Summary
Home Theater in 2024.. The greatest personal computers for home theater are compact, powerful, and very pricey. If you are dealing with a limited budget, you should anticipate making a compromise in either size or power, or both, in order to achieve the price point that you want.
Best Personal Computers for Home
We have conducted research and testing on systems from all of the leading manufacturers, including Intel, Apple, Asus, and others, in order to assist you in finding the most suitable alternative for your configuration.
Best Apple
Apple M2 Mac Mini
In addition to being a stunning piece of technology, the M2 Mac Mini also comes with a hefty price tag and amazing features. The Mac Mini comes with one HDMI 2.0 connector that is capable of sending 4K video to your television. Additionally, you have the ability to connect a second 4K display by using one of the Thunderbolt 4 ports that are included in the package. The Mac Mini is available in a variety of configurations. Every model comes with Ethernet, which allows you to connect to your home network. If you want to complete your home cinema experience, you can even upgrade to 10 GB of Ethernet and a high-speed network-attached storage (NAS) unit that is compatible with the device.
A compact and modest casing is the strongest feature of the M2 Mac Mini, which is the reason why it is so well suited to the job of a personal computer for use in home entertainment equipment. As a result of its small size, this computer can be easily integrated into almost any home theater system, either in addition to or on top of the other components you have. Furthermore, the sleek silver shell is unlikely to cause any conflicts with the other components you have.
Pros
- Compact form factor
- There are lots of configuration options
- It runs up to two 4K displays
Cons
- High base cost
- Upgrades are expensive
- Integrated graphics
Best Mountable
Dell Optiplex 3070 Micro
If you are dealing with a limited budget and want to maximize your available space, the Dell Optiplex 3070 Micro is a fantastic option to consider. You may attach this device to the back of your VESA-compatible television by using an optional bracket, despite the fact that it is tiny enough to fit into the majority of home theater cabinets and other settings. If you carefully run small wires behind your television and add a soundbar, the Dell Optiplex 3070 may serve as the central component of one of the most covert home theater systems.
An excellent combination of cost and performance is provided by the entry-level Dell Optiplex 3070 Micro. It has a dual-core Pentium CPU, 4GB of DDR4 RAM, and a large 500GB hard disk drive, all of which are available at a price tag that is cheaper than that of a significant portion of the remaining competitors. There are a number of Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 CPUs that you may upgrade to, as well as a 256GB PCIe solid-state drive (SSD), up to 8GB of RAM, and other options available to you if you want a better performance alternative.
Discrete graphics are not available as an option on the Dell Optiplex 3070 Micro, which is the sole significant downside of this particular model. If you don’t consider it to be significant, then this sentence has a lot to offer.
Pros
- There are lots of mounting options
- Entry units are very affordable
- High-performance options
Cons
- Mounting brackets cost extra
- Only two high-definition video outputs
- No discrete graphics options
Best for Gaming
Origin PC Chronos
When it comes to personal computers that we suggest for use in home theater environments, the Origin Chronos is on the bigger side; nevertheless, there is a compelling reason for this exception. Despite its size, this personal computer is still a lot more compact than the traditional tower machine. However, it is strong enough to handle the 4K display in your home theater system and then switch over to play several of the most recent games at the top settings without any noticeable lag. If you are a fan of home theater and also like playing video games on your own computer, the Origin Chronos is an excellent choice for you.
Despite the fact that the Chronos is on the larger side, gamers will feel right at home with its size and form factor right away. Because of this, it does not perfectly comply with the size criteria of any one game operating system. In spite of this, it does not seem to be out of place when placed next to an Xbox One or a PlayStation 4, nor will it have outstayed its welcome by the time you switch to the next generation of consoles.
A six-core AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super are included in the basic configuration of the Origin Chronos. This means that you can even use it with some of the top virtual reality headsets available. For those who are interested in future-proofing their home entertainment and gaming experiences, you can also upgrade to a variety of more powerful central processing units (CPUs) from Intel and AMD Ryzen, and you can even install a ferocious Nvidia GeForce3 RTX Titan.
The Origin Chronos is an excellent choice if you are searching for a home theater personal computer that is also capable of functioning as a strong gaming rig, but if you are not interested in such a device, it is one of the most expensive options available. You may even update it after the event, just as you would with a conventional personal computer. On the other hand, the PCI Express and DIMM slots from the factory are already full, which means that you will have to replace components with upgrades rather than just adding more capability on top of what you already have.
Pros
- Home theater and gaming in one package
- Fantastic performance for the size
- Some upgrades are available
- Compact design
Cons
- No free PCIe slots for upgrades
- No free DIMM slots for more RAM
- Manufacturer add-ons are expensive
Best Pocket Performance
Intel Compute Stick CS125
One of the smallest personal computers for home theaters, the Intel Compute Stick has a size factor that is not much bigger than the majority of television streaming devices. You may use an HDMI converter if the Compute Stick is too large to fit directly into one of the HDMI ports on your television. It is meant to plug straight into one of the HDMI ports on your television.
In contrast to streaming devices that have a form factor that is comparable, the Intel Compute Stick is a genuine Windows professional computer. The fact that it integrates the whole of the Windows 10 operating system means that you may use this compact home theater PC to do any task that you would be able to perform on any other Windows computer. You have the ability to stream movies, access the internet, and install applications on your home theater system.
The Intel Compute Stick is available in a few different configurations; thus, it is vital to choose the appropriate one. Be aware that the most cost-effective choice is equipped with a lightweight Atom CPU that is acceptable for basic streaming, but you should not anticipate it to do any heavy lifting. It is possible to purchase more costly variants that have faster CPUs, and these versions all have the same small form size.
Pros
- Remarkably small size
- Decent performance
- Affordable
- Full Windows experience
Cons
- Limited memory
- Some versions are expensive
- No upgradeability
- Some models are sluggish
What Should You Look for in a Personal Computer for Your Home Theater?
The processor
The central processing units (CPUs) of home theater computers may come from either Intel or AMD. AMD is a good option to go with if you are looking for a low-cost model and do not want great performance; however, Intel is normally the better option when it comes to performance. In spite of the fact that the most recent AMD processors have turned the script upside down by delivering outstanding performance from their most costly products, it is very unlikely that you would make such an investment in a home theater computer.
Card for Graphics
For optimal performance, your home theater computer must be equipped with a graphics card that is of the discrete kind. In the event that you are not also a gamer, it is not necessary for it to have the power to play the most recent games; however, it must be strong enough to drive a high-definition or four-kilobyte display, or several displays, depending on the configuration you have chosen. In the event that cost is of greater significance, you can be forced to settle with integrated graphics.
Putting away
In order to convert your video collection into digital material that you can play on your home theater PC or stream to other devices, you will need a significant amount of storage space available to you. Look for a solid-state drive (SSD) with a minimum capacity of 256 gigabytes and the ability to add additional storage over either USB or Ethernet. If you would rather stream your entertainment, you should opt for a home theater computer that comes equipped with an 802.11ac or 802.11ax Wi-Fi card already installed.
