Things You Should Know about HTPC
1.
What is a HTPC used for?
But there are still many people who like to use home theater PCs.
HTPC is not dead yet.
HTPC vs common PC
Is HTPC different from common PC?
Actually, the difference between them is very small.
Both of them are composed of CPU, RAM, GPU, hard drive, motherboard, etc.
But because their purposes are different, some of their parts have difference.
In addition, HTPC has a different shell that is designed for living room.
Its easy to build gaming PC in 2019 after you reading the tutorial talked in this page.
How to Build a HTPC
Do you like to build your own PC cinemas?
Then, how to do a proper Mini PC build?
There are some things you should know before choosing HTPC components.
HTPC types
HTPC has two types: all-in-one HTPC and standalone HTPC plus media server (NAS).
Which key in of HTPC do you like?
Whats the main purpose of your HTPC?
Some people may just use the HTPC to stream videos, browse websites, etc.
In this case, the HTPC doesnt need high configuration.
But some people may want to use the HTPC to do other things like gaming.
In this case, the hardware configuration should be higher.
What Components Do I Need for HTPC Build?
Whats a reasonable and ideal HTPC build?
In general, an ideal HTPC is exquisite and compact in shape, low-power-consumption, silent, and high-performance.
Of course, it also has a decent price.
Now lets start picking parts to build a HTPC.
CPU and GPU
What CPU do I need for HTPC?
Do I need a GPU for HTPC?
Lets figure these questions one by one.
First, do you want to use the HTPC to play games?
If so, you definitely need high-end CPUs and GPUs.
If not, you should then consider the video resolution.
Nowadays, most videos are still 1080p, but more and more 4K videos are coming out.
To play these videos, your HTPC must have the ability to decode 1080p or 4K videos.
Then, what hardware is responsible for decoding videos?
Both CPU and GPU have this ability.
If you use CPU to decode 4K videos, i7/Ryzen 5 or higher CPUs are recommended.
Therefore, to play 4K videos perfectly, its recommended to decode videos with GPU (hardware decoding).
But if your CPU has GPU integrated, the integrated GPU is also capable of decoding 4K videos.
Therefore, in most cases, the HTPC doesnt need a dedicated GPU card.
Then, what CPU can decode 1080p and 4K videos?
To decode 1080p videos, the CPU should support H.264/AVC coding technology.
Taking Intel CPU as an example, its GPU video decoding technology is called Intel Quick Sync Video.
The Kaby Lake is seventh generation Core microprocessor.
What are GPU and CPU?
Whats the difference between GPU and CPU?
Now, you might know much information on CPU vs GPU from this post.
Of course, I dont mean all hard drives in the HTPC should be SSDs.
But it is better that the system hard drive is an SSD.
Then, you use HDDs or NAS to expand the storage.
Whats the difference between solid-state drive and hard drive?
Which one to use for your PC?
Read this post to learn more on SSD VS HDD now.
To confirm the HTPC is not too big, Mini-ATX (ITX) and M-ATX motherboards are recommended.
Fans and Cases
Fans are the main source of noise.
They will also take a lot of space in the HTPC.
Therefore, many people may recommend you to use fewer fans in HTPC build.
But you should be aware that less fans means lower heat dissipation ability.
Some people may remove optical disk drive bay from their HTPCs to save room.
How to check PC specs Windows 10?
This post provides 5 ways with step-by-step guides to help you find full computer specs in Windows 10 PC/laptop.
How Do I Set up HTPC?
Do you have determined what hardware you should use?
If you still have no idea about that, you’re free to refer to other peoples configuration.
The above configuration is offered by a netizen named mlknez.
This configuration can be used to play 4K videos.
After preparing these components, you could then assemble them into a HTPC and install system.
The main stream system for HTPC is Windows.
If you have an old PC, you’re free to adapt it into a HTPC.
This will save a lot of money for you.
Then, how to make the Windows run on SSD?
you might reinstall Windows directly.
Launch MiniTool Partition Wizard and open this software.
Step 2:Choose the right method to migrate the system disk and clickNext.
If you plan to use the old HDD still, you could choose option B.
If you want to format the HDD later, to save data, option A is recommended.
Step 3:Choose the SSD as the destination disk and then clickNext.
For option A, kindly confirm the used space in the HDD is smaller than the SSD storage.
Only in these cases, the OS migration can succeed.
Step 4:Review changes and click theNextbutton.
In this step, you’ve got the option to keep default prefs.
Step 5:Read a note on how to boot from the destination disk and click theFinishbutton.
Then, click theApplybutton to execute pending operations.
Step 6:Insert the new drive into the HTPC and boot up the computer.
What components do I need for HTPC build?
How to build a 4K HTPC?
