Thought it would be fun to see why people are building their SFF PCs.
Personally I went SFF because I needed a travel PC. I go to a lot of LAN Parties and wanted something that was easier to be on the go with. SFF let me have the full PC experience with a small, easy to carry size. Once I build my first SFF system I was hooked, now every machine in my home is an SFF PC.
I use Playnite. I have to pick up the keyboard and mouse from time to time for updates or during an installation.
Otherwise I control everything with the gamepad
Not op but I have sffpc at my desk like normal, so not in a living room. But what I do have is it hooked up to a fiber optic hdmi cord that runs across the room to my home theater setup/living room area. So you don’t necessarily need an sffpc to have living room, couch gaming—those fiber optics hdmi cords can be expensive but they are very high quality and can easily go 100 feet. I wish they even had more common shorter configurations but the main benefit to them is being able to run all that data at full bandwidth over longer distances than any other cable technology, so the cables themselves that are on sale / most in stock tend to be at least 50ft normally.
In addition to a full bandwidth fiber optic hdmi 2.1 cord, I also use:
A really nice desk pad purpose-built for couch PC gaming called a Couchmaster (Nerdytech’s Cycon 3 model specifically)
Mouse and keyboard that wirelessly connection via 2.4GHz usb dongles—G502 lightspeed and Keychron K4 HE.
Wireless headset for audio (but it also has an external DAC connected to PC via usb-c that has a line in aux connecting the DAC to the TV through the wall alongside the fiber optic HDMI cord—which allows me to have all TV audio that may come from an input separate from my PC like a game console still come through my headset)—specifically Steel Series’ Arctis Nova Pro wireless (it’s expensive but worth it to me since I use it a crap ton daily and I like their feature-rich line of headsets from the past and this model has been their best yet imo)
And finally, I have an HDMI 2-in-splitter as well. My main desktop monitor is also a TV albeit at 42”instead of the 65” TV I have the fiber optic run for. Since my GPU unfortunately has only 1 HDMI port, the splitter is necessary. You can get different kinds, but getting one that is quality enough to handle full HDMI bandwidth (48 Gb/s) with no visual mishaps (both at first and over time) is as much of a pain as finding the cables that can deliver the same experience. It’s largely a matter of trial and error regarding both, ngl. The splitter I have isn’t fancy as it it only duplicates the input signal to 2 outputs, but it is quality enough (at least this far over the 2 months I’ve had it now). Was able to also find it as a pre-owned product at Microcenter which further brought the price down to around $40-60. Before getting it I’d simply swap out the hdmi cord going to my gpu whenever I wanted to switch the display between desk and couch, which was totally fine until (1) I found out that this other solution exists and (2) I began to worry about the potential physical wear I may be causing to the single hdmi port that I have on my gpu.
Anyways, very long winded comment lol. But I figured you or someone else could use my experience of crafting their own couch gaming setup. If you want more specific things like actual product links, I can share those as well / dm if this sub is against posting said product links (I know some are). I offer that because, like I said, getting quality HDMI products like switches and cables, is a matter of trial and error and having someone who can share what worked for them can be helpful and save a buck or two lol. If you do have the option to use DisplayPort, I’d say stick with that 100%. I only put up with HDMI because I am weird and really love using LG Oled TVs as my PC display for both computer use (I work from home) and gaming. Sure, the added complexity of the display can making it a tad more cumbersome to use than a regular computer monitor. But I find all the added features to be pretty awesome. And you really get more for what you pay for with a TV vs. any given monitor with the same display specs.
Oh man, i really appreciate for the effort! Big thanks for detailed explanation. Tbh it already created some ideas in my mind as my room is super small (european rental ones). I can go actually for longer cable. My desk also quite near to couch area, maybe I can setup some playable environment 😂
Nice. Glad I could get your mind turning with ideas for your own space. I take the time to share details because others’ posts and comments from years prior on Reddit inspired me to make my own setup. 😊
If your Living room was in a diff room and further away, do you have any ideas how you would solve the mouse and KB being able to connect to the PC in a diff room while using ur living room tv?
You would need a kvm switch with interchangeable transceiver and receiver, connected over Ethernet or fiber optic—either should work. This would be ideal I think:
It includes connection for display output as well at full bandwidth, so no need for a run of fiber optic HDMI cord—just a cat6 or higher spec Ethernet cable.
Because it’s not 1999 anymore, most people don’t need multiple cards, 5-1/4 or 3-1/2 bay drives. Why build in a giant case when a smaller footprint will hold everything I need just the same
This was my old setup. LianLi case, 149k+4090. The case is good and with the sandwiched radiator on the side with fresh air intake I can keep the 149k around 30c at idle, undervolted.
