Is Dr. Zaber Sentry the possible smallest case with full length video card and sfx power supply?

[quetzacoatlx]

If so, then It is still not possible to build a real "console killer" from standard PC parts.

The sentry is still too big comparing to the PS4 pro and Xxbox onexX. Even though there are smaller cases like the NFC S4 mini, but they need a power brick to drive a video card more powerful than those that with in the latest consoles, so the total volume is still larger.

 

[Curiosity]

Don't current gen consoles still use power bricks?

Edit:
Looking around it seems like the one x and PS4 pro don't, but the xbone did.

My customod Mini + brick is roughly 4.3L.
The xbone x is about 4.3L, and the PS4 pro is 5.3L.

 

[Kmpkt]

Yeah. I'm really not clear why a console killer needs a full length graphics card or an SFX power supply when there are much smaller alternatives readily available. If you're talking about readily available commercial cases, you can get an S4 Mini with an external brick that is easily as small as the current generation of consoles.

 

[ignsvn]

Volume wise, so far it seems Sentry is the smallest you have on the market. If you want to wait a bit longer then perhaps Firewolfy's MI-6 at 6.7 L (only ITX GPU, but as far as I know, at the moment, an ITX GTX 1070 is enough to "kill" any console).

Or perhaps you can make one.. we'll happily wait

 

[3lfk1ng]

What about the LZ7 @ 7.07L, it uses an SFX PSU.

 

[quetzacoatlx]

Volume wise, so far it seems Sentry is the smallest you have on the market. If you want to wait a bit longer then perhaps Firewolfy's MI-6 at 6.7 L (only ITX GPU, but as far as I know, at the moment, an ITX GTX 1070 is enough to "kill" any console).

Or perhaps you can make one.. we'll happily wait

I just want to make sure if it is possible to make a "small enough" powerful gaming PC from standard parts. Because I can hardly optimise the layout of the sentry to squeeze more space.

PS4 pro is 295×55×327 mm, but since it's not cuboid, the actual volume is less than 5L, and it doesn't need a brick.
Xbox one X is slightly larger than the Xbox one S, which is 4.4L, although whether it needs a brick is unknown.

The S4 mini is small enough by it self but if brick less (which means put the brick into the case) it can only support GTX1050, which is less powerful than the GPU of a PS4 pro, needless to say the Xbox one X.

 

[ignsvn]

What about the LZ7 @ 7.07L, it uses an SFX PSU.

I was about to suggest that, but it seems that Sentry is even smaller, so..

 

[Necere]

If so, then It is still not possible to build a real "console killer" from standard PC parts.

Depends what your criteria are. Size and/or cost? Probably not. Being able to customize virtually every aspect of a system lets you do things that just aren't possible when you need to support standard parts.

 

[quetzacoatlx]

Depends what your criteria are. Size and/or cost? Probably not. Being able to customize virtually every aspect of a system lets you do things that just aren't possible when you need to support standard parts.

OK course both the size and the performance. No doubt a thrreadripper 1950X + zenith extreme + GTX1080 Ti SLI would trample any console.

 

[ignsvn]

OK course both the size and the performance. No doubt a thrreadripper 1950X + zenith extreme + GTX1080 Ti SLI would trample any console.

Going SFF, eventually there will be compromise between size & performance - Sentry, S4, NCase, Dan-A4, LZ7 etc.. All have pros & cons.

And it's not going to be an easy decision. You see our logo

 

[BirdofPrey]

It's always going to be extremely tough to beat a fully custom machine using standardized modular components.

Standard components have to have specific size requirements to make sure everything is compatible, and the modularity of the components itself raises the volume of each by a small amount, so minimizing space takes a LOT of work and hardware gymnastics.

Things like laptops, and consoles are built from the ground up from specific components, that don't change, so they can guarantee a specific size and don't have to worry about compatibility. You might be able to get the same size if you built a custom case, but it's much harder for commercial cases to pull off since every mm they shave off might mean a certain CPU cooler or some GPUs no longer fit. You see a similar thing whenever someone gets the notion to build their own laptops, and it ends up in a suitcase because you don't have the freedom the engineer had to place every single component.

To be fair, though, at the moment, the size difference between the smallest cases with an internal PSU and the consoles that also have internal PSUs is very small.

 

[jtd871]

I just want to make sure if it is possible to make a "small enough" powerful gaming PC from standard parts. Because I can hardly optimise the layout of the sentry to squeeze more space.

I'd be surprised if you could get much smaller than the Sentry: @ZombiPL and co. spent months on that design. The plausible ways I can think of to go smaller (mSTX mobo wMxM) start seriously compromising the punch of the system without saving any money - probably will cost significantly more for similar performance in marginally less overall volume.

The reasons consoles are so cheap are:
1) Mass production (literally millions of units) so marginal unit costs are low, manufacturers can get significant volume discounts on bulk orders of components = economies of scale.
2) Hardware costs are subsidized by accessory, software and subscription sales (hardware is often still sold at a net loss despite the above, the console makers get a piece of every software and accessory unit sold + the ongoing subscription revenue)

 

[masteraleph]

I believe that Necere and wahaha360's respective proposed console style cases (which don't exist yet) would be slightly smaller, using Flex ATX. They also wouldn't allow a full length card, but the Zotac short 1080 and 1080ti would fit.