New HTPC build for 70" 4k Television

[TheSpiderJoe]

Hi everyone!

I'm an experienced PC builder but I'm having issues coming up with a decent build for a new HTPC. We have just purchased a new Vizio 70" 4k television (M70-C3) to replace our current 60" DLP TV. The current HTPC we have isn't up to par so I was looking to get some advice on the new build I'm planning.

The biggest issue I'm seeing is the GPU and the battle between Display Port and HDMI 2.0. The television does not have a display port so my options are either go with a new DP to HDMI 2.0 adapter (Club 3D apparently has a good one) or find a graphics card with an HDMI 2.0 output.

I know the GTX 970s have HDMI 2.0s but my biggest dilemma is cost. I only want to spend about $400-600 for the entire system (not including OS or case) so if I spend half of my budget on the card, the rest of the components will suffer and create bottlenecks.

I appreciate any help or advice you can offer.

 

[logainofhades]

Apparently GTX 950 supports HDMI 2.0, and is far cheaper than a GTX 970. http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-950/specifications

 

[TheSpiderJoe]

Apparently GTX 950 supports HDMI 2.0, and is far cheaper than a GTX 970. http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-950/specifications

That's what I've been reading as well. I will absolutely not be using this machine for any games whatsoever so the performance in that retrospec is negligible.

Now I'm curious about what kind of CPU/Mobo to get in order to ensure there are no bottlenecks.

 

[logainofhades]

For just HTPC use, an i3 6100 would be plenty. Even an AMD 860k would be enough, to be honest. The i3 is more power efficient, though, and would generate less heat. It can also be upgraded, if need be. If you never intend to upgrade the CPU, then the 860k is still a fine choice. The graphics card would be doing the bulk of the work, for 4k video, either way. What motherboard would depend on which CPU you chose, budget, and form factor you wanted.

 

[g-unit1111]

For just HTPC use, an i3 6100 would be plenty. Even an AMD 860k would be enough, to be honest. The i3 is more power efficient, though, and would generate less heat. It can also be upgraded, if need be. If you never intend to upgrade the CPU, then the 860k is still a fine choice. The graphics card would be doing the bulk of the work, for 4k video, either way. What motherboard would depend on which CPU you chose, budget, and form factor you wanted.

Yeah I agree, I would go for an i3-6100 and a GTX 950, that is a good price / performance ratio for a 4K HTPC. Maybe something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($114.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock B150M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1151 Motherboard ($80.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2400 Memory ($42.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($87.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 950 2GB Dual WindForce Video Card ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone RVZ02B HTPC Case ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Silverstone 500W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GT80N DVD/CD Writer ($42.75 @ Amazon)
Total: $669.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-01-19 19:22 EST-0500