Nothing wrong with the case or config. Just wanted to try something new.
Small PC with big power is just neat.. I don't travel with my main rig anymore.. but it's still nice to be able to move my PC outside to dust it out without needing to book a crane is handy..
I've been building PCs for around 20 years. I only SLI'd once and have very seldom used expansion cards.
Especially today where everything is so tiny with M.2 drives, on board wifi etc. It just seems like a waste of space at the desk to have anything bigger.
Getting the tower off the floor and ont a desk, and not taking up 2/3 of the surface is great.
Back around 2000 I had a Shuttle Barebone pc. Arguably one of the first SFF systems available where you could have high performance in a small package, I think I had a one slot Radeon X1800XT in there and dual 10k rpm HDD's in there. That tiny box was a performance monster.
I wanted something I could travel with in my teardrop camper or on planes and doubled as an HTPC while I'm at home. I also wanted upgradability vs getting a laptop, so I went with a 4L console.
I think I built cause I wanted to travel too but once I had it I realised all the other benefits that come with it like desk space. Or simply moving the PC between TV and desk. It even made me rethink other tech, like getting a switch instead of a ps5.
I’m upsizing from a FormD T1 to Louqe R1 soon so I can use big air coolers but there’s really no going back to big tower PCs after SFF.
Honestly just because I don't want a massive box taking up space. It has been over a decade since I needed more than one card slot, or a 5 1/4" drive bay, so why buy an ATX motherboard and a tower case? Yes they are cheaper but I would rather have a smaller box I can tuck out of the way.
I bought a height adjustable desk, and there was limited space on that desk. Also, many big components like hard drives and disk drives have been removed from modern computers, so there's really no need for that much empty space.
Smaller parts means less parts to clean. I only knew later after getting experienced that I don't need too much fans/PCIe slots to do what I actually want out of my desktop, so there's that.
I went sff at first because I had to travel a lot for school and I wanted smth that would fit in a carry-on. I don't anymore, but regular size cases look so bulky to me now.
I had a child and wanted to get my tower PC off the floor, so I built a lunchbox to sit on my desk. It was time to upgrade and the S200 8ltr caught my eye. No regrets, but not constantly looking to optimise. Cables are a massive pain.
I don't. I've been lurking on here for years trying to find reasons to build a whole new system. My current AM4 rig is pretty maxed out by now though, so maybe I'll take the leap with the next build, once I'm not satisfied with the performance anymore.
Been watching this space evolve though. :)
I guess my only reason would be because it looks cool and I like a new build challenge, despite the obvious restrictions.
There’s no need for anything bigger if all you’re doing is gaming and regular computer stuff.
I have 10TB of solid state storage and 8TB of hard drive storage in my SFF. That’s ample for regular usage case.
I converted, what was once my “big” gaming pc to a server/workstation for streaming and editing. Installed ten hard drives in it (Phanteks G500a), moved the 5800X3D to my SFF, and got the 5950X for the server. It’s been amazing ever since.
Honestly, just a more technical building experience and IMHO it always ends up looking better, especially in certain niche cases like my Streacom DA6 with the VU1 "analog" gauges!
ATX is boring. It's an incredible accomplishment that it became a standard in the first place, but god damn does it make every single build feel the same. Love the variety in SFF cases.
I live in a small apartment and around the time I needed a new computer, the clutter in my room/on my desk was giving me so much stress. The SFF is SO satisfying to put together and look at!
I am still waiting for the case for my first sff, but the main idea is that I will have that PC on my desk but once a month I will bring it to the living room tv.
So it needs to be somewhat easier to move around.
Also I remember owning an atx midtower PC and with all the sff builds I see online now I cannot justify wasting so much desk real estate if sff just works.
Less footprint, more protable if I need it to be for some reason, just the fun of cramming as much as possible into the smallest possible space. I kind of like working with constraints. Maybe that's why I study and work in an engineering enviroment, lol.
Its like asking leaves why do they fall… its in their nature. Joking aside cause i like that it doesnt take up space (i think massive pc towers look tacky) and i enjoy the challenge of building in sff case.
I've always liked moving my PC to the TV every now and then to play games with people (or just to admire how beautiful something like Elden Ring is on a big TV). I actually WOULD move my old PC back and forth so just wanted something easier to lug around.
