Building a PC for 4K TV

[Asrialol]

So I've just purchased a 49" 4K TV, and I'm sort of interested in building a very small PC to use as a mediaserver/center. I'd love a miniMobo, but not sure if it's possible.

Size matters, I want it as small as possible. It doesn't have to be able to play 4K content, but obviously be able to handle big 1080p files, on a 4k display.

How would you go on about this? Is it even possible to build a miniPC for this purpose?

[fixx]

Sure you can. Something like Intel NUCs are meant for that kind of use. Mac Mini is also an option.

If you want to add low price to the list of requirements then you should probably look into repurposing old laptop. Laptops with a broken screen are perfect because you can usually just remove the screen and battery completely and have really flat computer you can stick almost anywhere.

[Deleted]

For 4k@60hz you need hdmi 2.0 which you can't get. If the tv you got supports dual 1.4hdmi this is possible and you can get an idea from the following build. If you just wanna play 1080p now you don't need the dedicated gpu. You don't need the ssd either or 2tb storage depends on you. Will just try to make it a nice little build and if you could provide a budget we can make it better and see what you do need.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4160 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($108.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($67.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Intel 530 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($68.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Red 2TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($93.95 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB WINDFORCE Video Card ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 450W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($73.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG WH14NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($49.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $653.85
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-27 05:45 EDT-0400

[Kagthul]

Mac Mini is also an option.
.

Ill have to check the newer Mini's, but the older ones wouldn't drive 4k resolutions. The newer ones may be able to via the Thunderbolt port. My daily-driver (a "Late 2011" server model from 2012) will only push 2560x1440. That may be a limitation of the Intel iGPU though.

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So I've just purchased a 49" 4K TV, and I'm sort of interested in building a very small PC to use as a mediaserver/center. I'd love a miniMobo, but not sure if it's possible.

Size matters, I want it as small as possible. It doesn't have to be able to play 4K content, but obviously be able to handle big 1080p files, on a 4k display.

How would you go on about this? Is it even possible to build a miniPC for this purpose?

I have a doctors appointment this morning, but when i get back ill try to whip something up for you.

mITX is my hobby.

You need HDMI 2.0 (or Display Port/MDP/Thunderbolt) to drive 4K (edit: @60fps, which may not be an issue if you're just talking about 4k Video, most of which is still recorded in PAL or NTSC standards which aren't 60fps), which may affect price because only certain GPUs have 2.0-compliant HDMI ports (the 970 and 980 do, for instance, im not sure if any lower-spec cards do).

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Looking into it, you're definitely going to have to choose wether or not 60fps @ 4K is something you care about.

For video it wont really matter (as most video is still done in 24fps (NTSC) or 25fps (PAL)) at this juncture. Only reason it matters is that the only GPUs currently on the market that have HDMI-2.0 compliant ports are the GTX 970 and 980, meaning the price of the system will just about double if 60fps/4k is what you want.

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Okay, did some research on several items, and have several suggestions to offer.

If you're just interested in 4k Video (which is still largely encoded in NTSC or PAL formats and running sub 30fps anyway), you have a lot of options for a good HTPC. If you want some future-proofing, (4k @ 60fps/60hz) you're going to have to pony up for a "real" GPU since you are using a TV that almost assuredly does not have DisplayPort. (If, by some miracle it does, you're ahead of the game here, as DisplayPort supports 60hz 4k already).

I've got four solutions below.

First up: Mac Mini or Intel NUC

Pros: seriously tiny, already put together, and pretty much ready to go. Easy to set up and use.
Cons: A little pricier. No BluRay drive built in (plenty of externals available).

The base model Mac Mini (2014) is 499$ and basically ready to go, though i would opt for the RAM upgrade to 8GB for future proofing. Plethora of ports, makes a great little media center (i use an older Mini for my own media center). It's also tiny - small enough that for a while i had it mounted to the back of the TV via Command Strips. If you dont like OSX, about 20 minutes is all it takes to install Windows and simply use it as a Windows machine. These often come up used, too, making them even cheaper. You need to stick with the 2014 model to get 4k output unless you want to hack .kext files inside OSX to get around a silly display lockout Apple has on the older ("Late 2012") models.

An Intel NUC starts a little cheaper - in the 300$ range - but you have to add your own RAM and HDD to it, which would bring you pretty easily into the same price range as the Mac Mini. Benefit is you can add more RAM later if you need (the new Mini's, they are soldered down).

Option Two: mITX "Just an HTPC" build.

