Advice on building an entertainment PC
Ron Knights
Posts: 1,805
I'm fantasizing what I could do if we finally get a 2nd Stimulus check. I'd like to build a server/entertainment center PC. I just get lost when it comes to choosing all the components. Let's start with a $600 budget. Is that enough? How about this case to start?!
Post edited by Ron Knights on
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I think you can do it for way less. It's been done with a tiny computer called Raspberry Pi. And there are others out there too.
https://www.microcenter.com/product/622539/pi4modelB8gb?src=raspberrypi
Just for basic stuff and streaming? Is this being used on a TV? You can probably get away with very little. Depending on what you want to do, you don't even specifically need a PC to do any of this.
I have a Fire tablet, and I can stream my desktop to the tablet if want to. So that basically means I can do anything on the tablet I can on PC if I want to. It also has plenty of apps for streaming. I recently upgraded to a new tablet that has a better screen, and I got a detachable keyboard for it which makes it feel like a small laptop. It has the ability to connect to a TV or monitor, too, so I can use it on a bigger screen.
If you want to stick to a desktop form factor, the best way to go is to get a CPU that has a GPU built in. AMD has several low cost chips that have a Vega GPU built in, so you do not need to buy a GPU. These can be crazy cheap, and handle any streaming task. And since these are low power parts, cooling is much easier to deal with, so you don't have to go hard on a big airflow case (though it doesn't hurt to be cautious.) You can do this for well below $600.
I want to have a BluRay burner. I might just "rip" my DVD & BluRay collection and store it in my new computer. I also want data discs for my DAZ3D content, and other data such as my YouTube videos, etc. I'll most likely use Plex to handle the multimedia. With this in mind, I feel a full tower computer case is the way to go.
The computer will be connected to my 55" TV. I'll likely use a wireless keyboard and mouse so I can control the computer from across the room, while sitting on my powered recliner! Thanks for reminding me that I can use a motherboard with a built-in GPU. How does this motherboard look?
https://www.amazon.com/MSI-Performance-Graphics-Motherboard-X470GPLMAX/dp/B07Y468HV3/ref=sr_1_2?_encoding=UTF8&c=ts&dchild=1&keywords=Computer+Motherboards&qid=1603213330&sr=8-2&ts_id=1048424
The major issue is how much storage you need. If you're going to play DVD's rather than store it all on disk then you can do it pretty cheap.
If you do not want to play games the way to go is a low end Ryzen APU or Intel CPU so you won't need a separate GPU.
The issue right now is every CPU I'd use for such a rig is out of stock or or grossly over priced. So speccing one out right now is hard. If a stimulus comes out bug me then and i'll see what is around.
What I do is just replace my Android TV Box every 2nd or 3rd year for less than $100, often less than $50. My current one is Android 7 but in the next year I will be buying a new Android 10 TV Box. The Android OS version on those TV boxes on Amazon have always lags by one version behind the latest Android release on Android phones. I've yet to see an Android OS upgrade be made available to upgrade them either.
They can play: KODI app, ROKU app, GooglePlay Store and pretty much anything an Android tablet or phone can do but you connect it to your TV's HDMI port. I use KODI actually to playback DVDs I've ripped from my DVD collection and also from an HD I've downloaded YouTube videos too (ideal for tutorials and old PD media),
Best of all you order it in 5 minutes and another 5 minutes to hook it up to your TV. The only thing I would improve on those Android TV boxes is a slot to insert NVMe SSD and make the remote control a tad more effective.
I have something similar to this:
https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Windows-Computer-Support-Failure/dp/B08BXGS9MT/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=intel+pc+stick&qid=1603226081&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExSE1HQVpOODNXUVBZJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwOTA2NTI2VkQ4UUdRODZTRUJYJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1NzE1NjkxVFQ0UUVTRzM1UlZaJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==
It's stick computer you insert into your big screen tv HDMi port. use a wireless keyboard and mouse and you have a fully functional windows 10 pro computer.
Since it's windows 10 pro, you can network it with your current PC, NAS, etc. The price isn't shabby... you can get them from $100 to $350 depending on brands and features, some have multiple usb ports where you can even attach usb dvd/blu-ray writer(s), or external hard drive(s)
Ha ha you beat me to it, so I'll just make a joke about what Ron could do with the other $565 :)
Thanks for the info, friends. I really want a tower case with room for many hard drives. I already have a few Amazon Fire TV, Roku, etc.
Then your best bet is a cheap CPU, like an Athloon 3000G or some sort of i3. If you don't include the HDD's then its easy to get the system built for under $600.
kenshaw011267 I have a problem trying to match a CPU with a motherboard, etc. That's why I would love to see some example "sets," even if I need to wait for prices to go down.
