PC and Dual Screen Video Card for Mini ITX Case Build

General Discussion
1

I could use some help on selecting pc components - Any recommendations on a couple options that would enable me to have very good to excellent graphics with the following parameters:

  • Would like to build pc with mini itx case form factor
  • Need a video card with dual hdmi output (or easily converted to hdmi) going into a 50" 4K TVs
  • video can be 1080p, if 4K cost is excessive
  • aiming to use box solely for zwift and streaming (sometimes simultaneously)

Appreciate any advice…

2

Have a read of this for an indication of the basics: Zwift on PC: The Ultimate Guide to Running Zwift at Its Very Best | Zwift Insider

But you might as well go for older parts, especially given the current climate on new components. Haswell (4th gen Intel) is the sweet spot.

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Thanks! I will take a look at the specs in this guide as well as investigate the haswell i7 version to save some coin.

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Don’t waste your money, an i3 is plenty. Though an i5 will be useful if streaming.

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Thanks for the input. I am planning on streaming and appreciate the zwift article for outlining the cards that will make it shine.

I am unclear on how the work is divided between cpu and gpu though. For streaming and zwift, wouldn’t most of the processing by on the videocard?

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In Zwift, GPU always determines the detail level (automatically) and frame rate is based on its power considering the resolution chosen, with 4K requiring substantially more juice than the rest. However when in a big group ride or busy area you rapidly run into a CPU bottleneck where an RTX 3090 wouldn’t do any better than a GTX 1650 Super. You need to spend a small fortune on a very fast CPU to maintain 60fps in these scenarios, and the money is better spent on an adaptive sync display.

Streaming I’m less familiar with but uses the encoder on the GPU primarily, though more CPU resource is better hence why more cores are recommended. Zwift itself doesn’t need them in the slightest, it’s happy on a dual core.

PS: check your PMs.

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Thanks Dave - Excellent advice to figure out the cost/benefit of various configurations of cpu and gpu power.

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