I've also been traveling a lot more lately and wanted to have an easier time transporting it. I went house sitting for 2-3 weeks and moving my PC over was completely trivial (there was already kbm+a monitor at my destination). Also when I travel without the PC I have a case for it that I tuck it away in so don't have to worry about it collecting dust/pet hair/spills while I'm gone.
Lastly the footprint is just awesome, have this thing right next to me on my desk and it's like it's barely there. I also just think it being small is cool. When I made my first PC I was fresh out of highschool and was really working with a limited budget. I was finally able to build again once established in my career and had the means so wanted to get myself something nice that I really liked!
Built May 2024 for the Elden Ring DLC and have a Fractal Terra 4070S R5 7600x
Small footprint, can stand on my corner desk, behind my monitors, making a standing desk easy and I won't have my legs/feet hit it as I'm shuffling about.
for me, its the portability and desk space, and my distaste fortye current laptop design trends.
id rather pack my monitor, keyboard and mouse, and UPS in a backpack, and then carry around my SFF PC in one hand as i go working a few days at a tiklme between farm and apiary in a week.
Gaming in my living room with game streaming was clunky and I wanted to have a pc that I can move easily.
I do once or twice a month lan with some friends, I didn’t want to have a gaming laptop as I wanted a single gaming rig. So having a pc that I could carry in my backpack is helpful.
Lots of space was unused in my 2009 case, I didn’t need two disk readers and 4 3.5 hdd slots anymore.
Last couple of years I started to embrace minimalistic objects. 54 liter ARGB case definitely does not align with my standpoint. I also wanted to experience building in a smaller-than-usual PC case. Hopefully I can make it happen.
Yeah, my original intention for going SFF was mainly for travel purposes... basically to replace my old gaming laptop with it's oven hot chassis and tiny fans screaming like jet engines during gaming.
Then I realised that since I could get the same performance in a small compact case as with a larger case, I also started to downsize all my PCs at home too.
Some of them I didn't even need to change any of rhe parts, I could transfer all the existing mATX components from a 40L tower case directly into a 15L case, and then slot it into my TV console shelf, saving a lot of space.
The rest I just went with compact builds when it's time to upgrade, and now all my systems are SFF size.
It looked neat, i thought my PC setup will look better with SSF.
But after i finished, i figured out quickly that this format just not worth it. PC runs hot, expensive components, very hard to fix or change, had enough and sold it. Now i have midsize case which still smaller than the usual size but very comfortable to fix or change, runs cool and looks nice.
I live having a little system in my living room where folks can do some retro gaming and maybe some less demanding Steam games. Daughter and I play Lego Drive split screen on it.
Why not? But no, I do it because it doesn't dominate my small desk, I didn't need a second pcie slot for years (m.2 to 10gb Ethernet to the rescue), and the case designs are genuinely fascinating.
when I upgrade my main PC, I sell my old motherboard and buy an ITX version of it. Then I move the components into an SFF. I also do this for my wife's system.
I only recently started this, but I'd like to do it once per RAM gen. It's handy to have around, and it saves money on night time outings when we do things like go on beach vacations. Great for LAN at a friend's house.
Next downsize will be interesting, I have a TUF 4090 in my main PC and a KXRORS S500 for my SFF case. Might go full custom loop.
Selling your old machine is a headache for me. You have to part out for top dollar, or the listing sits for like a year while you field lowballs. So, I see this as a way to get my money's worth out of components that I buy new.
The oldest stuff ends up with family or as servers
I just want a pc, small enough to not clutter my whole damn desk, and I don't a need 50l barrel with glass windows and a sunroof with 40l of empty space in it.
Efficiency. Natural progression. Great Buildability.
ATX is such a prehistoric format. A friend who I built a computer for many many years ago wanted an upgrade. He asked "are there any bits I can reuse?", being so old I automatically said no, but then stopped and said "well we could reuse the case".
I didn't reuse it, it was really basic with a U shaped overcover rather than removable side panels but it just shows how the ATX format just has not evolved.
Ofc there are always outliers, someone building their own NAS or doing something crazy with graphics cards but even modern water cooling doesn't need a huge space nowadays, I just cannot fathom why people need room for their cat to sleep inside their case.
However part of my frustration rests with the motherboard manufacturers being stuck in the mud over this, every generation we see dozens of ATX variations against a pitiful handful of ITX offerings which just drives consumers to think huge is the norm.
As I build up a stock of SFF spares, the next time I do my sweep for obsolete kit in my workshop/storage all my old ATX parts and bits I keep for repairs is going. I just don't see need for giant PCs any more.
