The idea of having a PC inside a console-style box is nothing new. Moreover, it is an excellent idea for when we want to have a simple low-mid-range gaming PC or we simply do not have space to place a complete tower and we are not interested in a laptop. That is why we have made a compilation of the best mini-itx boxes in the form of a console.
The best Mini-ITX boxes with console format on the market
Here is a list of the best mini-ITX boxes with a console form factor that you can find right now on the market. Keep in mind that despite their form factor, not all these boxes are designed for gaming, so if you are interested in buying a desktop PC for your workspace and you don’t want something that takes up space, then they are also a good option.
That is why we have chosen three boxes whose specifications allow us to mount a graphics card inside and enjoy PC gaming without problems at a more than acceptable performance.
The mini-itx box with console aesthetics: Fractal Design Node 202
This is the box that most resembles a console that you are going to see in this article from the external point of view. Its dimensions are 125mm high x 385mm wide x 332mm deep. Supports power supplies up to 130mm in SFX format, CPU cooling can be up to 56mm high. All accompanied by dust filters in the CPU, GPU and power supply sections
Inside the box we can mount a mini-ITX board and it has a section to place the graphics card, which can be 310 mm long x 145 mm wide x 47 mm high, we can connect them to the same camera Two 120mm fans for better cooling. As for the Riser included as standard, it is of the PCI Express 3.0 type, so if you have a graphics card compatible with PCI Express 4.0 you will not be able to take full advantage
As for storage, it has two 2.5 slots that serve to connect two SSD hard drives inside, 2 USB 3.0 ports and mini-jacks for headphones and microphone separately on the front.
SilverStone ML08B, the best mini-ITX for playing in the living room
It is a series of console-style boxes that Silverstone brings us, which is sold in several different models, but all of them have the same basic specifications. Where they differ is in the presence of a grip, as you can see in the image above.
If we go to the specifications of the SilverStone and starting with the size of the case, we are facing a case of 380 mm wide, 87 mm high and 370 mm deep. As for the power supply, like the Fractal Design Node 202, it supports SFX-style power supplies.
As for expansion possibilities, we can put a graphics card up to 330 mm long, so we can mount an excellent gaming PC in this box. Regarding storage, we can choose to mount two 2.5 drives or replace one of them with a 3.5 drive to install a conventional hard drive. And to finish and like the Fractal Design Node 202 it has a hub on the front with two USB 3.0 ports of type A and two mini-jacks for microphone and speakers.
Thermaltake Core V1, for those looking for better cooling
Although this box is not in the shape of a console, we have considered it for the fact that it is a box designed for PCs based on mini-ITX boards that require better cooling than normal. So if you don’t like console-style boxes due to the fact that you want to mount a larger power supply or a more complex cooling system.
The Thermaltake Core V1 is intended for mini-ITX-type motherboards, but we can fit a 200mm PS2-style power supply and a better cooling system with a 120mm, 140mm or 200mm front fan on the front. front and 2 80mm at the rear. But, if we are interested in liquid cooling for our living room PC, we can place a 120 mm or 140 mm radiator on its front.
Its dimensions are 276 mm x 260 mm x 316 mm and it has 4 expansion bays, 2 of them for 2.5 units and another 2 for 3.5 units. However in order to install a GPU it has less space than the two options above, being limited to 255 mm or 285 mm in length, depending on the part in which we install it. So this limits our options in terms of the GPU that we can mount on it. And to finish, like the other two models it brings a front hub with 2 USB 3.0 ports of type A and 2 mini-jacks where, like the other two models, one is for a microphone and the other for headphones.
