe because we answer so non-chalantly?

But that's because we're nerds and we're used to this sort of thing.

Used to of course... lol I used to work for Dell doing tech support... I have heard stupid questions the_randomizer's don't even come close to sounding stupid. lol

If anything I think he knows 90% of it and is just looking for confirmation on the last 10%, hardcore noobs know 10% and want confirmation on 10%... lol

 

[the_randomizer]

Used to of course... lol I used to work for Dell doing tech support... I have heard stupid questions the_randomizer's don't even come close to sounding stupid. lol

If anything I think he knows 90% of it and is just looking for confirmation on the last 10%, hardcore noobs know 10% and want confirmation on 10%... lol

Gotcha, just needed a bit of validation is all. Updated my last post with a list of towers for anyone to look at btw.