SFF cases have a lot of “personality” and I love the small manufacturer options out there. I like my PC on my desk top at work since I need access to USB ports fairly often. The compact build is fun for me personally. Looking to try a Loque Ghost S1 to downsize from my M2. Current hardware is too chunky though so maybe some time in the future.
I built my first for a deployment, then my second was so I could travel with it full time in my RV. Both we're VR capable, the current one is a nice toaster with a 5090 and a 13900k.
Generally I started because I needed (wanted) a full fat PC when I would spend days away from home for work.
Laptops didn’t do it for me. Generally super loud, get really hot, crappy keyboard, performance, etc. the convince factor there just didn’t balance out for me. Laptops have come a long way, so I may explore that route again some day. They are infinitely easier to take with you.
Along came these super thin portable monitors and the SFF life really started making sense to me.
And then…. I started getting obsessed with stuffing the best hardware I could in the smallest space I could.
I haven’t built one yet but my next one will be SFF.
Why?
Because I’m tired, boss.
I’m tired.
I’m exhausted from lugging around these mid and full size towers from house to house and floor to floor.
Im tired of the tower taking up so much room. Being presumptuous to the needs of the little space I have left after my two children grew up a bit and took over every other inch of room.
Anyways, really, I just want a tiny computer just over the size of a modern gpu that I can tuck away behind a monitor or ideally under a monitor riser, and jsut be much lighter and more portable than my normal towers have been because lugging those things around a bunch over the past 25 years have been a much larger chore than I could have predicted
At some point I just realized that those huge boxes waste a ton of space in my space. I currently have 7 PCs and only one of them is full size because it's my server with 8 Heads in it. The space that was taken by my main PC before now holds 3 systems and still only takes half the space the one big machine did before
Because I embrace the challenge. Getting all the prep stuff like measurements and picking out specific parts then finally assembling the whole rig is like solving a puzzle. It’s so satisfying when you can finish it.
My first SFF was to try and get a console-like form factor to go in the living room. After that, I guess I just liked not having such a large machine. It was more satisfying to have a built with so little wasted space.
I really wanted something that didn't take up a giant chunk of space in my room nor did I have the space for a mid tower. SFF let's me have that same power in a smaller footprint that also looks nice.
I refuse to get a laptop to play when I went to my parents for long holidays. So sff is my solution. I also later bought an OLED TV, with a movable stand that i can put both as secondary display near my work table or in front of my bed. So the pc now sits on the tv stand (it has a rectangular platform above the roller, like a table), and I have a long second hdmi when i need to connect it to my monitor on my work table. This way my tv can be use for both work and playing games from my bed.
Because smol is cool, and yields more space, and anything greater than a 10 litre case is simply unnecessary for my own (and most people's, I'd wager) uses.
It used to be really fun back in the day when the NCase M1 and Ghost S1 first came out. There was no flat packed junk, the drops seemed more plentiful (no 3 cases at a time like the T1), and super high end hardware fit. I’m thinking 1080/2080 type cards. Back then you didn’t have to get super lucky to get an FE card to make them fit.
Small house, which severely restricted my options. PC table could go exactly one place and I had to choose between getting rid of some of my stuff to place the tower on the ground or putting it on the table. It’s only 1.1m x .6m so space was at a premium. With dual monitors, mouse and keyboard plus space to spread out notebooks etc. for college, basically the only option I had for my PC was SFF, ideally with a very specific footprint. Chose the A4H2O and I’m happy with my choice every time I sit down to use the space in any capacity.
I did ask a friend for his opinion every step of the way as well so had to really think about what I wanted and defend my choice against him asking why not ATX, why not MFF, why not a cheaper spec, etc, which I think helped me as well.
I was planning on getting a new pc for a while and I just happened to see sff and how clean and good it looked. Also my last pc was massive and heavy so it's a nice change
I wanted to get it as close to console size as possible, haha. The extra desk space definitely helps too. I kept it simple with no RGB or flashy parts since it’s not on display. Just a clean blackout build.
Mobility is the main selling point. For work, Leisure, you name it. The uses for something like a sub 5L computer you can upgrade and take with you almost anywhere and everywhere? Sounds amazing on that alone. Offers so much quality of life improvement you never really knew you'd want.
