How to Build an HTPC

During the past 10 years, the appetite for home entertainment has become insatiable. Whether watching movies, playing computer games, or simply listening to music, this growing hunger has been matched with increased flexibility in designing robust entertainment systems. Today, millions of people are building HTPCs (home theater personal computers). These systems integrate PCs with home entertainment components in order to deliver movies, music, computer games, and photo albums while allowing you to browse online. The content can be driven by DVDs, CDs, MP3 downloads, and stored digital files to display on the television screen of your choice.

In this article, you'll discover the basics of building an HTPC. We'll also describe the components that you'll need to get started building your system.

Benefits To Building An HTPC

The surge of popularity behind HTPCs has led some manufacturers to design and offer preconfigured systems. There are a few disadvantages to investing in these boxes. First, they're expensive. It's not uncommon for a preconfigured HTPC to cost over $2,000. More robust systems can exceed $5,000. Second, premade HTPCs offer very little flexibility in parts and components.

By contrast, building your own HTPC is significantly less expensive and provides far more flexibility in the components you choose to include. Plus, not only does it offer more choice, but upgrading parts is simple. Open the box, remove the old part, and replace it. Doing this is much more difficult - even impossible - in some preconfigured HTPCs.

HTPC Parts To Get Started

There are a number of components which are fundamental to your HTPC working properly. The quality of the content (i.e. image crispness, audio clarity, level of signal lag, etc.) will depend largely upon the parts you use. That said, most HTPCs can be built with inexpensive parts that deliver remarkable quality. Here is a quick list of components to get you started:

Motherboard - An AMD 780G or NVIDIA GeForce 7100 unit should be more than enough. Even better, these should cost less than $100.

Hard Drive - Western Digital makes impressive HDDs without high ticket prices. Reliable and affordable.

CPU - There are plenty of great choices for your HTPC's CPU. An Athlon X2 or a Pentium Dual-Core can fit most budgets (under $100) and deliver high-quality content.

CPU Cooler - A lot of HTPC owners love the Scythe Ninja Mini. It's dependable, does its job well, and costs about $30.

TV Tuner - You'll have a lot of choices for your TV tuner. The AVerMedia AVerTV Combo PCIe will cost about $100, while a Silicondust HDHomeRun costs approximately $170. But, there are plenty of TV tuners in between. Some even cost less than $100.

The parts that are mentioned above are merely suggestions. While you'll need a motherboard, there's no need to stick with an AMD if you prefer a Pentium. Similarly, Western Digital isn't the only company that makes hard drives that are reliable and affordable. The key is that any component that you include within your HTPC can be replaced and upgraded whenever you wish.

A Word Of Caution

Keep in mind that some parts will be less robust than others and price is not always the best barometer. Also, some parts are probably best avoided, depending upon your objectives for your HTPC. If you have never built an HTPC, make sure you do your research. There are plenty of resources that can make helpful suggestions regarding the specific components you need to get the biggest bang for your buck.