Due to many requests from my readers, here you can find a work in progress page of my untested 2019 Performance HTPC build. Unfortunately, due to my full time job, I am not able to build new computers at the moment.
This sub-$1200 Performance HTPC is a great choice for you if you are interested in playing games (even VR) in your living room or getting the ultimate 4K picture quality.
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Building a small form factor gaming HTPC that is powerful and silent is not easy at all. This is my third iteration and I’m finally happy to say that this build delivers very good 1080p gaming performance while staying practically silent. Don’t waste money on trial and error like I did. This blueprint will show exactly how you can achieve silent gaming.
I’m using an Intel Core i5-6600 Skylake processor, which is a 65W CPU that runs super cool and keeps everything quiet while providing enough performance even for games.
In case you are wondering, different numbers in Intel Core i5 indicate what processor clock speeds they are using, which Intel HD graphics model and whether the voltage has been adjusted or not.
The letters at the end of Intel Core processor models mean whether it is possible to overclock the processor or whether the processor has already being underclocked for better power efficiency.
K-models in the Intel processor line up are great choices if you want to do overclocking, but this is not generally recommended for HTPC use as overclocking requires more power and thus more cooling.
However, T-models are a bit more expensive and may be harder to find from your preferred store.
In order to get the best audio quality, I chose a bit more expensive ASUS Maximus VIII Impact motherboard that has a dedicated sound card (SupremeFX). The Impact motherboard has 8 pin connector next to the 24 pin connector for better cable management and advanced fan controls for silent gaming. It also runs cooler compared to other mini-ITX mobos.
Graphic card coolers can easily be the noisiest component in your computer. Therefore I chose EVGA GTX 1060 SC that is a perfect graphics card for super quiet 1080p gaming. It supports 4K at 60Hz and VR.
In this 2017 reference performance HTPC, I am still using a Silverstone ML07 case, which is a “home theater box” version of the revolutionary Raven RVZ01 case. The Milo ML07 has a PCI-E riser making it perfect choice for your gaming HTPC. In order to improve the thermal performance, I recommend placing the ML07 in the vertical position.
I installed two Noctua NF-S12A ULN case fans on the GPU side to pull air into the case and one case fan on the CPU side to push air out of the case. The ASUS Maximus VIII Impact motherboard’s external fan card allows you to have extra three individually controllable fan headers.
Thanks to the efficient ASUS Maximus VIII Impact motherboard, Scythe Big Shuriken 2 CPU cooler and a new Corsair SF450 PSU, I’ve been able to significantly reduce noise levels from the previous edition making this build practically silent.
The following components have been tested and proven to be compatible in my test bench.
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CPU
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CPU Cooler
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Motherboard
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Graphics Card
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Memory
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System Boot Drive
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Power Supply
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Operating System
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Case Fan
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Case Fan Filter
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Media Hard Drive
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Optical Drive
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TV Tuner
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Remote Control
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Game Controller
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Keyboard & mouse
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Please note that product links on this page are affiliate links, and I will earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you purchase through those links.
Thank you for supporting my hard work!
Recent changes
Track the most recent changes to my performance HTPC build.
- October 29th, 2016 – A major upgrade. Replaced most of the components.
- October 30th, 2015 – Replaced the GeForce GTX 750-Ti graphics card with more powerful yet quiet GTX 960.
- October 30th, 2015 – Replaced the Silverstone SFX 600W power supply with a 500W SFX-L version as the SX500 proved to be quieter.
- May 10th, 2015 – Added HDHomeRun TV tuner recommendation after successfully tested it in my home theater.
- December 7th, 2014 – Added three Noctua NF-S12A ULN case fans, three case fan filters and one case fan Y-splitter cable as recommendations to make the system even quieter.
- November 20th, 2014 – Replaced the Silverstone SFX 450W power supply with a 600W version as the SX600-G proved to be quiet with low CPU load.
- November 16th, 2014 – Published the initial parts list for my 2015 edition of the performance HTPC build.