Quite literally the only time you will ever see me suggest using an AMD CPU for anything. In this case, the APU's superior on-board GPU makes it preferable to the Intel part at this price point, if it is going to be used *solely* as a Media Center.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A8-7600 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($85.99 @ Directron)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS8900 Quiet CPU Cooler ($23.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XM-D3H Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($50.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($81.90 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone ML03B HTPC Case ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 300W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($36.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($86.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $511.80
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-27 11:53 EDT-0400

Notice that it isn't a great deal cheaper than simply buying the Mac Mini or a NUC and adding an external Blu Ray; and it is quite a bit larger (though still plenty small and capable of fitting into an entertainment center). about 90$ of this price is an OS, which you may already have. Or, if you're comfortable with it, Linux makes a fine OS for a media center and is free.


Option Three: mITX "And I game in the living room when i want to" build

This build will be a bit more expensive (not a ton, though) and will make use of Steam In-Home Streaming to allow you to play all of your games (provided you have nVidia parts, im not sure how or if it works with AMD parts) in the living room.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($113.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS8900 Quiet CPU Cooler ($23.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($67.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($81.90 @ Newegg)
Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Enthusiast Edition Video Card ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Silverstone ML03B HTPC Case ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 400W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($45.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($86.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $685.78
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-27 12:13 EDT-0400

It wants to say the GPU wont fit the case, but i looked and people have reported that the GPU in question fits in that case no problem. This will let you stream your games from your gaming rig via Steam In Home Streaming (if you have nVidia cards in both machines), and has a bit more CPU grunt. 600$ price tag is reaching "a bit expensive for an HTPC" range, but you can trim (on any of these builds) the BD-drive if you dont care about Blu Rays, and if you dont need an OS, there's that.

I stuck with a "home theater" looking case there, too - there are lots of other options in mITX but they tend to be cube-like or even stranger and cost more accordingly.

Option Four: "I want 4k 60hz, and I want it right now!"

This is expensive, just because of the GPU. On the upside, youll have a complete living room gaming rig, and it is 4k/60Hz (HDMI 2.0) compliant out of the box.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i3-4130 3.4GHz Dual-Core Processor ($113.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS8900 Quiet CPU Cooler ($23.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock H97M-ITX/AC Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard ($67.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($81.90 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0 Video Card ($309.30 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 130 Mini ITX Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Essential 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Directron)
Optical Drive: LG UH12NS30 Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($39.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($86.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $859.09
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-27 12:23 EDT-0400

There are lots of different case types, depending on your budget and/or what kind of aesthetics you want.

For my money, if you're just building a rig to watch movies and 4k video, and 4k @ 60hz is not a big deal to you, your best bet for ease of setup and compatibility is a Mac Mini ("2014") or an Intel NUC. Add an external Blu-Ray drive if you really require one.

[Lathais]

I would think an AMD APU could probably handle it for just TV. AS long as the system is not for gaming, an AMD will be fine and may save you the cost of a GPU.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A10-7850K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($124.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A88XN-WIFI Mini ITX FM2+ Motherboard ($90.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.67 @ NCIX US)
Case: Lian-Li PC-Q03B (Black) Mini ITX Tower Case ($71.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12G 550W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($63.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG CU20N Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($55.00 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($86.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $595.09
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-27 12:29 EDT-0400

Not any sort of expert on ITX cases, so Kagthul can recommend something better, I just picked on that seemd middle of the road on price to get a ballpark figure.

[WarBringerPT]

Given that op hasnt stated that he wanted to play on this mediaserver/center, I would say a g3258 would be cheaper than the i3 options. Less compatibility on gaming with the dual core, but if it's for a mediacenter he won't need the hyperthreading feature of the i3. + It runs cooler/consumes less than the i3.

Also this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-EVGA-NVI...item25a251a9dd

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sapphire-Rad...item4ae537becf

either gpu would work on your mediacenter and let you game lightly, + they would fit the case. Similar performance on either side, but the gtx 750 consumes less energy.

[lockblock]

Personally I wouldn't build/buy a rig for 4k tv right now as there isn't a proper hardware decoder built into the igpu of amd or intels current offerings. Without that 4k playback will be unwatchable. As far as I know the only hardware decoder currently available is the gtx 960 and that is too expensive for a non gaming build and it only supports x265 but not vp9. The gtx 960 is also inadequate for 4k gaming.

If you are fine with upscaling 1080 > 4k and later getting a gpu to add proper 4k playback then go ahead and build something today.

Lastly, if you want to get the full benefit of 4k you need to have a proper seating distance relative to how big your screen is. http://s3.carltonbale.com/resolution_chart.html