You mentioned tower, but I wanted to point this case out to you:
https://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=607&area=en
It's designed to slip into an entertainment center (in a horizontal format), has a separate bay for the GPU, and has a spot for a 3.5" HDD along with 2 2.5" drives, plus whatever your M-ATX motherboard supports as far as NVME/SATA sticks. You'd need a 'shortie' graphics card though for the PCIe-16 slot to accomodate the 3.5" drive. My current 'interim' rendering system uses this case BTW. AND, it has a slim DVD bay.
You can also get a convenient carrying handle for it. Probably not a big deal, but if you plan on toting this system around...
Keep in mind that if you needed more storage, you can always go the external via USB route. That way you can pick up those huge capacity HDDs.
Also, I'd suggest giving the 4000 series Ryzen APUs a serious look (say the 4750G with 8 cores/16 threads and the Vega graphics). The integrated GPU should be more than able to handle 4K video (my 2400G, which is an older APU, does just fine). Not sure how much AAA gaming you plan to do with this system, but if that's a concern, well that's where a separate graphics card comes in. If you don't need bleeding edge graphics, though, that PCIe 16 slot could be used for other things, like a capture card or a multi-M2 drive PCIe card.
The main plus for this case though, is that it's designed to look at home in a home theater setup in horizontal mode.
An ATX tower case will give you more options later, but you can put a lot of stuff in this tiny case.
Just a thought!
That case looks nice. However, I really need more internal space for at least 2-3 3.5" hard drives. I also want a BluRay burner. I've struggled with external hard drives since I switched to Macs back in 2007. It's a nightmare at times. I love the new PC that I use for DAZ Studio (etc.) However, it's seriously hampered due to the lack of room for more 3.5" drives.
I want a 3TB hard drive for DAZ Studio, another 3TB hard drive for "data.," (videos, ancestry work, etc.) I also want at least a 3TB hard drive for media.
I will look at the 4000 series of Ryzen APUs. I will not be playing games.
This case would fit on any media cabinet better than a tower
https://www.amazon.com/SilverStone-Technology-Micro-ATX-Motherboards-SST-GD09B-USA/dp/B07MGKJB29/ref=pd_sbs_147_2/142-9272433-7685740?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07MGKJB29&pd_rd_r=dc968952-5ae6-4bb2-bd4a-12f58921d13b&pd_rd_w=T33Dp&pd_rd_wg=jvyPA&pf_rd_p=b65ee94e-1282-43fc-a8b1-8bf931f6dfab&pf_rd_r=FAXER9BACTYB0N194FP8&psc=1&refRID=FAXER9BACTYB0N194FP8
The spec you need to look out for is the "socket". That's the physical interface between the CPU and motherboard, so a motherboard will only accept CPUs of the same socket. After that, the motherboard may specify which generation(s) of processors it supports, so you can't put an 8th-gen i5 into a board that was made for 7th-gen, for example, even if they're the same socket. The motherboard also dictates which type and clock speed of RAM you need.
OK.
Current availability:
PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/LDxZ8J
CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3200G 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI X470 GAMING PLUS MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Team T-FORCE VULCAN Z 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($98.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Team MP33 256 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($35.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA GD (2019) 500 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($69.98 @ Amazon)
Total: $519.93
You get FreeNAS for your OS, which is obviously free and works very well with Plex. You get all the drives you want seperately, a boot drive is included because that should be. There are plenty of guides to setting up FreeNAS for use as a both a NAS and a Plex server online. I use a box for this and its easy.
I have used pcpartpicker.com in the past. The site has settings to price in various currencies and will also do a compatability check of components.
I don't know why you would want to build something...
I have an Amazon Fire box with a 1TB external hard drive connected to it. I use the same hard drive directrly connected to TVs while travelling, as well as my PS4.
I use an SSD in an enclosure (for travel, speed and heat reasons) that was around $200. You can pick up a Amazon or Roku or something like that for less than $100. That should be all you need.
I'll tell you why I have a Plex server. Because I had hundreds of DVD's and more than that in music CD's. Even ripped at the lowest bitrate anyone would ever consider that was still more than a Tb. At an acceptable bit rate that was more like 4tb. Add in all the stuff we record and we have almost 10Tb on the Plex. How do you do that on a 1Tb stick?
I have a Plex server too but not for music - only movies and TV shows. It runs on my ancient Macbook Air with a 2 TB usb drive attached. It is permanently on (one of the things about my old Macbook I like - it hardly ever needs a reboot). There's a Mac command which allows me to close the lid and keep the Plex server alive. Much as I hate subscriptions, I do subscribe to Google Play Music (now YouTube Music) because I was able to upload my whole music library for free and I can also listen to anything else that takes my fancy and on any device I own. I tend to delete movies and TV shows that I have watched unless they are particularly good and worth a second viewing. So 2TB is plenty for my needs - in fact I have not filled it half-way yet.
You don't...
I have about 16 TBs in videos and music. I don't need to have all of it readily available.
The 1 TB exSSD contains...
350 GBs of video files, across almost a thousand files, for over 400 hours of footage.
20 GBs of MP3s, across 300 albums and 3,500 tracks, at 250 hours of audio.
There is another 100 GBs for ebooks, pictures, PDFs, etc. for when I am travelling. And its only half full.
