I am reposting this on behalf of time007 who asked the same question in a PM but I always feel the best builds come as a result of multiple people throwing around ideas and the end user finally deciding what works best for them. So without further ado...
Time007:
"For one reason or another (moving multiple times in the near future), I wanted to buy a Small Form Factor computer for GW2 gaming (be able to fit in a backpack as a carry-on or in a carry on piece of luggage). I'm not a major PC expert, but could you provide me with an up to date list of all the parts, case, etc I would need, so I can walk into a Fry's or Microcenter and give the guy there the list? (I saw some posts earlier, read some links, but most were from 2010, 2011, or early 2012 so I wanted to get an up to date list from you, since I read some of your postings and it seems you know what you are talking about.
The 2 requirements are
1. The computer be able to fit into a backpack due to travelling (don't worry about the monitor)
2. Be around 1000 - 1500. The 1500 is a hard figure and I'd aim to keep it around 1000 (I know how PC building can get out of hand hehe, so i dont want to start upgrading and going into the 1500+ range.
I know the most important thing for gaming computers are video card, memory, harddrive, and processor, but beyond that I'd be at the mercy of you and the guy at Fry's Electronics/Microcenter. So this is why i wanted to ask someone knowledgeable about SFFs and gaming, so I make sure I'm getting the right case, parts etc just in case i get someone at Fry's who doesnt know as much. Thanks! (if this will take you too long, any info you could provide me would be great and help ful) "
The first thing I would suggest to anyone moving into the SFF realm is deciding just how small they are comfortable going? While not the only two companies by a large margin when it comes to SFF I find that both Lian Li and Silverstone have a GREAT selection of computer cases to choose from so I recommend you check out those first. Please be aware they do tend to be more expensive than other available brands but that also typically (not always) comes across in their quality. One of your requirements is that is must fit in a backpack and depending on the size of the backpack you are referring to the majority of micro ATX and nearly all mini ITX based cases will meet that need.
If I were planning on building a highly portable (meaning I actually intended to move it around quite often) yet still very powerful gaming machine this is the case I would most likely consider:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112348
When if first released it had some negative reviews regarding thermal temps while using high end cards, however the reason most end users are giving great reviews (5 eggs overall) is because they are using current generation GPUs which have much smaller thermal output compared to the nVidia 500 series (the card most often used in the professional reviews).
Another very popular case due it's overall size and performance is the Silverstone SG05. It's track record cannot be denied and will easily fit into a backpack. The hard part is getting yours hands on one due to it's popularity.
http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-SG05B-USB3-0-Mini-ITX-Motherboard-Plastic/dp/B008J0ZOUY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1346715828&sr=8-3&keywords=silverstone+sg05
Now that I think about it you might be better off (assuming you like the SG05) going for the newer Silverstone FT03 mini. It's basically the same thing with a vertical profile, although slightly longer.
http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-Aluminum-Tower-Computer-FT03B-MINI/dp/B0085S33XK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346716410&sr=8-1&keywords=ft03+mini
These of course are just my opinions and with the vast amount of case options out there and the needs to ensure whatever parts we select will fit your desired case I'll leave it up to you to decide where we should begin your build by choosing your preferred case(s).
EDIT: As I live in Hawaii I don't have a Fry's to compare to but doing a quick search on their main homepage leads me to believe that trying to build whatever we suggest here will probably be fairly difficult by walking in with a list. The main issue I noticed is they appear to be VERY limited in case selection and again depending on what case you decide on will also limit what parts you can put in it. Microcenter offer a larger selection but still very limited in the mATX/mITX case department. Are you against ordering parts online?
