Cheap (SFF) prefabs without GPUs on ebay, is that still a thing?
Cheap (SFF) prefabs without GPUs on ebay, is that still a thing?
Hey all. I'm currently renovating my basement and have been thinking about finally creating a comfy couch gaming setup. One of the many options I've been mulling over, besides running Steam Link over ethernet (~ugh, that lag though!~ lag actually wasn't that bad, but for some reason I can't get Steam Link to adapt the screen resolution to my tv) and running a RUIpro HDMI cable through my walls from the tv to the rig in my office, is maybe moving my 3080TI into a new SFF build to serve as a PCMR steam console for the basement. Preferably something small and nondescript, yet powerful enough to comfortably drive my 3080TI. I would stick an xbox adapter in it, hook it up to ethernet and my 4K TV via HDMI and call it a day. Bonus points if it can double as a blu-ray player, because why not.
If I am going that route I would like to not spend too much, so I was wondering if maybe I could just pick up (from eBay) a prefab with a removed GPU, since that used to be a thing a year or two ago. Is that still a thing? And if so, can you recommend any specific models that would work well in my use case? Or did I miss the proverbial boat and am I better off just building a new SFF unit?
Any and all input appreciated!
Linus of LTT has his rig in a server cabinet and runs an optical thunderbolt cable to his desk. That's probably easier to pull through conduit than an HDMI cable, so it might work for you.
Oh, interesting! Did they do a video on it, do you know?
Edit: should have just looked myself, sorry. Seems like this is it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz_MPlRCbCQ Thanks again!
Not sure about latency but there's converters/extenders that allow you to run HDMI over ethernet also
Probably not a super helpful comment, but when was the last time you tried steam link, especially over Ethernet? Now I'm not playing any competitive, rhythm games or twitch shooters or anything but I've had 0 latency complaints. Either that or could give moonlight a shot for just two options that are free if you want to give them a shot.
Hey thanks, I appreciate it! I actually just tested it a few weeks ago. Bought an Apple TV (2022) for the occasion, figuring it would be one of the best SL clients to have, hooked it up to the ethernet and verified that the connection was good. Connection-wise it actually ran well, much better than feared.
My biggest gripe is that Steam Link does not seem to adapt my TV's native 4K resolution. Instead it uses the host's resolution (which in my case is a 5120x2160 UW). From what I could tell after some googling this is not easily fixable, unless you're willing to deal with fake HDMI dongles or software that changes resolution profiles. I tried it for a bit, but just couldn't get it to work properly and gave up. Also tried Moonlight with the Sunshine server app running, but ran into some issues there as well, though I can't quite remember what it was.
Oh gotcha, I just run standard 2k monitors with steam link to a (2016?) Nvidia sheild TV and never had issues. That's a fair point though, I think you can potentially get around that by changing the in-game resolution but then you would have to change it back when you're at your desktop so makes sense. Sorry I couldn't be more help here!
Just curious on your Steam Link issue, have you checked the "Change desktop resolution to match streaming client" checkbox on Steam? One of my computers is using a 2560×1080 monitor and we have it going to the Steam Link, it adjusts the resolution to 1080p to match the TV.
I've never tried with the 4k ranges I honestly cannot imagine the 100 mbs ethernet and cheap CPU could provide enough bandwidth without significant input delay. You might be alright with the SFF that can output your resolution and then using the Steam Link app for a beefier Steam Link.
Hey, thanks for reaching out, sorry for the late reply. I did check that box. But I still got the ratio for my ultrawide (21/9), meaning big black bars, so it just didn't seem to work for me. I might give it one more try in the weekend, steam link would be so much better than running cables in my walls or spending money on a separate rig.