Self build - HTPC/NAS/Plex Server/With light 1080p gaming

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superb121

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Feb 28, 2013
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Hi there. I'm looking into a little upgrade of whats currently supporting my movies, streaming etc in the living room. Which is an andriod box 1gb of ram running kodi, netflix etc. Nice low voltage/always on device but pretty limited in what I can do with it.

Really what I want to try and add to the equation is a little light pc gaming, full blown spotify via spdif to my HT amp and itunes/mp3s/video. Single storage area for all my stuff (6tb or so), and also have it as a plex server for the rest of the devices in the house. Plus the usual media centre stuff, kodi, netflix, hulu et all.

So I was looking at other forums that specialize more in HTPC like this article http://www.htpcbeginner.com/best-home-theater-pc-build-2017-to-do-it-all-plex-kodi-nas-gaming/

But Toms has always been amazing when it comes to component advice. And I have some reservations about the above build. For one thing its not low power. Also its doesnt strike me as a silent build or quiet at least. Anyone worked on a new HTPC with similar requirements?
 
Solution
bloodroses
Looking at the build on the website you linked, there is one major change I would make:

Go with a Kaby Lake Pentium. The G4560 is hyper-threaded for about $70, performs close to an i3 (which is still faster than the AMD they chose), runs at 53 watts, and is cooler as well. Motherboard prices should be around the same still.

As with low power (like ARM levels), that is a sacrifice that needs to be made in exchange for performance. With that said, CPU's use less wattage while under idle/low power load; and have continued to improve each generation.

For silent, there are a few options. A company called NoFan makes a passive CPU cooler, but it is massive in size and may not fit in the case. A cheap water cooling setup is a possible...
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why not just follow those link you have. Its not a bad build for intended HTPC? Those page was written 17 January 2017, so its still a valid solid build for its purpose.The only thing missing is power supply and then you good to go. Its basically a PS4 (the old one, not the new one) with ah heck storage and multifunction.

If you want more, then surely it will cost more. Unless you live in states AND willing to use used parts. Just create a new page and tell us what your budget is.
 
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As I mentioned its not low power or silent. So wondering what the alternatives might be. Or improvements in peoples opinion
 
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Budget? I need to ask because there was some case where people think we can do magic like "making high end pc with as cheap as possible" while hoping around $500 which in reality it cost more than $1500.
If you want low power, there is xeon L series cpu (i am using it right now) that is less than 75W but very powerful but it cost more than $1300 for that cpu only.
If you want silent, there is passive heatsinks (no fan) that might cost $300. There is some method to get what you want, but it also cost more.
Like I said before, if you want more, it will cost more. That include more safe energy (low power) and more silent.
 
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Looking at the build on the website you linked, there is one major change I would make:

Go with a Kaby Lake Pentium. The G4560 is hyper-threaded for about $70, performs close to an i3 (which is still faster than the AMD they chose), runs at 53 watts, and is cooler as well. Motherboard prices should be around the same still.

As with low power (like ARM levels), that is a sacrifice that needs to be made in exchange for performance. With that said, CPU's use less wattage while under idle/low power load; and have continued to improve each generation.

For silent, there are a few options. A company called NoFan makes a passive CPU cooler, but it is massive in size and may not fit in the case. A cheap water cooling setup is a possible option as well. With the video card noise, it should only be an issue when gaming. There 'are' passive cooling video cards, but they aren't really recommended imo.

I was looking at doing a similar setup for a NAS (onboard video instead and extra drives) for around the same price.
 
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Solution
Thanks Bloodroses. Yeah I figure I have one too many devices around the tv/entertainment area and want to consolidate.

My budget ATM is about 1000gbp which I'm meeting roughly with this build:

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/pugleon/saved/Vv4mGX

I was looking at the G4560 actually. But I really want a bit more oomph and still try to keep the voltage down. Was looking at the Core i5-7600T/ or i7-7700T. Seems to have low consumption but amazing benchmarks. I know TDP is only an indicator but they are designed to run lower right? Maybe its overkill. And I'm still looking around at video cards that might be low noise/voltage but capable of 1080 gaming
 
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