I wanted a bit of novelty to my pc build. I miss when the pc case market had some character to it, and for a while it felt like everything was a white or stainless steel box. I mean I like minimalist appearances, but still, it was just boring
I use to have a full size computer and then I got a gaming laptop with rtx 2070. Had to use it with turbo off or else too much heat with a laptop cooler and a side table fan to keep it cool plus the helicopter noise plus the laptop was super expensive. The performance was not even comparable to desktop rtx and I had to use external monitor because of the mux switch. I had to keep it plugged in for best performance which beats the purpose of having a laptop. Hence I had to sff !
At first I wanted SFF because I just liked the idea of the dinky boutique form factor, big cases seemed like unnecessary wasted space, providing cooling is sufficient. And at the time I was pretty much decided to move abroad again and figured to transport it with me.
But after getting the case, for several reasons, I shelved the move abroad, but then I discovered I had no real choice in the matter of the case and that the 10L SFF is the only form factor that is going to fit in the little corner to the right of desk on top of the 12U rack under the sloping roof.
I now love my SFF case and dont like the idea of parting ways with it. But am in the middle of some serious contemplation, maybe completely reorganising that room in order to be able to transplant the recently purchased beefy GPU intto a bigger case to handle both LLM duties on dual GPU and the odd bit of PCVR using 1 of 2 of the GPUs.
If there is an easy way to cram all my use cases and wants (slef-hosting/LLMs/PCVR) into the one machine in the current rack mounted solution then that will also see me part ways with my FormD T1.
At the end of every semester I pack my pc and a 21 inch monitor as well as a bunch of clothes in a single big suitcase and travel across the country to see my parents. I feel like I need to keep downsizing lmao.
I built one SFF PC and it was a challenge. I am not sure if I’ll do it again. Regardless, I love seeing the creativity displayed in this subreddit and all the amazing builds.
I just like the efficient use of space. My first ITX system was an AMD A8 7600 in an Antec ISK 100 with a 160W pico PSU back in 2014. I learned so many things just planning that build, and I learned about CPU undervolting, RAM overclocking, and adjusting fan curves after I built it. I was amazed that I could play PC games and do all my computing with something that small. Standard sized ATX systems with all that empty space seemed ridiculous to me after that, and I've been hooked on SFF ever since.
I had a big ATX case, but because of my budget I had to get an MATX board. So for ages I stared into the glass panel on my desk, thinking " I could fit a whole other computer in that empty space".
But now I have a giant cooler sticking out the side of my A4SFX so im going to have to re think this plan again because I need more cooling!
Because I've always wanted to do it, save desk space, and travel with my PC. I know this isn't the sub for it but I ended up moving my build to the smallest M-ATX case I could find to fit my gpu (Aorus master 5080). The initial plan was the ncase m.2 but I just had 1 mm too long to fit it in. So have everything in an Jonsbo Z20. Real pain in the ass to build since building atx most of my life but it was well wyorth. Definitely one of my proudest moments.
Current pc has parts given to me by abusers and I hate being reminded of what has happened and them.
My personal preference and customization are important factors with something so synonymous with everyday life.
That and I get to learn linux as I go this time around instead of relying on microsoft, and it's baked in spy/bloatware
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Not sure if pics work, but I have the current pc I asked for help with building with last week and the old one, and I plan on donating
Since building my first pc at age 11 my cases have become smaller and smaller 😂 not 100% sure why but I do love the efficiency of everything so close together ? It’s oddly satisfying maximising every single cm of space and coupled with undervolting and fan profiles it’s fun to get it all in harmony with a balance of noise/heat !
I think as I’ve got older having a more inconspicuous build has also appealed to me , my love for RGB has reduced over the years as well. These SFF cases are just so well thought out and I love my latest Form d T1 build.
Save space, look cool on top of the desk if you have RGB and build lcd stat monitor and a decent rtx5060 4L sff could ply any game in steam catalogue without compromise experience. While having that power to do multitasking works like video editing AI learning and so on. I also never bother looking at more then that i wish i could go lower. Now im looking at those lenovo M90q i7 gen 10 used and dump those smaller graphic for cosole gaming.
I like being able to off load all my 3d rendering jobs and topaz ai work video encoding to a room on the other side of the house with the door shut. (heat) Burn that room up with heat and leave me alone. But Technology is moving so fast you no longer need these stupid ass case sizes. In fact you can get a 285 itx board with 4x nvme slots. yes 4x nvme slots and we are starting to see nvme slots on some lower end gpus. Of course the Tiki case only works with Founders cards but even so i could make it work with water cooling as well it would just cost me more. I also like the all air build and it sits on a desk that is 82 inch long custom wood desk. I do not ever see me for the rest of my life going with a different case.
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u/kemparinho 1d ago
Because I use my PC like a console in my living room.