This is a sub-$300 system that runs completely silent and you can set it up in less than an hour. It is capable of doing everything you need for home media except for heavy gaming.
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Highlights
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Price
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The system is based on a low cost AMD AM1 Athlon 5350 that runs only at 25W TDP, so you can use a passive CPU cooler and a semi-fanless PSU for absolute silence.
This fanless HTPC system is one of the cheapest and easiest way to build a quiet and capable home theater computer.
Windows 10 will run fine as a media center and/or media server, as long as you don’t plan to play any modern games.
I hope you enjoy the absolute silence of this system.
Please note that you cannot use the Arctic Alpine M7 passive CPU cooler if you opt for an optional optical drive. You should use the standard CPU cooler that comes with the AMD APU if you wish to use a Blu-ray or DVD drive.
If you are interested, you can also check out my older budget HTPC build for 2015.
The following components have been tested and proven to be compatible in my test bench.
Required parts
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Case
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Recommendation
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CPU
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Recommendation
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CPU Cooler
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Recommendation
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Where
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Component
Motherboard
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Recommendation
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Where
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Component
Power supply
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Recommendation
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Where
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Memory
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Recommendation
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Where
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System Boot Drive
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Recommendation
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Operating System
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Recommendation
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Optional parts
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Component
Media Hard Drive
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Recommendation
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Where
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Accessories
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Component
TV Tuner
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Recommendation
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Remote Control
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Recommendation
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Keyboard & mouse
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Recommendation
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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!
Step-by-Step Build Instructions
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Click below to view free build instructions for the Budget HTPC:
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Budget HTPC
By clicking the link above, you will get a step-by-step build instructions designed for your preferred component selection.
Recent changes
Track the most recent changes to my fanless HTPC build.
- February 13th, 2016 – Asus AM1I-ITX mobo replaced with ASRock AM1H-ITX that has much better features.
- October 31st, 2015 – Major upgrade released: added a new case Silverstone ML06, new power supply, fanless CPU cooler, larger 120GB SSD drive, 2TB media hard drive and Blu-ray drive.
- May 10th, 2015 – Added HDHomeRun TV tuner recommendation after successfully tested it in my home theater.
- November 16th, 2014 – Published the initial parts list for my entry HTPC build.