Computer hardware information

A home theatre PC, otherwise known as a HTPC, can do many different things. You can watch TV, movies, view photos and do standard PC tasks. But most people are confused when building a home theatre PC to suit their needs. Here we outline some of the steps to picking the parts for a custom home theatre PC that is perfect for you.

CPU
A HTPC has fixed tasks. This means that unlike when building a normal computer, you need a CPU that can handle what you want it to do, but not more. A more powerful CPU means it uses more electricity, and makes more noise.

When it comes to choosing CPUs, there are 2 choices, Intel or AMD. AMD tends to be cheaper and have motherboard more compatible for watching High Definition content.

RAM
The minimum recommended RAM for watching High Definition content and Blu-Ray DVDs is 1GB. However having 2GB will make most systems feel a lot faster. 667Mhz RAM is enough for a HTPC, however if you are using integrated graphics, some work better with 800Mhz RAM.

Motherboard
If you have an AMD CPU you need an AMD motherboard, while if you have an Intel CPU you will need an Intel Motherboard. A motherboard with good onboard graphics will be good enough for a HTPC to run Blu-Ray DVDs, so it is the perfect option. Try to get a motherboard with good onboard sound so you don’t have to pay extra for a sound card.

Harddrive
The bigger the better, as recording HD content can take up a LOT of room. This is one area where size does matter. Also try to get a good company, as you want a reliable harddrive that is also nice a quiet.

TV Card
This lets you watch TV through your Home Theatre PC. The best option is a Dual HD tuner, which lets you watch one HD show while recording another

Case and PSU
You want something nice looking for the case, usually horizontal cases are chosen as they fit in with the rest of the home theatre equipment. For a Power Supply, you don’t need something too powerful, but you want it to be nice and quiet. Many cases come bundled with good quality power supplies, which can save some money.

Optical Drive
Normal DVD drives can be bought quite cheap these days. If you want to buy a Blu-Ray player you have a few options: High-Definition and Blu-Ray (not really much point now that HD DVDs have been phased out), Blu-Ray player (some of these can burn normal DVDs and some can’t, so be careful), and Blu-Ray burners (which can be very expensive)

Controls
The control is an important part of the HTPC, as you want it to integrate everything in your HTPC to make it a full media solution. There are many options, the two most popular being a keyboard with a inbuilt mouse, which has the advantage of being able to do all PC tasks, and a remote control, which makes the HTPC feel like a proper TV.