The word “sleeper” in regard to ar PC build means unassuming and underwhelming. Similar to a sleeper car, which looks plain and simple but carries a lot of power under the hood, the same concept applies to a sleeper PC. It is essentially a desktop computer that looks rather basic from the outside, however, it actually performs above average. The case has a retro “old school” look while the parts inside are superior and modern. A sleeper PC is a modest, generic type chassis with a powerful machine inside. Depending on the case, it can add an old age charm or it can simply “blend” in.
Why You Want a Sleeper PC?
Sleeper PCs are mostly favored among the gaming community, although they have become quite popular in recent times. In an age when repurposing and recycling have become ever so trendy, breathing new life into that first family desktop can be rewarding. Perhaps you have spare parts and components lying around that are not compatible with your everyday computer. You can put them to use in a sleeper build. Or you may simply not want to spend money on a new case when you can use a cheaper or free secondhand one instead.
Regardless of the reason and modifications of any build, you are simply adding another machine to your arsenal. It is usually a cheaper option when compared to buying a prebuilt PC, however, you are at liberty when it comes to parts and components, meaning you ultimately decide how much to spend.
What a Sleeper PC Can Do?
Gaming
A sleeper PC equipped with a powerful CPU, GPU, ample RAM, and fast storage is capable of running graphically intensive games smoothly. Modern video games demand systems with robust components to handle rendering complex 3D game worlds and high-resolution textures while maintaining high frame rates. Additionally, if you intend to use cheats and hacks for specific games, like Rainbow Six Siege Cheats, these PCs can effortlessly support such modifications.
Graphic Design & Video Editing
Beyond gaming, a sleeper PC works great for other tasks like graphic design and video editing. Applications such as Photoshop, Premiere, and After Effects take full advantage of strong multi-core processors, large RAM capacities, fast SSD storage, and dedicated graphics cards during media creation and manipulation. A sleeper PC can provide creative professionals the muscle they need for these activities without flashy RGB lighting and other fancy decor.
3D Modeling & Animation
3D modeling and animation is another area where a sleeper PC can shine. Working smoothly with 3D models and animations requires some serious computing power. Many 3D rendering tasks can be greatly accelerated by powerful GPUs. The anonymity of a sleeper PC build allows the focus to remain on the stunning visuals coming from the very capable hardware inside the humble case.
Programming & Development
Even programming and development benefit from the abundance of processing power and memory inside a sleeper PC. Modern programming languages and developer tools have become very resource-intensive. Having ample specs enables faster compile times and a smoother overall coding workflow. A sleeper PC setup provides developers with all the amenities they need without drawing attention to itself.
How to Build a Sleeper PC?
You can purchase a minimal looking chassis, such as a Dell Optiplex, and configure it with parts that will give you high performance. This particular line of desktops offers a wide range of simple cases customized and configured to your liking. Or you can build one yourself from the ground up, which is the most popular option for sleeper PCs.
A typical choice for a case is a clunky beige colored one from the 1990s. These can be found on websites such as eBay, or perhaps in your parents’ garage if you are lucky. This decision depends entirely on your aesthetic preferences, although it is important to note that some prebuilt cases will not allow for any modifications.
Aside from the chassis, the parts for a sleeper build are a central processing unit (CPU), cooler, motherboard, memory, storage, power supply, video graphics card, as well as any other peripheral you desire. Building a sleeper PC is similar to building any custom PC, however, depending on your case you will need to adapt your setup accordingly. You first need to remove everything from the old case which gives you the bare bones or blank canvas to work with. Then, by using the instruction manuals that come with the individual computer parts you can set up your sleeper PC in just a matter of hours.