I don't have to add anything for a while or until I have new items that I want to watch / listen to.
I don't have to worry about a whole new set of hardware and I can just pull the drive, move to any room I want, or take it with me on trips.
The whole set up was also ~$300. And any time there is a new Roku or Fire, I can just upgrade and attach the SSD.
The only hard part was formatting the exSSD; to be compatible it needs to be in exFAT format. Traditionally Windows doesn't allow a drive of this size to be exFAT, but there are plenty of programs that will do it.
I've not had a single modern TV fail to recognize the drive. It also works with my tablet, laptop, and car stereo. I've also plugged it into my RAVpowerbank and hosted it on its own wifi if I need to transfer to and from my cellphone.
Yes, I do. Before covid my wife and I both traveled on business not infrequently and nothing was more annoying than being stuck in some hotel or airport and not having anything to watch. With our entire library on our Plex server that never happens. That you don't feel that need is irrelevant simply doesn't matter to us, we do.
Except for the server having to be on all the time... And the any number of things that could go wrong the moment you step out the door.
I had a pair of WD My Cloud servers and after a while it just wasn't worth the headache. Lighting storms, heat and brown / black outs are intermittent issues where I am located. Not to mention an ISP that is... questionable at times. A UPS usually kept most of the issues to a minimum, but once they were down while on a trip, there was no way of bringing that back up. I toyed with a ethernet enabled wall socket for hard reset purposes, but that was unreliable.
But to each their own. All I intended was to offer an alternate option, I did so.
kenshaw011267 thanks for the parts list. That really gives me a guideline of which components work together.
My entertainment center is a 6 ft long industrial strength wire shelving unit. I have plenty of room for a full tower case. I also like the look of this case. I'm just concerned whether I'd have room for everything. Coolermaster Haf XP evo
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FFJ0H3Q/?coliid=I3W2UTJVKXXOJP&colid=3J9VBDGPD7MJ6&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
Again, I'll state that I already have several Roku devices, Amazon Fire TV etc. Since 2007 I've wrestled with external hard drives. I want internal hard drives. My new PC is great for DAZ, but it has no room for more internal hard drives. I will keep this new PC for DAZ, but build another for an entertainment center.
I think most game consoles also play DVD's so that could be another option
I think a lot of people are mistakingly assuming the goal is to find a practical, efficient solution when it has become clear the goal is to produce the biggest box possible with as many drive bays as possible, and perhaps a carburetor and functional hood scoop.
There are options for remote management. You just don't get them on commercial motherboards. My NAS is not built on consumer components but that isn't something I think Ron is interested in dealing with.
But ultimately a NAS is a great solution for most people who have a lot of data they want to maintain which realistically is almost every adult in America. If you have a DVR or security cameras or Nest or any of a dozen other things that involve you paying a subscrption or device rental that amounts to renting storage a NAS is likely a better solution and less likely to result in your data going wandering.
As always, I appreciate everyone's input. But sometimes I get frustrated when I'm not understood. The over-riding need/want here is to have a full tower case that will allow me to install at least three 3TB hard drives, and an optical drive, in addition to an SSD boot drive.
The ultimate purpose is to have a server/multimedia computer. I have much data to store. That includes DAZ content, Genealogy work, and my YouTube videos. (I intend to eventually go back to doing frequent "vlog" videos on YouTube.)
You can probably go to New Egg and configure a bare bones machine with just a case, fans, motherboard and processor, RAM, and power supply. I don't recall off of the top of my head, but they should have the option to send these to you already assembled. I do know that if you use the system configurator on their site, it will check to make sure everything is compatible.
Provided you get a MB with the GPU, and ethernet on board, you would only need to install the hard drives and operating system.
If you get a case that has hot swap bays for the HDs, then you will only need to hard mount the SSD.
I would not suggest going to a pre-built desktop like the ones on Amazon. My first concern would be the power supply. Usually the prebuilt desktops will come with a PS that can just handle the default load rounded up. When you start adding hard drives, the power demand might push it over the supply.
Here is what New Egg came up with as a budget level.
There is no optical drive and I am not positive that the motherboard can support 5 hard drives (1xSSD, 3xHDD, 1xOptical). You might be hard pressed to find a budget level MB that can do that.
I don't really see anywhere you are going to be able to trim the cost down either. At least not in any substantial way.
It also looks like you would need to assemble everything yourself, as I no longer see the "assemble for me" option. It could be there and I am just overlooking it.
Personally I've only ever found two points of the assembly to be nerve wracking: mounting the heat sink on the MB/processor and routing all the cables for air flow. With the number of internal items you are talking about, the cable routing maybe challenging.
What about getting one of these Synology 4 bay NAS DiskStation DS920+ (Diskless), 4-bay; 4GB DDR4 and replacing the first computer's DVD drive with a Blu-Ray?