Cheap and good mini-PCs for gaming?

Hello, everybody! I want to have a little mini-PC for gaming that operates like a console. I don’t want to have a big, clunky case in the back or front of the TV. Furthermore, I don’t play many AAA titles from recent years, so the hardware doesn’t need to be high-end. It would be nice if I could run Scarlet Nexus, Nier: Automata, and Horizon Zero Dawn at a stable 60 FPS. The graphics don’t need to be extreme; I just want to enjoy the game.

Also recommend some great distro’s for gaming.

HughJanus,

I realize you don’t want a “big clunky box” but you will make a variety of compromises for a mini-PC.

You can build a PC in a mini-ITX case (about the size of a shoe box) and get significantly better performance.

Otherwise, I have to agree with everyone else here, the SteamDeck is where it’s at. It’s just a ridiculously good value.

The new Lenovo Legion handheld looks promising also but it’s far too new to recommend.

gooeyglob,
@gooeyglob@lemmy.world avatar

As mentioned, Minisforum and Beelink make great APU-based Ryzen systems which are going to give a great bang-for-buck. Get them from Amazon vs their dedicated website as some folks have had shipping delqys with the OEM website. ETA Prime does great reviews on YouTube of these boxes and shows what the FPS is like on some current, a few years old, and retro games for each one.

If you want the smallest possible system, with room for one the smaller form factor discrete graphics cards I’d say the NUC 9 Extreme works very well. I have a GTX 1650 in it and it is perfectly fine.

Steam Deck with a usb c dock is also a great option.

PuppyOSAndCoffee,

Nintendo switch or steam deck

freeearth,

You can check ETA Prime on YT, there are tests of some small gaming PCs

IWantToFuckSpez,

NVidia Shield and a GeForce Now subscription. It is probably the smallest form factor you can get to play Nier and Horizon Zero Dawn at stable 60fps.

I have a Steam Deck and it can not play Horizon Zero Dawn at 60fps at least not at a graphics setting and resolution that looks decent. I have never hooked up my Deck to a TV but I can imagine that game would look horrible if I aim for 60fps.

RoboRay,
RoboRay avatar

I do exactly this with a SteamDeck and USB-C docking station... with the added bonus that I can pull it out of the dock and take it with me to use as a hand-held when I travel.

const_void, (edited )

us.starlabs.systems/pages/byte

system76.com/desktops/meerkat

www.tuxedocomputers.com/de/…/Alle-Systeme.tuxedo#…

Edit: rather than just downvote, reply and tell me why I’m “wrong”

AphoticDev,

As others have suggested, the Steam Deck fits your need. Get the cheapest model, because it’s cheaper to upgrade than it is to buy the top tier model. I did that, swapped out the SSD in like five minutes, and slapped on an etched glass screen protector.

Atemu,
@Atemu@lemmy.ml avatar

Choose two:

  • Cheap
  • Gaming PC
  • Small form factor

Btw, mATX boards and cases aren’t that large and usually cost the same or less than full ATX. Might be a good middle-ground.

GustavoM,
@GustavoM@lemmy.world avatar

Orange pi zero 3 is good enough for gaming if you lower your expectations and don’t mind switching between retrogaming and cloud gaming 24/7.

t. got a 1GiB one and its excellent for my use case.

Estebiu,
@Estebiu@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Nier: automata isn’t gonna run on that.

Sethayy,

cloud gaming they said

Estebiu,
@Estebiu@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

I reread the article but didnt find where they said that

Sethayy,

no no the comment you commented on for the orange pi running cloud gaming and retro

conciselyverbose,

It's good enough for retro emulation and nothing else.

lemonuri,

I would recommend to get a Fujitsu esprimo small form factor pc or a lenovo sff with an i5 6500 cpu. They sell used for less that 100 euros. Get a half size gpu (gtx 1650 or 1050 ti or amd rx 6400). And you will have a perfect pc for gaining in 1080p in your living room on the cheap. Those pcs are a good compromise for speed and size, any smaller and they will get way too hot. Also these are well build office PCs, that will run very quiet.

I would recommend pop_os as a distro. Its made for gaining and I use it as my daily driver.

Frederic,

I’d say a bee-link, a SER7 or GTR7, check their specs www.bee-link.com/catalog/product/index?id=485

Kidplayer_666,

I heard Minisforum does some cool stuff with mini PCs. Might be worth to look into

zitronen,

I have one and it’s very nice.

nickwitha_k,

Steam Deck is my recommendation. If you want to use it with your TV, grab a dock, and Bluetooth controller (Sony Dualsense works great). Bonus: Runs Linux out of the box. Double bonus: Actually remotely affordable, unlike a high-end gaming rig.

n0cturnali,
@n0cturnali@lemmy.world avatar

Cannot recommend steam deck enough. Full-on console experience with your entire steam library. Proper PS/Xbox controller support as well as M/K. Can boot into Linux directly for tweaks. They also just started selling refurbished devices with full warranty.

simple,

Not sure about Mini-PCs, but Nobara is a great distro for gaming. It has everything set up and great defaults for gaming, I’ve been using it for the past ~2 months.

HughJanus,

Have you tried Chimera?

simple,

No, but that’s more of a distro for a console-like experience, it’s not intended to be used on desktop PCs.

HughJanus,

Yes it is. It’s a distro specifically designed for gaming. So if you’re just gaming and nothing else, that’s probably the best one.

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • linux@lemmy.ml
  • khanakhh
  • magazineikmin
  • osvaldo12
  • GTA5RPClips
  • mdbf
  • Youngstown
  • tacticalgear
  • slotface
  • rosin
  • kavyap
  • ethstaker
  • everett
  • thenastyranch
  • DreamBathrooms
  • megavids
  • InstantRegret
  • cubers
  • normalnudes
  • Leos
  • ngwrru68w68
  • cisconetworking
  • modclub
  • Durango
  • provamag3
  • anitta
  • tester
  • JUstTest
  • lostlight
  • All magazines
    •